Things to Do Near ABQ
What you need to know
Stay local and explore these great offers in the ABQ Metro area.
Albuquerque BioPark Membership
Looking for Run for the Zoo? Click here
Free unnamed guest with membership
Becoming a Member or Renewing Your Membership:
To become a member or renew an existing membership with the ABQ BioPark check out the promo code instructions. Discounted membership is for employee use only and may not be purchased as a gift.
Membership Benefits:
With an annual membership, you will have unlimited admission to all three parks and enjoy other great benefits like:
- Inside scoop to all things BioPark in the members-only digital magazine
- Education and other program discounts
- Exclusive news, sneak peaks to exhibit openings, and much more
Check out everything that’s happening at www.bioparksociety.org
Visiting the BioPark:
Don’t leave home without your BioPark reservation! Time-specific tickets are strongly encouraged to be purchased advance, even if you are an annual member. Details at BioPark Visitor Info & Tickets.
Anderson Abruzzo International Balloon Museum – Observation Deck
Observation Deck Dining Events at the Balloon Museum during Balloon Fiesta®
Dates: Oct. 4-12, 2025 (a Balloon Museum Foundation Benefit).
Don’t miss an experience of a lifetime!
The Balloon Museum Foundation is proud to host the Observation Deck Balloon Museum Dining Events during the Anderson Abruzzo International Balloon Fiesta Oct. 4-12, 2025.
The Observation Deck is the best way to experience Balloon Fiesta, offering the best views from above the crowds, delicious dining, VIP amenities and access to the Balloon Museum and Balloon Fiesta Park.
Get 10% off adult and youth tickets with the Sandia-exclusive promo code.
*Discounts exclude:
- Open Bar upgrade
- Wednesday, Oct. 8 breakfast
- Discounts cannot be combined
Event Information and Ticket Purchase: https://balloonmuseum.com/observation-deck/
Tickets on sale now!
Cliff’s & Hinkle – No discounts available
No discounts are available for these attractions at this time.
Meow Wolf
Meow Wolf Santa Fe – House of Eternal Return
Meow Wolf art collective creates immersive, interactive experiences to transport audiences of all ages into fantastic realms of story and exploration.
Save 15% off admission for your entire group when you purchase with your sandia.gov email. Excludes Time Warp tickets.
To purchase:
1. Log in or create an account at https://tickets.meowwolf.com/santa-fe/
Discount is only available with a sandia.gov email address. If accessing for the first time, you must create an account.
2. Choose your desired day and time
3. Discount will be automatically applied
Plan ahead!
- Tickets will be emailed only to your sandia.gov email address, so purchase early if you can’t access your Sandia email from home
- Capacity is limited and some days/times sell out quickly
- If you are not logged in to your account, the discount will not appear
Valid at NM location only.
National Museum of Nuclear Science & History
Exclusively for Sandia employees and eligible dependents: Save 15% off any yearly membership.
Membership Benefits:
- Free unlimited admission to the museum
- Member discount on all “Science is Everywhere” Camps
- 10% discount in the Museum Store
- Invitations to special exhibition openings
- Invitations to member-only events
- Member discount on events like Nuclear After Dark and our Virtual Lectures
- Free admission to more than 370 science centers all over the nation
Get discount info at the promo codes page. Discount available online only.
Get full membership info at www.nuclearmuseum.org/support/membership/ .
Membership questions? Email Jennifer Galloway at jgalloway@nuclearmuseum.org
Don’t have a membership?
Show your NM driver’s license for discounted admission.
Camps/Education:
- Science is Everywhere Camp sessions are held during the APS break schedules, including Veterans Day, Parent/Teacher Conference Days, winter break, spring break, and summer break. All camps are for grades Kindergarten through 7th grade. Learn more about robots, biology, forensics, engineering, chemistry, physics, weird science, and more.
- Check out their extensive collection of Online Educational Resources.
Various family-friendly activities are happening all year long. Check out www.nuclearmuseum.org for the current schedule.
New Mexico Winter Wonderland (Expo NM)
New Mexico’s number one winter holiday attraction returns for the 2025 season. Join us for New Mexico’s Winter Wonderland at EXPO NM.
Schedule (Starting Thanksgiving Day)
- Thursday – Sunday until Dec. 29, 2025.
- Closed Monday – Wednesday and Christmas Day.
To celebrate the Thanksgiving Day opening, Sandia employees will receive 20% off General Admission tickets with the Sandia-exclusive promo code.
A portion of every ticket sold from the Winter Wonderland event will be donated to the Ronald McDonald House Charities – New Mexico, S.A.F.E. House, and American Cancer Society.
