Open twice per year - check…read morehttps://home.army.mil/wsmr/contact/public-affairs-office/trinity-site-open-house - this is one of those things that Americans should experience along with Times Square, Hollywood Boulevard, the Sixth Floor Book Depository, the National Mall and the Arizona Memorial. This is the site where the first nuclear weapon was developed and tested, literally the first Ground Zero that ushered in the Atomic Age. We arrived at the Stallion Gate at 7:15, forming part of a queue that was already about two miles long. The gate opened at 8:00 and we cleared at 9:15 after showing ID and answering that we had no alcohol, drugs or weapons in the vehicle. Fifteen miles later (this place is MASSIVE!) we arrived at the parking lot. Port-a-potties, a dude selling barbecue and someone selling tshirts. We walked in the sun the quarter mile to the obelisk. Yes, this is the exact spot where "The Gadget" was detonated. If you've seen the Oppenheimer movie, it's well-detailed there. Radiation is elevated but still safe for a brief visit - there are signs showing it in comparison to an X-ray or a plane flight. After that, a bus ride to the McDonald ranch house where the gadget was assembled. Very interesting modern history here and well worth the long journey. Note that you will need identification. I believe you must be a US citizen. And bring water/food as it's a long way from refreshments. [Review 20546 overall - round number 100 in New Mexico - 1527 of 2023.]

The world's first nuclear explosion occurred on July 16, 1945, on what was then called the White…read moreSands Proving Ground, a base established for a specific use by the Army following the attacks on Pearl Harbor, when a plutonium implosion device was tested at a site located 210 miles south of Los Alamos, New Mexico, on the plains of the Alamogordo Bombing Range, known then as the Jornada del Muerto. The code name for the test was "Trinity." Hoisted atop a 100-foot tower, a plutonium device, called "Gadget," detonated at precisely 5:30 am over the New Mexico desert, releasing 18.6 kilotons of power, instantly vaporizing the tower and turning the surrounding asphalt and sand into a green glass, called "trinitite." Seconds after the explosion, an enormous blast wave sent searing heat across the desert, knocking observers to the ground. Reports from witnesses came from as far as 200 miles away. A forest ranger 150 miles west of the blast said he saw a flash of fire, an explosion and black smoke. An individual 150 miles north said the explosion "lighted up the sky like the sun." A U.S. Navy pilot flying at 10,000 feet near Albuquerque, New Mexico, said it lit up the cockpit of his plane and was like the sun rising in the south. When he radioed Albuquerque Air Traffic Control for an explanation, he was simply told, "Don't fly south." After the test, the Alamogordo Air Base issued a press release that stated simply, "A remotely located ammunition magazine containing a considerable amount of high explosives and pyrotechnics exploded, but there was no loss of life or limb to anyone." The actual cause of the blast was not disclosed until after the U.S. bombing of Hiroshima, Japan, on Aug. 6. The success of the Trinity test meant an atomic bomb could be used by the U.S. military and it marked the start of the Atomic Age. The Trinity Site is now part of the White Sands Missile Range and is owned by the Department of Defense. Ground zero is marked by an obelisk made of black lava rock, with an attached commemorative sign. A slightly depressed area several hundred yards across surrounds the monument, indicating where the blast scoured the ground. Most of the northern Tularosa Basin is still used for missile research. WSMR is home to the DoD's largest, fully-instrumented, open air range, missile defense system, which provides America's Armed Forces, allies, partners, and defense technology innovators with the world's premiere research, development, test, evaluation (RDT&E), experimentation, and training facilities to ensure our nation's defense readiness. But inside this basin are also enclosed numerous areas that are not military land (like the NPS's White Sands National Park which I could not fit in. Unlike a typical desert that is composed of quartz, the White Sands area here is named...well...for its white, which is made of gypsum and calcium sulfate. This allows the desert sand to look like snow and feel cold to touch, and is protected by the state of New Mexico as a National Monument! Everyone should experience these hollowed grounds that changed history.

