July 2009
At the Museum
See also: Southwest Art Scene
History Lessons
Menu of this month's listings, stories and columns
Museum Scavenger Hunt -- Border Museum Association offers scavenger hunt forms available at 12 participating museums through July 15. The hunt encourages participants to learn more about the area’s history, art, desert, and other subjects while exploring the region’s museums. Visit any 10 museum, and have form validated at each site. Correctly completed forms will be entered in a drawing for cash prizes and other prizes. Participation is free. Museum admission varies. Information: 747-5565.
Prize drawings will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, July 25, at the Magoffin Home (participants do not have to be present at drawing to win). Cash prizes include $40, $60 and $100, with other prizes offered.
Participating museums: UTEP Centennial Museum, El Paso Holocaust Museum El Paso Museum of Archaeology, El Paso Museum of Art, El Paso Museum of History, Fort Bliss Museums, International Museum of Art, Lynx Exhibits, Magoffin Home, National Border Patrol Museum, Railroad and Transportation Museum and War Eagles Museum.
Centennial Museum -- University at Wiggins, UTEP. Changing exhibits are on the second floor, Lea and Discovery Galleries. Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Admission is free. Information: 747-5565 or utep.edu/museum.
Showing through Sept. 11 at the Centennial Museum, Rubin Center and UTEP Union Gallery: “The Disappeared.”
For details, see Rubin Center listing.
Continuing exhibits are on the third floor of the Centennial and include archaeology, ethnology and paleontology of the Southwest. Around the museum building, the Chihuahuan Desert Gardens exhibit the beauty and utility of Southwestern water-conserving native plants in landscaping. The gardens are open daily from daylight to dusk.
El Paso Firefighters Museum -- 8600 Montana. The museum offers various firefighting paraphernalia such as a 1930 American La France Fire Engine and a rare 1898 American Fire Engine Company “Steamer,” one of only two in the world. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Admission is free. Information: 771-1000.
El Paso Holocaust Museum and Study Center -- 715 N. Oregon. Hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Closed Monday. Admission is free. Information: 351-0048 or elpasoholocaustmuseum.org.
The museum depicts Jewish life in Europe before World War II, Hitler’s rise to power, the expulsion of Jews into ghettoes, life in concentration camps, prisoner resistance to the Nazis and liberation of the camps. Also featured is a local survivors exhibit. Docents available for guided tours.
The museum’s free monthly “Cinema Sundays” series is 2 p.m. the last Sunday of the month, featuring a Holocaust- or other genocide-related film. Early arrival encouraged, as seating is limited.
The museum will host a summer camp for grades 3 through 8 “We’re Not So Different After All: Teaching Tolerance in a Multicultural Community” 9 a.m. to noon July 13-17. Cost: $40 ($30 for each additional child in same family); includes t-shirt, all supplies and daily snacks. Deadline is July 7, space is limited. Information: Jamie Williams, 351-0048 ext. 28.
El Paso Museum of Archaeology -- 4301 Transmountain Road in Northeast El Paso (west of U.S. 54). Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is free. Information: 755-4332.
Showing through Oct. 4: Temple of the Warriors: Rebuilding a Maya Monument.” In 1924, archaeologist Earl H. Morris of the Carnegie Institution of Washington, D.C. and his artist wife Ann Axtell Morris were part of an unparalleled restoration effort at the ancient Mayan city of Chichen Itza in Yucatan, México. In a landmark agreement with the Mexican government, only scientific information would be gathered, leaving all cultural material at the site. Upon completion, knowledge gained through excavation provided an unprecedented insight into one of the greatest ancient civilizations of the Americas. The exhibit shows both archaeological phases of the restoration as well as the professional and personal experiences of the staff involved.
Museum director Marc Thompson will give a free illustrated presentation “Chichen Itza and Tula, Hidalgo: Tales of Two Cities at 2 p.m. Saturday, July 18. The question of “which came first, Chichen or Tula?” has vexed archaeologists for generations. Thompson will discuss the latest explanations and why opinions have varied since the site of Tula, Hidalgo, México, was recognized as the Toltec capital.
