New Public Lands Discovery Center opens in Old Town

Adventurers won’t have to track and hunt as hard for maps and information about public lands. A new storefront in Albuquerque’s Old Town is providing a home for information of all sorts on the lands people can visit across New Mexico and the Southwest.

The Public Lands Discovery Center opened Wednesday, at 422 San Felipe St. NW, near The Candy Lady.

The Public Lands Interpretive Association (PLIA) moved from its longtime spot in Los Ranchos de Albuquerque to the more visible location.

The Discovery Center includes an extensive library of maps and products, and workers equipped to answer questions about spots to adventure.

PLIA was first incorporated in 1980 as the Southwest Natural and Cultural History Association. The PLIA website, publiclands.org, offers online maps of recreation sites as well as maps for sale. PLIA operates visitor centers and stores in Arizona and New Mexico in collaboration with government departments including the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service.

“America’s public lands are more than just landscapes on a map — they are shared treasures telling a story about who we are,” according to a PLIA blog. “From the desert canyons, mountains and forests of the Southwest and beyond, these lands are saturated with history, beauty and possibility for everyone who calls this country home — and for those visiting from far away. While public lands belong to all of us, they are unable to speak for themselves.”

The group says it speaks up for public lands.

“For decades, PLIA has been dedicated to connecting people with the natural and cultural heritage of public lands, ensuring that these spaces are not just protected, but understood, appreciated, and accessible,” PLIA said.

“Public lands are places of inspiration, but too often they can feel distant, inaccessible or even invisible. Our new Public Lands Discovery Center will help bridge that gap. The Discovery Center will act as a hub of learning, gathering, and conversation — a place where visitors can explore maps, resources and stories that bring public lands to life.”

The Discovery Center serves as a “gathering place for dialogue about the challenges and opportunities our public lands face today.”

“At its heart, the Discovery Center is about access and connection,” PLIA said. “It reflects a belief that the great outdoors — a cornerstone of the American dream — should remain open, welcoming, and enriching for everyone, regardless of background or political viewpoint. In a time when so much divides us, public lands remain one of the few things that unite us.”