Las Cruces Clicks

Museums

Branigan Cultural Center

The Branigan Cultural Center focuses on cultural exhibitions, classes, and programming. The Branigan Cultural Center serves the community by providing performance and exhibition space for the presentation and interpretation of the history and cultural arts of the region in addition to a gallery dedicated to Las Cruces history.

501 N. Main
(575)541-2155
Hours: Monday-Friday 10am-4pm, Saturday 9am-1pm

Las Cruces Museum of Art

Featuring contemporary art in over 4000 sq. ft. of gallery space, displays change several times a year and include national, international, juried, traveling, and invitational exhibits. The exhibitions are complemented by educational programming that includes lectures, musical performances, demonstrations, and guided tours.

491 N. Main (next to Branigan Cultural Center)
(575)541-2137
Hours: Monday-Friday 10am-4pm, Saturday 9am-1pm

Las Cruces Railroad Museum

The museum interprets the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad’s impact of the railroad on the Mesilla Valley and Las Cruces. Photographs, artifacts, and text panels throughout the museum interpret local history, railroadiana, and the history of several local AT&SF employees.

351 N. Mesilla St.
575-647-4480
Hours: Thursday-Saturday 10am-4pm

Las Cruces Museum of Natural History

Dedicated to broadening people’s understanding of natural history, science, and the environment of New Mexico and the Chihuahuan Desert.

On the corner of Lohman Ave. and Telshor Blvd. in the Mesilla Valley Mall next to J.C. Penney department store.
(575)522-3120
Hours: Monday-Thursday 10am-5pm, Friday 10am-8pm, Saturday 10-5pm

New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum

The interactive museum, which has welcomed visitors from all over the world, brings to life the 3,000-year history of farming and ranching in New Mexico. The enormous main building contains more than 24,000 square feet of exhibit space, along with catering space for meetings and events, a mercantile and theater.

4100 Dripping Springs Rd.
(575)522-4100
Hours: Monday-Saturday 9am-5pm, Sunday 12pm-5pm

New Mexico State University Museum

The Museum collections are primarily anthropological (archaeological and ethnographic) with secondary collections in history and the natural sciences. Anthropological collections document the cultural diversity of the border in the Greater Southwest and northern Mexico. Past exhibits have explored life in 1930s' New Mexico, Southwestern weavings, prehistoric cultural interactions along the Gila River, the Fremont expedition, and everyday life in a Las Cruces Hispanic household at the turn of the 20th century.

On the NMSU campus in Kent Hall at University Avenue and Solano Drive
(575)646-3739
Hours: Tuesday-Saturday 12pm-4pm

Space Murals Museum

The facility resides inside a 1.2 million gallon water tank, with a painted murals circling the entire tank. The murals depict the progress of the US Space Program from the early flights of the X-15 to the fatal accident of the Challenger Space Shuttle. Most of the museum's inside displays were donated or on loan from, people who have an interest in the Space Program.

12450 Highway 70 East, Organ, NM (10 miles east of Las Cruces on US 70)
(575)382-0977
Hours: Monday-Saturday 9am-6pm, Sunday 10am-6pm

White Sands Missile Range Museum

Trace the origin of America's missile and space activity, find out how the atomic age began and learn about the accomplishments of scientists at White Sands. Displays also include the prehistoric cultures and the rip-roaring Old West found in southern New Mexico.Outside the museum is a missile park displaying a variety of missiles and rockets tested at White Sands.

Approximately 19 miles east of Las Cruces on US 70/US-82. You will need to show your drivers license, vehicle registration, and proof of insurance.
(575)678-8824
Hours: Monday-Friday 8am-4pm, Saturday-Sunday 10am-3pm. Closed holidays.

War Eagles Air Museum

Dedicated to collecting, restoring and displaying historic aircraft of the World War II and the Korean Conflict eras.

8012 Airport Rd., Santa Teresa, NM (Located at the Doña Ana County Airport)
(575)589-2000
Hours: Tuesday-Sunday 10am-4pm

NM Museum of Space History

Numerous exhibits about the history, science, and technology of space.

Highway 2001, Alamogordo, NM (60 miles east of Las Cruces)
(575)437-2840
Hours: Open 7 days a week 9am-5pm

Fort Selden State Monument

Built on the banks of the Rio Grande in 1865, this adobe fort housed units of the U.S. Infantry and Cavalry. Their intent was to protect settlers and travelers in the Mesilla Valley from desperados and Apache Indians. A visitor center offers exhibits on frontier and military life. Living history demonstrations are occasionally offered on weekends from 1-4 pm, May 1-Sept. 15.

I-25 Exit 19, 13 miles north of Las Cruces in Radium Springs, NM
(575)526-8911

Hours: Wednesday-Monday 8:30am-5pm. Closed Tuesday.

Art Galleries

Preston Contemporary Art Center

Preston Contemporary Art galleries exhibit the works of mid-career and emerging international artists exploring contemporary concepts and themes via a variety of techniques and methods. Works are shown in three interior spaces and one exterior.

1755 Avenida de Mercado, Mesilla, NM
(575)523-8713
Hours: Wednesday-Friday 1-5pm, Saturday 11am-5pm, Sunday 1-5pm. Closed Monday and Tuesday.

University Art Gallery

Includes the work of NMSU Art Department faculty, graduates students, undergraduates, traveling exhibitions and works from the university's permanent collection. The latter includes the country's largest collection of Mexican retablos (devotional paintings on tin) and over 3,000 historical and contemporary photographs, paintings, prints and graphics, book art, and small scale sculpture and metals.

Located at NMSU in D.W. Williams Hall, University Ave. east of Solano
(575)646-2545
Hours: Tuesday-Friday 11am-4pm. Closed Saturday, Sunday, Monday and university holidays.

Corbett Center Art Gallery

Exhibitions of high-quality artwork in all mediums by undergraduate and graduate students.

Located on the second floor of Corbett Center Student Union at NMSU
(575)646-3235
Hours: When work is being exhibited the gallery is open from 8am-10pm daily.

Mesilla Valley Fine Arts Gallery

The Mesilla Valley Fine Arts Gallery is a cooperative of around 30 artists offering quality and original works of art. We are from the Las Cruces, Southern New Mexico and West Texas area. The gallery visitor will enjoy a wide selection of paintings in all media, oil, acrylic, watercolor, pastel, and graphic processes. Also on display are photographic works by this areas top photographers, ceramics, glass, jewelry and pottery.

2470A Calle de Guadalupe, Mesilla, NM
(575)522-2933
Hours: Monday-Saturday 10am-5pm, Sunday 12pm-5pm

Rio Grande Theatre Gallery

The El Paso Electric Visual Arts Gallery and the Carolene de Mesilla Information Center and Gallery are available for artists’ exhibits. Currently a jury selects area artists to have monthly arts shows.

211 N. Downtown Mall
(575)523-6403