Thompson will host zip tours of the “Temple of the Warriors” exhibit at noon Wednesdays, July 1-29 in the auditorium gallery.
The museum tells the 12,000-year-old story of prehistoric human habitation in the region, with five dioramas and exhibits of tools, pottery, rock art and other materials.
A nature trail takes visitors through 17 acres of Chihuahuan Desert with 200 varieties of desert plants. The trail also offers a local pithouse, pueblo ruin and an Apache brush hut. The park also has picnic tables and a gazebo.
Archaeology Summer Day Camp is 9 a.m. to noon Tuesdays through Fridays July 28-31 for ages 6-8 July 14-17 (filled) and Aug. 11-14 for ages 9-12. Registration: $70 ($55 museum members), first come, first serve basis. Space is limited. Information/registration: 755-4332.
A training for volunteers with experience teaching elementary and middle school students to assist with the camp is 9 a.m. to noon Tuesday, July 7. Information: 755-4332 or guidamr@elpasotexas.gov.
El Paso Museum of Art -- One Arts Festival Plaza, downtown El Paso. For exhibit information, see “Southwest Art Scene.”
El Paso Museum of History -- The new 44,000 square-foot museum is at 510 N. Santa Fe. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday, noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. Gift shop open during regular museum hours. Closed Mondays and city holidays. Admission to all events is free. Information: 351-3588 or elpasotexas.gov/history.
A special public viewing of the Treaty of Valesco, 1836, is Thursday, July 16, during museum hours. Two treaties were negotiated between officials of the ad interim government of the Republic of Texas and Santa Anna, the Mexican dictator and commander of forces, about three weeks after his capture by the Texans at the Battle of San Jacinto. Together, the treaties somewhat loosely established Texas’ southern border at the Rio Grande River, but this issue would not be resolved until 1848, after Texas statehood and the conclusion of the Mexican War.
Dr. Paul Numerof will talk on “Aviation and WWII” 2 to 3 p.m. Saturday, July 18, as part of the Focus on Perspectives Lecture Series. Numerof will share his experience as a member of the Manhattan Project at Los Alamos during World War II, working alongside famous people like Robert Oppenheimer and Enrico Fermi.
Showing through Sept. 6: “El Paso Aviation,” presented in cooperation with El Paso International Airport. The exhibit explores El Paso’s aviation history from 1927 to present, and features the newly-acquired T-38 training jet as well as aviation artifacts such as a picnic table signed by shuttle astronauts, a space suit, runway lights, beacon, photos and documents.
After Charles A. Lindbergh’s September 24, 1927 visit to El Paso, the El Paso Aero Club soon began drawing up plans for an airport. One year later on Sept. 8, 10,000 El Pasoans turned out for the dedication ceremony of their first municipal airport.
Showing through Sept. 16: “El Paso del Norte Region YWCA at 100: Empowered by the Past–Envisioning the Future,” celebrating the El Paso YWCA’s leadership role in its pursuit to eliminate racism and empower women. The exhibit includes photographs, correspondence, minute books and other artifacts that tell the story of how a group of visionary women in 1909 began an organization that is currently the largest YWCA in the United States.
Free zip tours are 12:15 to 1 p.m. on selected Wednesdays.
Permanent exhibits include “El Paso: A to Z,” a nontraditional look at day-to-day life in El Paso, and ‘The Changing Pass,” a chronological history of the region from the Ice Age through the Camino Real, arrival of stagecoaches and more.
Summer camps are 9 a.m. to noon Tuesday through Friday through Aug. 7, including YWCA Retro Summer Camp and Junior Curator Camp. (see separate listing).
