New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum

Artist's Reception: Seasons of Enchantment: Painting the New Mexico Farm & Ranch
2022-04-23 12:00 - 14:00 (America/Chicago) | New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum, 4100 Dripping Springs Road, Las Cruces, NM, 88011, United States
The talent of the New Mexico Watercolor Society will be on display in a new art show at the New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum.
“Seasons of Enchantment: Painting the New Mexico Farm and Ranch” features 28 works of art by members of the society. An opening reception is planned for 12 to 2 p.m. on April 23.
These watercolor paintings celebrate the daily life of New Mexico farmers and ranchers and their families, evoking a sense of time and place. They elevate the ordinary to extraordinary and reflect the wonder of the landscape and its people.
The paintings include rural landscapes, livestock, farming and ranching scenes, and wildlife.
Watercolors from members of both the Albuquerque and Las Cruces chapters of the New Mexico Watercolor Society have been selected by Juror Lynn McLain, AWS, NWS. The Society honors and celebrates the medium of watercolor through the support of highest aesthetic standards, education of the public, promotion of community engagement, and facilitation of member development. The Albuquerque chapter began in 1969 and the Southern Chapter celebrates its 20th anniversary this year.
The show features paintings by John Glass, Laurel Weathersbee, Barbara McGuire, Susan Davis, Patricia Black, Jay Leutwyler, Junko Nakao, Robert Highsmith, Richard Harris, Penny Thomas Simpson, Tina Little, Dorian Clouser, Tom Cassidy, Mark Cirzan, Dave Cook, Tina Stallard, Rachel Murphree, Bonnie Deming, Rebecca A. Johnson, and Nancy Frost Begin.
The show will be on display in the Museum’s Arts Corridor through July 30, 2022.

Nancy Frost Begin

Cowboy Days
2022-03-05 09:00 - 16:00 | New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum, 4100 Dripping Springs Road, Las Cruces, NM, 88011, United States
Demonstrations, living history, and family fun are the focus as Cowboy Days returns to the New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum in Las Cruces for the 22nd year.
The event is Friday, March 4, and Saturday, March 5. The Museum is closed on Sunday. The Friday activities begin with members of the Museum’s living history group interacting with guests in the galleries. The historical characters will share their stories in exhibits around the Museum from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Some of the characters include Buckshot Roberts from the Lincoln County War, Fray Lorenzo, rancher Charles Martin, mercantile proprietors Cal and Mrs. LaPoint, and Nellie, who will share a day in the life of a rancher’s wife.
Following the living history program on Friday, Las Cruces author and historian David G. Thomas will give a presentation called “The Trial of Billy the Kid” in the Museum’s Theater at 2 p.m. Thomas, who authored a book with the same title, will share rarely reported details of the Kid’s trial in Mesilla. The presentation is being held in conjunction with the opening of the Museum’s new exhibit, “Riding Herd with Billy the Kid: The Rise of the Cattle Industry in New Mexico.”
Regular Museum admission applies to Friday’s activities: $5 for adults, $4 for senior citizens (60 and over), and $3 for children 4 to 17.
A variety of family activities are planned for Saturday, March 5, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission for Saturday is $10 per carload and includes all the Museum’s standard offerings.
Saturday’s activities begin with demonstrations from 9 a.m. to noon, including Colcha embroidery, weaving, sewing, twining, wool spinning, and chair caning. The blacksmith shop will be open for demonstrations all day, and visitors can take a chuck wagon tour in the Museum’s new exhibit, “Riding Herd with Billy the Kid.”
Horseshoeing is another popular demonstration and it takes place from 10 to 10:30 a.m. and from 1 to 1:30 p.m. on the South 20 portion of the Museum’s campus. The Southwest Dairy Farmers’ Mobile Dairy will be on site to do milking demonstrations and a dairy program at 9:30, 10:30, 1:30 and 3:00. Sheep shearing in the Sheep & Goat Barn will take place throughout the day, and the Back Country Horsemen will be stationed near the Historic Green Bridge. Also near the bridge will be Museum living history characters giving a talk on branding.
The Parade of Breeds cattle program is a staple of Cowboy Days. Livestock Manager Greg Ball brings each breed into the Round Pen to discusses their history and characteristics. The Museum has seven different breeds of beef cattle. This popular program is from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Linda McDaniel of Alamogordo will be at the Museum with her herding dogs and they’ll demonstrate sheep herding at 10 a.m., noon and 3:30 p.m. on Saturday.
Music and activities will create a lively atmosphere throughout the Museum’s Courtyard on Saturday. Singer/musician Kenny Arroyos will perform from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. and from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m., while the Ramblin’ Rangers will perform from 11 a.m. to noon, and from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. At noon, there will be a line dancing demonstration by Sol Ballroom in the Courtyard. The Art of the Historical Fashion Show will follow from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.
Courtyard activities include games and crafts for children, as well as informational booths. There will be bandana making and farming-in-a-glove kits, and New Mexico Ag in the Classroom will be doing butter-making demonstrations. Other organizations providing activities include Branigan Library, 4-H, New Mexico Meats, High Noon Leather, Master Gardeners, New Mexico Department of Game & Fish, Bureau of Land Management, New Mexico Cattle Growers, Asombro, Cowbelles, and the New Mexico Chile Pepper Institute.
Due to Covid restrictions and staffing issues, there will be no stagecoach, pony, or train rides this year. Pets are not allowed. For more information, please call (575) 522-4100. A division of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs, the New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum is located at 4100 Dripping Springs Road in Las Cruces.
Friday, March 4

