| Albuquerque originated in the part of the present-day city known as Old Town. With more than 150 shops, galleries, and restaurants housed in historic adobe buildings, Old Town is a popular site for visitors to the city. Just north of the Old Town area is the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, which features arts and crafts from all 19 of New Mexico's pueblos. The Center also houses a restaurant that specializes in Native American-style cooking. On the west side of the city is Petroglyph National Monument, with more than 17,000 ancient images representing the world's largest accessible collection of prehistoric rock art. From downtown Albuquerque one can board the Sandia Peak Ski and Tramway, rising 2.7 miles above deep canyons to the Sandia Peak observation deck, with a panoramic view spanning some 11,000 square miles. Albuquerque is also the site of Sandia National Laboratory, a major U.S. nuclear research, development, and testing facility. Annual events in Albuquerque include the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, which draws more than 700 hot-air balloons and nearly 800,000 spectators each October; and the Gathering of Nations Powwow, featuring more than 3,000 Native American singers and dancers representing more than 500 tribes from the United States and Canada. |
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