New Mexico Military Museum, Santa Fe

One of three small museums in a single complex just a bit out of the center, the New Mexico Military Museum began as a homegrown memorial to soldiers in the Bataan Death March of the Second World War. This tragedy hit New Mexico hard, as most of the state's national guardsmen, drafted as the 200th Coast Artillery, were among the more than 70,000 U.S. and Filipino soldiers subjected to torture, malnourishment, random executions, and three years of imprisonment. Out of the 1,800 who started in the regiment, fewer than 900 returned home, and a third of those men died within the first year back. The troops' experiences are commemorated with newspaper clippings, maps, and testimonials.

The museum also features Civil War memorabilia and exhibits on Native American contributions to U.S. wars, such as the Choctaw and Navajo code talkers of the Second World War. With free admission, it's a nice way to spend 30-60 minutes.