We present high–quality BVRI photometric data in the field of globular cluster NGC 6496 obtained with the SOAR Telescope Adaptive Module ( SAM ) .
Our observations were collected as part of the ongoing SAM commissioning .
The distance modulus and cluster color excess as found from the red clump is \mathit { ( m - M ) _ { V } } = 15.71 \pm 0.02 mag and \mathit { E ( V - I ) } = 0.28 \pm 0.02 mag .
An age of 10.5 \pm 0.5 Gyr is determined from the difference in magnitude between the red clump and the subgiant branch .
These parameters are in excellent agreement with the values derived from isochrone fitting .
From the color-magnitude diagram we find a metallicity of [ \mathit { Fe / H } ] = -0.65 dex and hence support a disk classification for NGC 6496 .
The complete BVRI data set for NGC 6469 is made available in the electronic edition of the Journal .