Albuquerque, New Mexico - Cool Facts

Each October Albuquerque hosts the world's largest international hot air balloon fiesta.

After WWII Los Alamos and Albuquerque had many new laboratories. Hundreds of highly educated Scientists and Engineers moved in the state. New Mexico soon had a higher percentage of people with Ph.D.s than any other state.

New Mexico's largest city Albuquerque was founded in 1706 as a Spanish farming community. It was named after a province in Spain.

The famous KiMo Theater along the Mother Road in Albuquerque, New Mexico is said to be haunted by the ghost of a six year old boy by the name of Bobby Darnall who was killed at the theater in 1951 from a boiler explosion. According to legend the impish spirit causes the performers problems by tripping them and creating a ruckus during performances. To appease the spirit, the cast leaves doughnuts backstage, which are gone the next morning.

Because of a change in alignment of Route 66 in 1937, there is an intersection where Route 66 crosses itself at Central Avenue and 4th Street in downtown Albuquerque, New Mexico. Here, you can stand on the corner of Route 66 and Route 66.

Paramount Pictures made a western entitled Albuquerque in 1948, starring Randolph Scott, Barbara Britton, George "Gabby" Hayes, and Lon Chaney. It was billed as a "Tremendous Thrill Story of a Lawless, Brawling Frontier Eldorado!"[3]

Vivian Vance, who played the character of Ethel Mertz on the television show, I Love Lucy, always claimed Albuquerque as her home town, even though she was born in Cherryvale, Kansas. Vivian was a founding member of the Albuquerque Little Theatre. In fact the character of Ethel was noted as having been born in Albuquerque, and her show business education there was mentioned in episode #113, Ethel's Home Town.[4]


The perception of Albuquerque as an exotic place with a strange name has led to some humorous references to the city. A running gag in the Warner Brothers Looney Tunes cartoons was that Bugs Bunny would turn up somewhere unexpected and say "I shouldn't have made that left turn at Albuquerque."
"Weird Al" Yankovic released a song called Albuquerque on his 1999 album Running With Scissors, which is in the style of "Dick's Automotive" by the Rugburns.

Disney's popular original movie, High School Musical, is set in Albuquerque.

Neil Young wrote a song called "Albuquerque" for his 1975 album "Tonight's The Night."


Little Miss Sunshine contains a family from Albuquerque


Chingo Bling was born in Albuquerque


Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher attended UNM in Albuquerque

Wild Hogs (2007) was filmed in Albuquerque