Fort Bliss Museums and Study Center -- Building 1735, Marshall Road (old PX building), Fort Bliss. The museum incorporates the Fort Bliss Museum and the Air Artillery Defense Museum, with exhibits ranging from Civil War artifacts to the Patriot Missile System. Admission is free. Open 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily. Information: 568-3390 or 568-5412.
Exhibits include “Air Defense Artillery in the War on Global Terror,” a Hawk missile battery, the German-American Friendship Wall and a Cobra helicopter. Also on display in front is the newly restored V-2 rocket, a German WWII ballistic missile.
Also on Fort Bliss is Old Fort Bliss, Building 5051, corner of Pershing and Pleasanton, a reproduction of the Magoffinsville Post of 1854 to 1868. Information: 568-4518.
Heritage House Museum -- 500 W. University Ave. (Old Cap Kidd House on Kerby). Operated by the Heritage Commission, the old house preserves the history of UTEP. Hours are 10 a.m. to noon Wednesday through Friday, or by appointment. Admission is free. Information: 747-5700.
Insights El Paso Science Museum -- 505 N. Santa Fe. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission: $6 ($5 seniors, students and military; $4 ages 4-11). Information: 534-0000 or insightselpaso.org.
Extended through Aug. 30: “Dinosaurs,” the return of the museum’s most popular exhibit, featuring large animatronic recreations of prehistoric creatures including Tyrannosaurus rex, Triceratops, Ankylosaurus, Parasaurolophus, Stegosaurus and Pteranodon, as well several “hands-on” displays including how to operate the dinosaurs, a paleontologist “dig box” and dinosaur impression rubbing stations. The public can also take pictures with two of the most famous dinosaurs: T-Rex and Triceratops.
The museum will host a Dinosaur Tracks Tour 8:30 to 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Saturday, July 11, at the Insights 210-acre dinosaur site, near Mt. Cristo Rey in Sunland Park. The site contains authenticated dinosaur tracks. Space limited to 50 persons per trip. Cost: $5 ($4 children; $3 members; free for ages 3 and younger); tickets available in advance at Insights Gift Shop.
Dino combo tickets (includes tour and museum admission for same day as tour): $10 ($7 children).
The 2009 Summer Discover Camps run through July 31. Open to ages 6 to 12. Cost: $75 per camper per session.
International Museum of Art -- 1211 Montana. Information: 543-6747 or info@internationalmuseumofart.net. See “Southwest Art Scene.”
LYNX Exhibits -- The exhibit space at 300 W. San Antonio (just south of Convention Center) presents traveling exhibits. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday and Friday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday. Closed Monday. Last admission is one hour before closing time. Exhibit tickets sold separately. Tickets available at the door; discounts available for groups of 15 or more with advance booking. Tickets: $10 ($8 seniors/students with ID/military; $6 children 4-11; free ages 3 and younger). Information: 533-4330 or lynxexhibits.com.
Showing through Aug. 30: “Mazes and Motion” featuring more than a dozen mazes, including a 1,200-foot, walk-through banner maze, a rope maze, and a giant arrow tile maze. Visitors will ride the 25-seat full-screen simulator and receive a bonus ride on one of three other simulators for their entry fee. Additional simulator rides offered at additional cost.
Other exhibit attractions include a life-sized stone labyrinth, a variety of tabletop geometric puzzles, and an opportunity to build a maze, as well as several optical illusions, including a walk-through dizzy tunnel and a selection of hands-on, stop-motion machines by “Doc” Edgerton, famously known for his use of strobe photography isolating a bullet hitting an apple.
Week-long summer camps include hands-on activities, games, take-home craft projects and more. Each camp, geared to ages 6-12, runs Monday through Friday. Both morning (9 a.m. to noon) and afternoon (1:30 to 4:30 p.m.) sessions available. Admission: $100 per camp; $350 for four camps; $500 for all six camps. Multiple child discounts available. Lunch provided for campers booking both morning and afternoon camps in the same week: $5 per day.