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.

The visit to the museum was worth the trip. Very quiet,…read moreclean and a professional staff as well. I loved all the exhibits and history displays.

This is a small museum that has some very interesting history exhibits as well as live reptiles and…read moreinsects. It has a number of exhibits that are specifically designed for children. It only takes about 30 minutes to slowly wander around, so not a huge time commitment to visit. They have a unique exhibit of a trackway from the Permian period. The staff is very friendly and knowledgeable. Overall worth a look.

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!

As a dinosaur lover, this museum is super cool! So many fossils from thousands of years ago. It's…read morecrazy to imagine a time period where the massive creatures roamed the earth. There are also other interesting collections, but you'll have to come see for yourself!

What an amazing collection of petrified wood and fossils. The Zuhl's amassed a collection worth…read morechecking out at NMSU. And to offer it for free for the public to enjoy is so honorable.

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.

We saw an excellent exhibit of art from border artists that was very thought provoking. The museum…read moreis small but well designed and it adjoins the Nature and Science museum making is easy to browse both.

This small city museum is free. There are seasonal exhibits for the public to enjoy. The…read morepaintings from the Impressionism was quite impressive.

What an amazing hidden gem this is, way off the beaten path in America! On the edge of nothingness…read morein tiny Organ, New Mexico, you aren't far from Las Cruces. But it's also the final stop on eastbound Highway 70 before emptiness, the longest span on one of America's longest roads without any population (48 miles of nothing). Exiting the highway here gives travelers one last point of interest before making the lonely drive to White Sands National Park. And what a worthy stop this is! Driving up a narrow road between weeds and brush, you might wonder if the place is abandoned. And judging by the name, you'd think Space Murals Museum was a tribute to artwork. Nope, that's just a reference to the painted water tower that started the whole journey in 1990. After painting several pictorials of space accomplishments on the tower, so many passersby were interested in this quirky stop that they walked around the tower looking for an entrance. But it only held water. This wasn't a museum. So the owner decided to give the people what they wanted, opening a small museum in 1992. Today, it's blossomed into a multi-room collection of NASA-donated space memorabilia and collectors' contributions. These aren't murals. They're relics of space travel! Highlights include the actual fuel tank that allowed the Apollo 11 Lunar Module to detach and land on the moon! You'll also find leftover astronaut food from a Space Shuttle mission and an early model of the space capsule that allowed John Glenn to become the first American to orbit the Earth. NASA even donated the original model for the space station to the museum, making quite the centerpiece! There are so many amazing space relics to see here, so don't let the name fool you! They also have an outdoor display and a nice little gift shop. It's a wonderful museum. And boy do I love a good freeze-dried mint chocolate chip ice cream sandwich!

I have to admit I wasn't sure about this place when we first pulled up, but it ended up being an…read moreinteresting stop. It's dog friendly and the volunteer working when we visited was quite gregarious and offered our dog some treats that she makes herself to bring in for the pups that visit. Our dog is very picky so she didn't eat it, but it was very sweet and thoughtful. You could tell that the volunteer genuinely loves the museum and was super excited to have visitors to share it with. She chatted with us quite a bit and it was almost like a personal tour where she was giving us information on everything inside. During our visit only one other couple stopped in, they had a dog also, and she was just as warm and friendly to them. It's nice to hear stories from someone who really cares about the history and is clearly knowledgeable. For me, the highlight was getting to touch things that had been on the moon and returned to Earth. How many people can say they have touched something that has been on the moon? My husband thought seeing all the old astronauts food in toothpaste styled tubes was interesting. There's something about vintage space travel that's kind of fascinating and almost funny; it's interesting to see how far we've come. The murals were fine, but the museum and artifacts were probably more enjoyable to me personally. It's not a huge place but there's definitely a lot to see. We got a souvenir coin on our way out which serves as a nice little memento. It's definitely worth stopping in even if you just have a mild interest in space because the price of admission can't be beat, it's free!!

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.