The Mesilla Plaza is centralized to Mesilla. It is quite modest in size, but the grounds are up…read morekept with fresh cut grass, clean sidewalks, pretty hanging flower pots, a few nice historic signs, and of course its massive gazebo. There are small benches all around the Plaza. The town actually still holds events here so there are two sets of small bleachers set up as well. Walked around with our dogs and saw a few other people hanging out on the grass with theirs as well. Here's the thing, if you rely on the signs to give you a history briefing or read a few things about the area beforehand then honestly, you probably won't be very impressed. I actually attended a really fun outdoor walking tour a awhile back (by Preciliana Sandoval) and THAT was where I heard all the interesting stuff about the Plaza and its surrounding businesses. Conflicts, ghost stories, the legends -- ya know the juicy tidbits from history and folklore! It sheds an entirely new light on this small area and really adds character. I recommend this tour or at the very least a thorough self-guided tour so you can really immerse yourself in the history of the area. Once you do, you will have a more appreciative outlook on this small Plaza and some of the businesses around it.

I had not been here in over 30 years. This was a b;day trip with my BFF and decided to show him…read morethe plaza. It really is nothing to write home about but it is cute (but very small). If you are into ecletic gift shops and went a good photo op then go check it out, but otherwise a "one and done" for me.

Great park! Lots of concrete paths with benches, trees, large covered picnic tables, bbq grills, a…read moresmall playground area, large open area perfect for a family ballgame. Dog friendly with bag station. Bathroom facilities. The important thing here though, is the extensive memorial. Spread around the park are several beautiful and sobering displays of mostly New Mexican Veterans in wars spanning many decades. A beautiful metal sculpture featuring both male and female veterans is striking in realism. Bricks and copper plaques adorned with names of those who gave all in service accompany an amazing marble structure featuring photos of servicemen lost. There are several plaques and inscriptions detailing the history of some of these battles. High above everything sits a helicopter tilted at a disturbing and likely realistic angle as though it were going down in a terrible way. This is a fantastic park, both in beauty and history. My husband served in the USArmy in the 1970s and my father in Korea, brother, and two generations of grand- and great-grand parents, as well. This us a fabulous memorial to ALL who stand for us and the sacrifices they willingly make. *There are signs warning of snakes. Dont take this warning lightly. Surrounded by mesquite and open brush, snakes Do visit this park.*

You can definitely spend a lot of time here between the walking trail, the memorials, and the kids…read morepark. Very well maintained, lots of covered seating, and there are bathrooms. Definitely worth a visit.

This review is for Pine Tree Trail which was a ~4.2 miles round trip that took ~2.5 hours to…read morecomplete. Pine Tree Trail was located 45 minutes away from White Sands National Park. This was on the way back to Las Cruces which was a good stop for a second hike. This hike was done counterclockwise; trail was a narrow path of dirt and rock with plenty of inclines! Stunning views of the surrounding mountains and desert terrain! Short video of the hike for those interested! https://youtu.be/9wHTPd_FhNo

I came here on a whim to explore the mountains close up. This is a fee area of $5 per car, but if…read moreyou have an annual National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass it's a participating site. You can either show the person in the visitor center to get a receipt or display it in your car on the dash or hangtag. The person in the visitor center was helpful. The park closes at sunset (with the chance of fees if you don't leave by then) and so there's a whiteboard with the exact time you need to leave. There are a bunch of trail maps and the maps that prohibit dogs are also clearly marked. The worker recommended the La Cueva trail as there wasn't enough time for us to do the trail originally planned and gave us the back story behind it. He seemed very knowledgeable! There are gorgeous views and the trails seemed well maintained with gravel/dirt.

What a lovely gem! The charm of the old theater remains intact. But they have updated sound and…read morescreen. A small concession stand in the front serves soda, beer, wine and popcorn. Prices are reasonable. Keep your to go cup you get for $1 off your beverage your next time there. Be sure to catch the special showings from local film makers and, our favorites, the classic films they show again on the bid screen. It's wonderful to enjoy movies you have seen on TV a million times and loved there on the big screen again. Often they are introduced by the presenters with tidbits about the film you may not have known. Tickets aren't stupid crazy. For us both, with fees, buying online we spent less than $20 for tickets to one of these classic films. The theater is well tended and kept. Seats are comfy, balcony is charming, folks who work there are super friendly and parking is easy in the bank lot across the street.