National Border Patrol Museum and Memorial Library -- 4315 Transmountain Drive. The museum, in Northeast El Paso just west of U.S. 54, features the history of the Border Patrol with uniforms, equipment, photographs, guns, motor vehicles, airplanes, boats and other items, including hands-on exhibits for kids. The Border Patrol was founded in 1924 in El Paso. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Closed Sunday, Monday and major holidays. Admission is free. Information: 759-6060 or borderpatrolmuseum.com.
Radford School’s Napoleonic Collection -- Radford School will open its doors from 1 to 4 p.m. on the first Saturday of every month to offer tours of its Napoleonic Collection. The collection represents the work of the late Dr. Lucinda De Leftwich Templin, headmistress of Radford School for 42 years. Admission is free; tours may be arranged by appointment. Information: 565-2737.
Railroad and Transportation Museum of El Paso -- More than 100 years of El Paso railroad history are on display at Union Depot Transit Terminal, 400 W. San Antonio, at Durango. Hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is free. Information: 422-3420 or elpasorails.com.
Home of El Paso’s “Old No. 1” engine, the museum covers the city’s transportation history. The “Classic American” 1857 Locomotive is featured with the history of eight railroads and the Transcontinental Railroad System. Exhibits cover the lives of rail workers, their jobs, and the use of railroads in wartime. Urban transportation exhibits cover the Mule Cars of 1882, streetcars of 1902 and streamlined 1937 PCC Cars.
U.S. Army Museum of the NCO -- Building 11331, Staff Sergeant Simms St., Biggs Army Airfield. Equipment and uniforms used by sergeants and other NCO’s through the years are displayed. Admission: free. Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Information: 568-8646.
War Eagles Air Museum -- 8012 Airport Road, at the Doña Ana County Airport, Santa Teresa. Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Admission: $5; $4 senior citizens and military; free for children under 12. Information: (575) 589-2000 or war-eagles-air-museum.com.
The warbirds of World War II and Korea, and other historic military aircraft, are displayed in a 54,000-square-foot building and surrounding area. The collection includes the P-51 Mustang, P-38 Lightning, A-26 Invader and the German Fieseler-Storch. Among later aircraft are the F-86 Sabre and MiG-15s.
To get there: Take the Artcraft exit
off Interstate 10, head west past the Rio Grande to Santa Teresa and follow signs to the airport and museum.
West Texas Air Museum -- The small aviation museum is located at the Horizon Airport, 1345 Aircoupe Drive. Featuring aircraft and aviation artifacts. Open daily during daylight hours. Admission is free. Information: 852-3554.
Las Cruces area
Las Cruces Museum of Natural History -- Mesilla Valley Mall, Las Cruces (take Lohman exit east from I-25). Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and Saturdays; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Fridays; 1 to 5 p.m. Sundays. All events are free unless otherwise noted. Information: (575) 522-3120 or las-cruces.org. Closed July 3-4.
Showing through Sept 13: “Let’s Get Active.” The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry’s newest small exhibit features hands-on interactives concerning fitness that appeal to children and their families. Text panels in English and Spanish.
On permanent exhibit is the Nature Center, highlighting the wildlife of Southern New Mexico with a broad collection of amphibians, reptiles, fish and arachnids native to the Chihuahuan Desert.
The hands-on Saturday Science Class for elementary children is 11 a.m. Saturday, July 11 and 18. This month’s class is “Rockets.” Registration required. Aug. 1 class: Zoology.
The monthly Sky Safari is 8:30 p.m. Saturday, July 25, at Leasburg Dam State Park.
New Mexico Railroad Museum -- The Las Cruces museum is in the Santa Fe train depot, 351 N. Mesilla, (at Las Cruces avenue west of the Downtown Mall). Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. Admission is free; donations encouraged. Information: (575) 647-4480 or museums.las-cruces.org//rrmuseum.shtm.
