Staff report
The Albuquerque Museum is celebrating the 150th anniversary of Casa San Ysidro: The Gutiérrez/Minge House in Corrales with a series of special events throughout 2025.
Casa San Ysidro, a satellite of the Albuquerque Museum, preserves a collection of New Mexican art, furnishings and historic artifacts. Built around 1875, the house was named for its original owners and Ward Alan and Shirley Minge, who restored and expanded it. The Minges donated the property to the City of Albuquerque in 1997.
“Casa San Ysidro is a special place for our community to connect with our rich state’s history,” said Mayor Tim Keller. “Our work through the Albuquerque Museum ensures it remains a space where families can learn, explore, and engage with the cultural traditions that have shaped our state.”
The site has long been a gathering place for key figures in Albuquerque’s history. Community members Joe and Mary McKinney recall that historian Marc Simmons, architect George Pearl, and artist Bob Hooton attended dinners there. The collection also reflects the contributions of Tony Garcia, who helped assemble artifacts that tell the story of New Mexico’s past.
“Casa San Ysidro is rich with objects and history that reflect challenging yet innovative times for New Mexico during the Territorial Period,” said Curator of History at Albuquerque Museum Alicia Romero, PhD. “More importantly, Casa is rich for the many people who continue to celebrate the cultural traditions of New Mexico within the property’s walls and throughout its grounds.”
Casa San Ysidro offers year-round programming, including Second Saturdays, seasonal festivals, and hands-on workshops.
Highlights of the 2025 event lineup include:
- “The Bad Girls” of New Mexico History on April 12, featuring historian Robert Torrez discussing criminal cases involving women in New Mexico’s “Wild West” period.
- Heritage Day on May 17 is a free event celebrating local heritage with demonstrations of blacksmithing, dancing, tinwork and weaving.
- “Responding to the Downwinders’ Archive: Creating a Photographic Legacy” on July 12, with documentary photographer Sofie Hecht discussing the effects of the nuclear industrial complex on New Mexican families. A Zine-making workshop will follow.
- Casa San Ysidro is listed on the State Register of Historic Properties and is a National Park Service stopping point on El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro National Interpretive Trail.
Additional details and a full schedule of events can be found here.