The Heart of the Garden Is Getting a Refresh

Every garden has a place where people naturally pause. At Santa Fe Botanical Garden, that place is Kearny’s Gap Bridge, our beloved “red bridge.” It connects the two halves of the Garden across the Arroyo de los Pinos, and for many of us it’s the heart of the whole experience.

From November 12 to 20 the heart is getting some well-earned care.

A Bridge with a Story

Kearny’s Gap Bridge was built in 1913 for San Miguel County by the Missouri Valley Bridge and Iron Company. It’s a 62-foot steel Warren pony truss bridge, recognizable by the cross-bracing along each side. The design was patented in 1848, and a 1987 New Mexico Department of Transportation survey noted this bridge as being of historical and engineering interest.

For decades it carried travelers along State Highway 283, which follows the route of the Santa Fe Trail southwest of Las Vegas, New Mexico. When the highway was widened and moved, the bridge was left behind in a pasture on land owned by the family of David Thomas “Dee” and Mabel Bibb.

The Bibbs were quintessential New Mexicans. Dee was a world champion bulldogger, a member of the Cowboy Hall of Fame, and the leader of Dee Bibb and his Orchestra, who entertained Northern New Mexico with rollicking cowboy music. Mabel was a civic-minded rancher, silver appraiser, and member of the State Water Board, remembered for her love of the landscape. When the Garden went looking for an “orphaned bridge,” bringing this one to Museum Hill felt like a fitting tribute to the family.

Why Now?

Over the years, the bridge’s brilliant red has softened in the intense Northern New Mexico weather, and the wooden deck’s protective seal has worn thin, leaving the surface on the verge of splintering. This restoration will bring back the bridge’s color and refresh the deck so it’s ready to welcome visitors for generations.

What to Expect

During the restoration, the bridge will be closed, which means roughly two-thirds of the Garden will be inaccessible. The areas that remain open are well worth a visit.

To reflect the change, we’re offering pay-what-you-want admission from November 12 to 20. Pay what feels right to you. Every visit helps support the Garden and the care of this historic landmark.

See You on the Other Side

We can’t wait to see the bridge shine again, standing over the arroyo with the historic Civilian Conservation Corps gabion dam on one side and the long view toward the Jemez Mountains on the other. It’s been a gathering place, a photo backdrop, and a quiet spot to pause, and it will be for many years to come.

Follow along on social media for sneak peeks, and join us when the heart of the Garden reopens!