The Rail Readers Book Club meets at 11 to noon and 6 to 7 p.m. the second Wednesday of the month to discuss a train mystery book. Information/registration: Joanne, (575) 647-4480.
NM Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum -- 4100 Dripping Springs, Las Cruces). Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission: $5 for adults, $3 seniors 60 and older, $2 for children 5-17; free for age 4 and under. Information: (575) 522-4100 or nmfarmandranchmuseum.org.
A showing of the documentary film “Corazon Vaquero: The Heart of the Cowboy,” is 7 p.m. Thursday, July 9, in the museum’s theater, hosted by Las Cruces film expert Jeff Berg. The film by Cody McClintock journeys into the mountains of Baja California, Mexico where direct descendants of the Spanish missionary soldiers still live the lifestyle of the California vaquero. Admission: $2 donation.
The annual Ice Cream Sunday event is noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, July 26. Enjoy homemade ice cream samples and see how ice cream is made. Ice cream sandwich eating contest for different age groups.
Showing through Aug. 2 in the Arts Corridor: “Retablo, Metamorphosis, Vision: The Artwork of Virginia Maria Romero.” The exhibit shows the stylistic evolution of a popular regional artist featuring traditional retablos and paintings from her earlier work as well as displays of Romero’s more recent work incorporating local wildlife and Native American symbols with traditional saints.
Showing through Aug. 16 in the Legacy Gallery is “Keith Humphries: Stories of the Old West,” featuring the artwork and oral historical record of the late historian.
Showing through Sept. 22 in the North Corridor: “Dreaming Cows,” featuring 21 large prints and a select group of drawings and photographs by artist Betty LaDuke inspired by her work for Heifer International, a non-profit group that provides people with livestock and other resources to build sustainable communities.
Showing through Nov. 8 in the Traditions Gallery: “A Most Terrible Wonder: Firearms from 1600-1900,” featuring firearms from the museum’s collections.
Ongoing exhibits include “Generations,” “Farm Life in New Mexico: Then and Now” and “The Inside Story of the Roadside View: Agriculture in the Lower Rio Grande Valley” in the Heritage Gallery, and Peter Hurd’s “The Future Belongs to Those Who Prepare For It” in the Central Corridor.
Classes and workshops (pre-registration required):
-- Harvest Cooking Class is 2 to 4 p.m. Tuesday, July 7, with chef Carol Koenig. This month’s class features recipes for peaches, squash and pinto beans. Cost: $35.
An adult felting class is 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday, July 30. Learn the basics of both wet felting and needle felting by completing a small felted pin, cuff and felted beads. Cost: $35 (wool, needles, and assorted jewelry findings included).
Several summer fun camps and classes for kids in grades K through 8 are planned in July including Greenhouse and Gardening Camp, Potter and Archaeology Camp and a Traditional New Mexico Music, Games and Stories class. Pre-registration required. (see separate listing).
The museum also features domestic animals on site, including six different breeds of beef cattle, burros and occasionally horses. Milking demonstrations are at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. daily (3 p.m. only Sundays). Blacksmith shop open Tuesday through Sunday. Sewing and weaving demonstrations are 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesdays.
Cart rides to see livestock also offered (call for schedule).
Walking tours of the South 20 are 10:15 a.m. and 2:15 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.
Gallery talks are 2 p.m. Wednesdays in the Main Gallery.
NMSU Art Gallery -- D.W. Williams Art Center (Williams Hall) on the NMSU campus, Las Cruces (east of Solano). Summer hours: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. Information: (575) 646-2545 or nmsu.edu/artgal.
The Summer 2009 exhibit features works from the Permanent Collection, including selections and new acquisitions from the retablo collection.
NMSU Museum -- Kent Hall, University at Solano, Las Cruces. Hours are noon to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Admission is free. Information: (575) 646-5161 or (575) 646-3739.
The museum’s permanent exhibit is “Pottery from the Americas,” featuring nearly 600 pottery vessels representing Southwestern and Mesoamerican ceramics.