Food and tickets were great-low prices. Saw "A Midsummer Nights Western "-good but not great…read more Poor direction allowed actors to abuse Southern accents, miss lines, and drop Fbombs to cover their mistakes. While the Audience may not know the difference- the playwright does. Bad and lazy direction by the director!!!

Worth a stop!! Worth a picnic getaway. Instagram worthy!!…read more This is where the recycled roadrunner is that you can see from I-10. The serenity found on top of this hill is amazing. Some amazing view of the sunrise could be had here. There are a few little private nocks that you and your honey or family and have a private chat and look in awe or the farming, mountain landscape of Las Cruces. This is a rest area and a historic landmark. It has clean restrooms. It is a great area to walk around. This rest stop is easily accessed going east bound on I-10 right before Las Cruces

One of the finest rest stops I have experienced in the U.S. It's design, layout, amenities,…read moreparking and view of the Mesilla/Las Cruces valley area are fantastic. No need to be tired to stop here, stopping in for the fantastic views, as well as checking out the Recycled Roadrunner is highly recommended!

I absolutely loved this experience. It is surprisingly enormous including all the outdoor…read moreplaygrounds and activities/exhibits. Much more than I was expecting, honestly. The inside is beautiful, I *loved* the history of the testing sites and the families that owned the ranches. The rooms about Billy the Kid and the cattle rustlers was not my favorite, just personal interest isn't there, but it was well done. They also had lots of interactive things around to keep kids going through the "boring" stuff. I really enjoyed the photography exhibit down the hallway, beautiful artwork. There is an interior and exterior kids play area. The milk barn was one of our favorites, many fun videos and interesting facts. Roping demos on weekends. *Very* sweet and friendly donkey that likes his head scratched. The saddle exhibit was interesting too. I was hoping for some more info on crop farming, based on the name of the building; I loved the info about the chili and pecan tree varieties developed specifically for the environment. I wanted more! Even the gift shop is fun - many tasty items for sale. The wine tasting was my favorite and if I had more time would have enjoyed trying the vinegars and oils. The pistachio candies are excellent. You can easily spend 3-4 hours here, I'm very impressed that this is available in Las Cruces.

Great place for children & adults to explore. We loved the owls as you enter the museum. Great to…read moresee the animals too!

Really nice and clean park and prettt easy/serene to take a stroll to relax in the area. It's just…read more10-15 min off of interstate and you get to pass by tons of oecan tree farms...so it really does feel like a journey to somewhere nice in NM. The ranger staff was friendly, polite and gelpful. I ran into 2 awesome local volunteers (shout out to Sandra and Josh!) who not only let me know where to go..but literally helped walk me over to show and direct me where the trailhesd and showed me where the end was. So very nice and helpful. I had such a great time! I loved that the facility wasn't so crowded at all. Everything was clean from picnia table areas, walking trails..visitor center..and even bathrooms! I did a quick 1.5 mile loop along Rio Grande with my 2 dogs..and..they LOVED it and had such a great time! Thank you to many helpful and kind staff and volunteers there. Will try to be back again! P.S. day entrance is only $5 a day..but if you get an annual pass for NM state parks..it's just $40 a year! Go for the latter if you are planning to visit multiple NM state parks in the upcoming year!

Beautiful area with large, level sites. Lots of hiking…read more FYI-the Visitor Center is temporarily closed for construction, as are restrooms, though there are very clean portables. Four miles away is a Slot Canyon that can be hiked. Don't expect to see any water, the campsites are on a bluff away from any water and the day use areas are closed for construction too.

We stopped by this morning, what a great site to learn a bit of the history of south New Mexico…read more The rangers were very informative and helped us with the history timeline of the area.

Interesting place, we'll kept up with historical information inside and out. Nice information and a…read morestate about the Buffalo Soldiers. Not much about the Apaches or the effect of the Camino Real on Native Americans. Worth the visit.

5/5 stars loved it!! learned so much and the missiles were cool :) they also have planes and fat…read moreman replica

Very interesting and well put together museum. Lots of history. Take your time and you'll be…read morefascinated by all the artifacts.