10 a.m. to 2 p.m.: Living history characters in the Museum’s galleries.
2 p.m.: Author and historian David Thomas presents “The Trial of Billy the Kid.”
Saturday, March 5

All day: Museum exhibits. Children’s games and activities in the Courtyard. Food trucks south of the Bruce King Building. Blacksmith demonstration at the Blacksmith Shop. Sheep shearing demonstration at the Sheep & Goat Barn. Branding talk near the bridge. Back Country Horsemen near the bridge.
9 a.m. to noon.: Demonstrations, including butter making, twining, sewing, wool spinning, and chair caning in the Organ View Terrace.
9:30 a.m.: Southwest Dairy Farmers Mobile Dairy milking program on the South 20.
10-11 a.m.: Kenny Arroyos performs in the Courtyard.
10-10:30 a.m.: Horseshoeing demonstration on the South 20.
10 a.m.: Sheep-herding dogs demonstration on the South 20.
10:30 a.m.: Southwest Dairy Farmers Mobile Dairy milking program on the South 20.
11 a.m. to 12 p.m.: Parade of Breeds in the Round Pen.
11 a.m. to 12 p.m.: Ramblin’ Rangers perform in the Courtyard.
12 p.m.: Sheep-herding dogs demonstration on the South 20.
12-1 p.m.: Line dancing by Sol Ballroom in the courtyard.
1-1:30 p.m.: Horseshoeing demonstration on the South 20.
1 p.m.: The Art of the Historical Fashion Show in the Courtyard.
1:30 p.m.: Southwest Dairy Farmers Mobile Dairy milking program on the South 20.
2-3 p.m.: Kenny Arroyos performs in the Courtyard.
2-3 p.m.: Parade of Breeds in the Round Pen.
3 p.m.: Southwest Dairy Farmers Mobile Dairy milking program on the South 20.
3-4 p.m.: Ramblin’ Rangers perform in the Courtyard.

The Trial of Billy the Kid
2022-03-04 14:00 - 15:00 | NM
Las Cruces author and historian David G. Thomas will talk about his book, “The Trial of Billy the Kid,” at 2 p.m. on Friday, March 4. This book is about Billy the Kid’s trial for murder in Mesilla, and the events leading up to that trial. The result of Billy’s trial helped seal his fate, and yet Billy’s trial is one of the least-known events of his adult life. This presentation in the Museum’s Theater is being held in conjunction with the new exhibit, “Riding Herd with Billy the Kid: The Rise of the Cattle Industry in New Mexico.” Before the presentation, members of the Museum’s living history group will be in and around the Museum’s exhibits from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on March 4. Guests are invited to see the exhibits and interact with some of our historic characters. Regular admission applies: $5 for adults, $4 for senior citizens, and $3 for children 4 to 17.These activities kick off Cowboy Days, which continues from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, March 5. The Museum is closed on Sundays.

