ABQ BioPark (Albuquerque Biological Park)

The Rio Grande runs alongside it, and that geography is the point. The Albuquerque Biological Park — operated by the city — pulls together a zoo, a botanic garden, an aquarium, and Tingley Beach into a single complex along the river. The zoo alone covers 64 acres and houses more than 900 animals. Admission runs $10 for New Mexico residents, $14.50 for everyone else — reasonable, for the scope of what's here.