NMSU Zuhl Museum -- NMSU Alumni Visitors’ Center, 775 College Dr. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Information: (575) 646-1884.
The center features a collection of more than 1,000 pieces of petrified wood, fossils and minerals donated to NMSU by retired Las Cruces residents Herb and Joan Zuhl from New York City. Pieces include ammonites, turtles, a dragonfly, a bat, and minerals such as amethyst, rhodochrosite, garnet, and malachite. The museum is also home to an Ichthyosaur, a highly specialized marine reptile from the time of the dinosaurs, five dinosaur leg bones, a portion of a backbone from a giant herbivore dinosaur, and the eggs of a duck-billed dinosaur.
The museum offer activities for children 2 to 5 p.m. the second Sunday of each month.
White Sands Missile Range Museum and Missile Park -- Exhibits feature the history of the Trinity Site (site of the first atomic bomb test), the V-2 rocket, ranchers on the range and missile optics. An outdoor Missile Park displays rockets and missiles tested on the range. Hours: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Closed on federal holidays. Free admission.
To get there: take U.S. 54, and after the freeway ends, keep going north on Martin Luther King, which leads directly to the range. Or enter from the north off U.S. 70 east of Las Cruces. Visitors must provide a current license, car registration and proof of insurance. Information: (575) 678-8824 (local call) or wsmr-history.org.
Also
Deming Luna Mimbres Museum -- 301 S. Silver, Deming, N.M. An actual chuckwagon, gems and minerals, turn-of-the-century fashions, military mementos and Mimbres Indian art are among the exhibits at the museum. Other attractions in the former National Guard Armory include a doll room, transportation annex and quilt room. Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 1:30 to 4 p.m. Sunday. Admission is free. Information: (575) 546-2382, 1-800-848-4955 or deminglunamimbresmuseum.com.
Hubbard Museum of the American West -- 841 U.S. Hwy 70 West, next to Ruidoso Downs (N.M.) Race Track. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day. Admission: $6 ($5 for seniors, military; $2 children 6-16; free for children 5 and younger). Information: (575) 378-4142 or hubbardmuseum.org.
Showing through Aug. 16: “Snapshots: Along the Rivers,” featuring the history of the Ruidoso Valley.
Showing through Sept. 13: “A Season,” featuring paintings by Leroy Neiman.
July events:
-- Wyatt Earp will portray his famous relative and namesake in the one-man performance “Wyatt Earp: A Life on the Frontier” at 2 p.m. Saturday, July 11. Set in the mid-1920s, an elderly Earp tells of his adventures during the final days of the American Frontier from Arizona to Alaska, the story Hollywood didn’t tell.
-- The annual Cowboy Jubilee is 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, July 25. Events include a barbeque meal, music, games, demonstrations and family activities.
Museum of the Big Bend -- Located on the campus of Sul Ross State University (Entrance 3), Hwy 90 in Alpine, Texas. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday though Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. Guided tours available. Admission is free, donations accepted. Information: (432) 837-8143 or museum@sulross.edu .
Permanent exhibits include fossil exhibits “Conquistador to Cowboy” exhibit with artifacts that tell the story of the settlement of the Big Bend, a Native American exhibit focusing on the Jumanos and Apache tribes, and a children’s Discovery Center play area with a replica of Tall Rock Shelter.
New Mexico Museum of Space History -- The museum features the International Space Hall of Fame and the Tombaugh IMAX Dome Theater and Planetarium, and is located on the northeast side of Alamogordo off Indian Wells Blvd.
The annual Fireworks Extravaganza is 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday, July 4.
The 40th Anniversary of Apollo commemorative reenactment of Apollo 11 launch begins at 9 a.m. Thursday, July 16, in the upper parking lot. Various other commemorative events also planned throughout the day.
