January in Albuquerque is the city at its most quietly wonderful — crisp blue-sky days, the Sandia Mountains capped with snow, and the cultural institutions running at full power.

The Albuquerque Museum launches its winter exhibition season with major shows running simultaneously: rotating displays from the permanent collection of New Mexican and Southwestern art and history, alongside traveling exhibitions from national sources.

The permanent collection is worth the visit on its own — Spanish Colonial artifacts, 19th-century landscape paintings, contemporary Native American art, and the largest collection of Rio Grande culture objects in the world.

Admission is free on the first Sunday of every month. Old Town surrounds the museum and offers lunch at a dozen restaurants within walking distance.