The Museum ROCKS! Gem & Mineral Show
2022-02-20 10:00 - 17:00 | New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum, 4100 Dripping Springs Road, Las Cruces, NM, 88011, United States
The Museum ROCKS! Gem & Mineral Show brings together wholesale and resale dealers of both cut and uncut gemstones, rocks, minerals, fossils, jewelry, and jewelry-making supplies. Educational information also is part of the show. The event is hosted by the Friends of the New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum, sponsored by Frank Parrish, and organized by Las Cruces Event Planning. Admission, which includes all of the Museum’s regular offerings, is $7 for ages 12 and older, $4 for children ages 6-11, and free for children 5 and under.For more information about this event, please call Las Cruces Event Planning at (575) 522-1232.

The Museum ROCKS! Gem & Mineral Show
2022-02-19 09:00 - 17:00 | New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum, 4100 Dripping Springs Road, Las Cruces, NM, 88011, United States
The Museum ROCKS! Gem & Mineral Show brings together wholesale and resale dealers of both cut and uncut gemstones, rocks, minerals, fossils, jewelry, and jewelry-making supplies. Educational information also is part of the show. The event is hosted by the Friends of the New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum, sponsored by Frank Parrish, and organized by Las Cruces Event Planning. Admission, which includes all of the Museum’s regular offerings, is $7 for ages 12 and older, $4 for children ages 6-11, and free for children 5 and under. For more information about this event, please call Las Cruces Event Planning at (575) 522-1232.

Exhibit Opening: An Enchanted Vision
2021-12-18 13:30 - 15:30 | New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum, 4100 Dripping Springs Road, Las Cruces, NM, 88011, United States
A deep appreciation of farm and ranch life in New Mexico is the impetus behind an upcoming art show at the New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum.

“An Enchanted Vision: The Artistic Celebration of Farming and Ranching in New Mexico” features the artwork of artist Sue Nichols. Her artwork is on display in the Museum’s Arts Corridor, beginning with a reception on Dec. 18 from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.

The 30 creations in Nichols’ show are mostly oil paintings, but there are also stained glass and watercolor works in the show.

As a native New Mexican and member of a fifth-generation farm and ranch family, Nichols’ artistic inspiration stems from the rich cultural, historical, and geographical landscape of the Borderland region. The varied aspects of New Mexico, from sunsets, abandoned adobes, and stark plains, all combine to tell the story of this unique area.

Nichols’ art portrays a historical reflection of agrarian and indigenous New Mexico, ranging from depictions of past generations and days gone by to present-day youth engaged in agricultural endeavors. Sue’s artistic work incorporates multiple mediums and inspires a desire to preserve all of the unique enchanting charms that make New Mexico so special.

The show will be on display through March 2022.

HomeGrown: A New Mexico Food Show & Gift Market
2021-11-21 09:00 - 15:00 | NM
HomeGrown: A New Mexico Food Show & Gift Market returns for the seventh year at the New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum.
HomeGrown will take place on Saturday, Nov. 20 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 21 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is $5 per vehicle, and the first 100 vehicles at the event each day will receive a free burlap shopping bag.
With the holiday season is right around the corner, HomeGrown is a great opportunity to sample and shop for New Mexico award-winning food products. The New Mexico Department of Agriculture again will be partnering with the Museum to co-host the show.
The majority of vendors will be representing a variety of food companies from around the state and all of which are New Mexico —Taste the Tradition® and Grown with Tradition® members. Each booth will offer locally produced products, such as award-winning salsas and wine, for attendees to sample and purchase. The show also features crafts made from agriculture resources and hand-made art.
Admission includes all of the regular Museum offerings.

BUY TICKETS

HomeGrown: A New Mexico Food Show & Gift Market (2025)
2021-11-20 09:00 - 16:00 | NM
HomeGrown: A New Mexico Food Show & Gift Market returns for the eleventh year (2025) at the New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum.
HomeGrown will take place on Saturday, Nov. 22 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 23 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is $10 per vehicle, and the first 100 vehicles at the event each day will receive a free shopping bag.
With the holiday season is right around the corner, HomeGrown is a great opportunity to sample and shop for New Mexico award-winning food products. The New Mexico Department of Agriculture again will be partnering with the Museum to co-host the show.
The majority of vendors will be representing a variety of food companies from around the state and all of which are New Mexico —Taste the Tradition® and Grown with Tradition® members. Each booth will offer locally produced products, such as award-winning salsas and wine, for attendees to sample and purchase. The show also features crafts made from agriculture resources and hand-made art.
Admission ($10 per vehicle) includes all of the regular Museum offerings.