Currently showing: “Space Frontiers,” a look at the heritage and future of space exploration in New Mexico. From ancient Native American observatories at Chaco Canyon to modern day facilities such as the Very Large Array astronomical radio observatory, New Mexico’s clear skies and high altitudes have provided an ideal location to study the heavens. With a variety of artifacts on long-term loan from the New Mexico Museum of Space History, in addition to an interactive component that interprets the Sun Dagger of Chaco Canyon, this exhibition showcases the state’s history and contributions to how humans see and travel beyond planet earth.
The Hall of Fame attractions include a simulated Mars room, the rocket sled used in early space program research, and various other space exhibits. Space center hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission: $6 ($5 for seniors and military, $4 ages 4-12, children 3 and younger free). Information: (877) 333-6589, (575) 437-2840 or nmspacemuseum.org.
Showing at the IMAX Dome Theater are the films “Sharks” and “Destiny of Space.” Showtimes are on the hour, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Tickets: $6 general admission; $5.50 for seniors and military; $4.50 ages 4-12. Ages 3 and under free for all shows.
Sacramento Mountains Historical Museum -- U.S. 82 across from the Chamber of Commerce in Cloudcroft, N.M. Operated by the Sacramento Mountains Historical Society, the museum features historical buildings from the turn of the century, antique farming and ranching tools, other business and home antiques, historical exhibits and other artifacts. Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Tuesday and Friday and Saturday; and 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday. Closed Wednesday and Thursday. Admission: $3 ($1 children). Information: (575) 682-2932 or smhs@tularosa.net.
Silver City Museum -- 312 W. Broadway, Silver City, N.M., in the historic H.B. Ailman House. Hours are 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The museum covers the settlement of southwest New Mexico, the two centuries of mining in the region and early commerce in Silver City. Group tours offered with advance notice. Admission: $3 suggested donation. Information: (575) 538-5921 or 1-877-777-7947 (out of town) info@silvercitymuseum.org. Web: silvercitymuseum.org.
Showing through Sept. 20: “Something Borrowed, Something Blue: A Southwestern New Mexico Wedding Album,” featuring wedding gowns, accessories, photographs, and memorabilia from the Silver City Museum collections.
The annual Independence Day ice cream social is 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, July 4, in the courtyard featuring ice cream and cold beverages, music, children’s games and cakewalk.
Toy Train Depot -- Alameda Park, 1991 N. White Sands Blvd., Alamogordo. An actual train depot built in 1898, the building now houses a gift shop and model shop, with more than 1,200 feet of model railroad track and hundreds of model and toy trains on display. Hours are noon to 4:40 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. Admission: $4. Information: (575) 437-2855 or toytraindepot.homestead.com.
The 1/5 scale train track offers rides around Alameda Park 12:30 to 4 p.m. Cost: $4.
Tularosa Basin Historical Society Museum -- The museum, featuring collections, photos and archives relating to the history of Otero County and the Tularosa Basin, is next door to the Alamogordo Chamber of Commerce, 1301 White Sands Blvd. (U.S. 54/70). Open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. Admission is free. Information: (575) 436-4438.
WNMU Museum -- 1000 West College Ave., Silver City, N.M. (575) 538-6386. The museum features pottery, rugs and other artifacts of Southwestern Cultures; historic photographs of the Silver City area, and traveling exhibits. Hours: 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday; 1 to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday; and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Overland Trail Museum -- Exhibits at the Fort Davis, Texas, museum include a replica of a barbershop that was once on the site, historic surveying equipment, early medical paraphernalia, a restored pioneer kitchen and early ranching tools. Hours are 1 to 6 p.m. Tuesday and Friday; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday. Information: (915) 426-3161.
El Paso Scene MONTHLY
This month's listings, stories and columnsFeature story
Roundup
Music
Dance
Here's the Ticket
Program Notes
On Stage
Sports
Southwest Art Scene
At the Museum
History Lessons
Nature
Film Scene
Keep on Bookin'
Becoming Bicultural
Liner Notes
Stage Talk
Gallery Talk
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