Museum of Contemporary Native Arts 🇺🇸

Located in downtown Santa Fe near the Santa Fe Plaza and Saint Francis Cathedral, the IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts (MoCNA) stands as the only museum in the United States dedicated strictly to collecting and showcasing works by contemporary Indigenous artists. Housed within the historic Sante Fe Federal Building—the town's old Post Office featuring Pueblo Revival architecture—the museum was founded in 1991 by the Institute of American Indian Arts.

When you visit, you will experience progressive, contemporary intertribal Native American art drawn from a collection of nearly 10,000 works produced from 1962 onward. The museum actively collects, exhibits, and interprets these modern pieces while hosting a public programming series.

Outside in the courtyard west of the building, you can stroll through the Allan Houser Sculpture Garden and Art Park, which features rotating selections of work by Chiricahua Apache artist Allan Houser on loan from the Allan Houser Foundation. MoCNA offers a truly unique cultural experience, highlighting cutting-edge expressions of Indigenous heritage alongside international collaborations, such as featured exhibitions of Taiwanese Indigenous art.

What to see at Museum of Contemporary Native Arts

• Only US museum dedicated exclusively to contemporary Indigenous artists
• Collection of nearly 10,000 works created from 1962 to the present
• Housed in the historic Pueblo Revival Sante Fe Federal Building
• Allan Houser Sculpture Garden and Art Park located in the courtyard
• Located in historic downtown near Santa Fe Plaza and Saint Francis Cathedral

Visiting tips

Take advantage of free admission on Fridays through December 2026 thanks to the Access for All grant.

How long: 1-2 hours · Best time: Fridays

How to get there & what’s nearby

Museum of Contemporary Native Arts is easy to reach on Santa Fe’s public transport, and pairs naturally with Palace of the Governors and Santa Fe Plaza. For where to stay, the weather and full itineraries, see our Santa Fe travel guide.