Splash pads in Santa Fe, New Mexico

Fort Marcy Park sits just north of the Santa Fe Plaza and the splash zone is the civic-center recreation complex's family centerpiece — the one place tourist parents can give the kids a real run-around break from gallery-and-restaurant day. Ground sprays for toddlers and early grade-schoolers, the Genoveva Chavez Community Center is nearby for full pool access, real restrooms, free parking. Best on weekday mornings before the after-camp crowd arrives. Parent gotcha: Santa Fe sits at 7,200 feet — the highest state capital in the US — and the high-altitude UV is brutally intense even on 70-degree days. Sunscreen the kids before they run. Monsoon thunderstorms in July and August drop in fast off the Sangre de Cristos by 2pm and the pad closes at lightning. Pair with a Plaza Cafe lunch after.

Railyard Park is Santa Fe's modern civic park — the Saturday farmers market is here, SITE Santa Fe is around the corner, and the splash pad is integrated into the park's contemporary design with public-art touches that make the photos pop. Ground sprays for toddlers and early grade-schoolers, real restrooms in the Railyard buildings, paid parking in the garage. Best on weekday mornings before the market or gallery crowds. Parent gotcha: Santa Fe's 7,200-foot altitude delivers UV that's borderline cruel — kids burn in 15 minutes if you don't sunscreen them, and adults from sea-level cities consistently underestimate it. Monsoon thunderstorms over the Sangre de Cristos roll in fast in July and August; the pad closes at lightning. Pair with a Tomasita's lunch and a stop at Iconik Coffee for the full Railyard Wednesday.