Old Town & the BioPark

Things to know

• Free 2-hour street parking rings the plaza but fills fast; the paid Old Town/Museum lot off Mountain Rd NW is the reliable backup.
• Portal vendors under the Armijo House sell only their own handmade work by city rule — a better bet for authentic turquoise than most of the surrounding storefronts (see the jewelry-authenticity note below).
• The BioPark (zoo, aquarium, botanic garden) is a mile-plus walk or a short drive from the plaza, not steps away — budget transit time and treat it as its own half-day, not a plaza add-on.
• Midday (roughly 11am–2pm) brings the heaviest tour-bus and cruise-style group traffic around the plaza and church; arrive by 9–10am for a quieter first look.
• Closed Mondays is common among the neighborhood's small museums and shops — check before building a Monday itinerary around Old Town.
• Never leave bags or electronics visible in a parked car here or at the BioPark lots — vehicle break-ins are the area's real, well-documented crime risk, not anything violent.