FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Albuquerque holds two of New Mexico's ten most haunted places
A new index ranks places by published accounts, not legend
September 30, 2026
With Halloween approaching, two Albuquerque places rank among New Mexico's ten most haunted in HauntBound's 2026 index, including Church Street Cafe at #6. The index ranks 56 New Mexico sites by separate published accounts and how far back they go, not by fame or search popularity.
Church Street Cafe, in the Casa de Ruiz adobe the Ruiz family owned for nearly three centuries, ranks #6. Three separate published accounts describe activity there. Staff attribute thrown silverware, slammed doors and keys that disappear and reappear to Sara Ruiz, mother of the family's last resident, and the Albuquerque Journal has reported that the current owner has heard her voice yelling at a contractor during renovations. Visitors are told to say "Goodnight, Sara" on the way out. Most published accounts trace to the cafe's own story, which it publishes and stands by.
The KiMo Theatre ranks #4. Architect Carl Boller designed the 1927 Pueblo Deco movie palace, and Pablo Abeita, former governor of Isleta Pueblo, gave it its name in a public contest.
Statewide, the St. James Hotel in Cimarron ranks #1 and is also New Mexico's most famous haunted site.
"We rank by evidence, not legend: independent published accounts, documented history, and how far back the reports go. We don't claim ghosts are real, or that they aren't. We document where the reports concentrate, and we show our work," said Ben Fineman, editor of HauntBound. The ranking shows each site's documented record.
Visiting:Church Street Cafe, 2111 Church St. NW, Albuquerque, is an operating restaurant open for lunch and dinner.KiMo Theatre, 423 Central Ave. NW, Albuquerque, is open Wednesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., with performances year-round.
For media:The full ranking: https://hauntbound.com/most-haunted/new-mexico/The fact sheet, with Albuquerque numbers and cleared images: https://hauntbound.com/press/fact-sheets/new-mexico/Photo: Church Street Cafe, on the fact sheet.Venue contact: cabq.gov (KiMo Theatre)A short version follows.
HauntBound (hauntbound.com) is a family-friendly field guide to more than 6,000 documented haunted and historic places across the United States, ranked by published evidence rather than legend. No venue pays to be listed or ranked.
Media contact: Ben Fineman, Editor, HauntBound, editor@hauntbound.com