Rainbow Ryders Hot Air Balloon Co. – Sunrise Flight Discounts
Fulfill your bucket list with a true one-of-a-kind experience. Our flight team launches spectacular sunrise flights every day of the year, lifting into the air just after the sun comes up.
Experience the scenic Rio Grande and enchanting southwest vistas like never before with an estimated one-hour balloon flight.
The Rainbow Ryders Hot Air Balloon Co. is now offering Sandians $175 dollar Sunrise flights per person for dates in which the cost of the flight that day is over $180 (go to the Rainbow Ryders website and click on the “Book a Morning Flight” tab to see daily rates).
Also take advantage of the deals they do have for other days.
Bring your family and friends, and don’t forget your camera; you’ll want to share your pictures with everyone.
You can either call the Rainbow Ryders office at 505-823-1111 to book or by visiting its website and using the Sandia Exclusive promo code.
The offer is only valid for the Sunrise Hot Air Balloon Ride:
- Flight Time: 45 Minutes – 1 Hour
- Total Time: About 2.5 – 3 hours
- Will only work for dates that are $180 dollars or more
**Not valid on blackout days during the Balloon Fiesta**
River Of Lights
Get into the holiday spirit at 8th Annual River of Lights at the ABQ BioPark Botanic Garden, presented by TLC Plumbing Heating Cooling Electrical!
Enjoy a stroll along the 1-mile path featuring over 800 one-of-a-kind hand-welded light displays, animated and 3D sculptures, and millions of twinkling lights at New Mexico’s largest and most beloved original walk-through holiday light show.
Schedule
- November 29 – December 30, 2025; 5:00 – 10:00 p.m.
Two Low Sensory Nights
- December 1 and January 2; 5:00 – 10:00 p.m.
*Last ticket timeslot entry is at 8 p.m. Event closed December 24 & 25.
Save 10% off on up to 4 general admission or value night tickets when you use the Sandia-exclusive promo code.
Code will only work when applied at checkout.
Get helpful tips at www.riveroflights.org
StrangeKind Ballooning
Looking to take your team to new heights! Strange Kind Ballooning is now offering Sandia exclusive employee pricing promotion for ballo0n flights over Albuquerque for a Shared sunrise or private sunrise experience with Promo Code!
Valid anytime through 2025 (excluding Sept. 27 – Oct. 14)
They are also offering a Sandia exclusive Balloon Fiesta Season flights-
Valid for Sept. 27 to Oct. 14 at 10% off with Sandia-exclusive promo code
All flights include:
- Roundtrip transportation from El Verde Inn
- Light refreshments
- Post-flight champagne toast at El Verde Inn
*June 1st- July 31st:
StrangeKind Ballooning Passengers will receive 15% off their hotel accommodations at El Verde Inn.
Sandia Peak Tramway
We have received a price increase in 2025 from Sandia Peak. Any tickets for dates starting March 14 will be $20. The normal price at the Tram is $34. Purchasing through SERP still provides Sandians with a 41% discount. Our tickets are not time specific. They can be used anytime during normal business hours for the date purchased.
Up to four tickets are available per day, not per person. Tickets are first-come, first-served and you may purchase 1-4 tickets based on availability.
**Procedure for Purchasing Tram Tickets**
- Email serp@sandia.gov with your dates and number of tickets requested. SERP will confirm availability via your sandia.gov email address.
- Payment is due at time of reservation.
- You may pick up your tickets in person at our IPOC Office: D-Suite, 1st floor, near the SWIFT Bar.
- Emailing of Tram tickets is not available.
SERP does not offer refunds for unused tickets. In the event of Tram closure due to weather, your pass will be granted a 30-day extension from the date on pass.
For tram info, visit www.sandiapeak.com
Topgolf
Topgolf is now offering Sandia an exclusive promo for all your team building and family get togethers! Come and enjoy their year-round hitting bays, equipped with heating and cooling in bays (Seasons), HDTVs and high-tech balls that score themselves.
10% off golf for 1 or 2 bay Reservations: 10% Topgolf Portal
20% off golf for 3+ events booked through the Sales Team: 20% Topgolf portal
50% event spaces (Private Skybox Lounge or Patio).
- Place reservations online through Topgolf portal, or simply walk-in. Both methods will honor the discount, but discount will be applied in-house, not at checkout online
- Provide Topgolf with a Sandia email address to receive the Promo.
- Walk in guests must tell the staff in the bays they are a Sandia employee so promo can be applied
Visit Topgolf to see what they have to offer!
Contact SERP for questions
Looking for something else?
Contact SERP
Now located in IPOC!
D/1261, first floor D Suite, near the SWIFT IT Bar
Hours: 9 a.m.-2 p.m. MT, Monday through Friday
505-844-8486
Subscribe to the monthly SERP Alert email (with periodic special mailings for last minute discounts or special events).