Entry No. 17 — the Albuquerque file — filed under: historic-house
Casa San Ysidro: The Gutiérrez/Minge House
Dedicated local historians Dr. Ward Alan and Shirley Minge obsessively salvaged architectural elements and thousands of historic New Mexican artifacts to build a 24-room adobe rancho complex filled with rare ironwork, colcha embroidery, and early tinwork.
The story
In 1952, historian Dr. Ward Alan Minge and his wife Shirley bought a quiet 1875 Territorial-period adobe rancho in Corrales originally built by the Gutiérrez family. Over the next four decades, they turned the site into a relentless act of architectural salvage. Whenever historic New Mexican adobe structures, cabins, or barns across the region faced destruction, the Minges stepped in, dismantled them piece by piece, and transported the materials to Old Church Road to graft them onto the property.
The result is a 24-room adobe compound built around a central plazuela, complete with a recreated 19th-century enclosed corral, a private family chapel, and an entire stone barn relocated timber-by-timber from Tajique. Walk through the sala and you'll find red flagstones hauled in from Acoma Pueblo, walls painted with local soil pigments, and thousands of uncased artifacts—from hand-forged 18th-century ironwork and rare colcha embroidery to early tinwork and regional textiles. In 1997, the couple transferred the entire estate to the City of Albuquerque to guarantee its survival.
What it's like
A visit here feels less like walking through a sterile gallery and more like stepping into a lived-in 19th-century rancho. Expect to navigate thick 26-inch adobe walls and rooms with no modern central heating or air conditioning, meaning you'll feel the outdoor season in every corridor. Docents lead small groups through the home and outbuildings, pointing out details like soil pigments and exposed roof beams. Watch your footing: the collection sits openly along walls and clay floors without glass cases or velvet ropes. Tip: look out for free admission on Second Saturdays or sign up in advance for their specialized heritage weaving and blacksmithing workshops.
The move: Take a guided docent walk through the 26-inch-thick adobe rooms to examine hand-forged 18th-century tools and regional weavings, followed by a casual afternoon drink at a nearby Corrales bistro.
- 📍 Corrales
- 💸 $
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 973 Old Church Rd, Corrales, NM 87048
Hours: Added 2026-07-21 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Vernon's Speakeasy — Follow a tour through 19th-century adobe with a reservation behind an unmarked door in nearby Los Ranchos for a classic speakeasy steak dinner.
- The Wellness Yurt at Los Poblanos — Pair a walk through 26-inch-thick mud walls with a sound bath set in the cottonwoods at Los Poblanos lavender farm just down the valley.
- Pueblo Montaño Chainsaw Sculpture Garden — Extend your local history outing along the Rio Grande Bosque to view charred tree trunks carved into public art following the 2003 wildfire.
Good to know
Where is Casa San Ysidro located?
It sits at 973 Old Church Rd in Corrales, New Mexico, directly across from the historic Old San Ysidro Church.
Are the artifacts displayed behind glass?
No. The 18th- and 19th-century tools, textiles, tinwork, and furniture are displayed exposed throughout the rooms as they would have been in a historical home.
Is the venue climate-controlled?
No. The historic adobe structure does not have modern heating or central air conditioning, relying on its 26-inch mud walls for insulation, so dress according to the weather.
Who owns and operates Casa San Ysidro?
Donated by the Minge family in 1997, it is owned by the City of Albuquerque and managed as a satellite facility of the Albuquerque Museum in partnership with the Village of Corrales.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: cabq.gov · nps.gov · visitalbuquerque.org
last checked: 2026-07-21