Meet the Artist - Ken & Betty Krebbs
2021-08-21 14:00 - 16:00 | New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum, 4100 Dripping Springs Road, Las Cruces, NM, 88011, United States
Our featured art show, “O Fair New Mexico,” by Ken and Betty Krebbs, opens Saturday, Aug. 20 and will run till Dec. 5, 2021.
Come to the Farm and Ranch Museum Saturday, August 21 from 2 p.m. – 4 p.m..
Ken and Betty will be at the museum for a special “Meet the Artist.”
The Farm & Ranch Museum is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Saturday.

Throughout 50 years of marriage, a shared love for art and for New Mexico has patterned Ken’s and Betty’s life and work. Both worked in the Popular Dry Good’s display department in El Paso, Texas. After marrying and starting a family, they established “The Ink Well,” a silk-screening business. Later, Ken became ”The Village Cabinetmaker” in Cloudcroft, New Mexico. Betty began teaching and integrated art into her curriculum. Now retired, they devote much of their time to creating art. Ken paints in oil, while Betty enjoys pastels, watercolor, and fiber arts.

Ken, from Texas and Betty, a New Yorker, made the “Land of Enchantment” their home and are deeply connected to its history, culture, and natural beauty. For this reason, Ken and Betty now present their art in “O Fair New Mexico.”

Community Appreciation Day
2020-08-22 09:00 - 16:00 | NM
9:00 am – 4:00 pm
The Museum offers free admission on this day each year to thank the community for its support. Demonstrations are a big part of the day, as well as the Parade of Breeds cattle program, pony rides, children’s games, living history, food vendors, a plant sale, and more.

Ice Cream Sunday
2020-07-19 12:00 - 16:00 | NM
12:00 pm – 4:00 pm
America’s favorite summer treat is the star of this popular annual event. Come and enjoy making and eating homemade ice cream, enter the ice cream sandwich eating contest and play old-fashioned games. Regular admission applies.

Culture Series: The New Mexico Cattle Frontier
2020-04-16 12:30 - 13:30 | NM
CANCELLED – 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm
In this Culture Series presentation in the Museum’s theater, range historian Stephen Zimmer of Cimarron, N.M., will survey the rise of New Mexico’s cattle frontier of the 1880s and ’90s. Admission is free.
Sheep grazed the mountains and plains along the Rio Grande for more than two centuries after they were first introduced by Spanish colonists in 1598. But once New Mexico became of Territory of the United States, Americans began grazing beef cattle on the nutritious grama grass that covered much of the area. John S. Chisum and Lucien Maxwell were among the first American cattle raisers, and they grazed vast herds that they sold to the federal government to feed soldiers at various Army forts and Indians on reservations in the Territory.
Conditions for raising cattle changed dramatically, however, when the Santa Fe Railroad laid tracks over Raton Pass and into the Territory in 1879. The rail line ran south to Albuquerque and eventually to Deming where it intersected the Southern Pacific. Once established, the Santa Fe provided the means to ship cattle to slaughterhouses in Kansas City and Chicago that processed beef for the burgeoning population of the eastern seaboard. As a result, large herds of Texas longhorns were driven onto New Mexico’s public domain and a period of open range ranching that extended for the next 20 years.
Zimmer will include excerpts from memoirs of several participants of the era including Eugene Manlove Rhodes, Agnes Morley Cleaveland, Jack Thorp, and Col. Jack “Lead Steer” Potter.

Discovery Morning: Making Sun Prints
2020-03-25 10:00 - 12:00 | NM
10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Students are welcome to learn how to make a sun print in celebration of spring. Items such as flowers and leaves will be used to make a print on cotton fabric. Recommended for students ages 8-12. Class fee is $3 and all materials will be provided. Contact LuAnn Kilday at 575-522-4100 or luannr.kilday@state.nm.us to register.

Crafts for Kids
2020-03-21 10:00 - 12:00 | NM
10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Children are invited to come make a spring craft. Materials will be provided This activity is free with regular admission ($5 for adults, $4 for senior citizens, $3 for children 4-17). Children 3 and under are admitted free.

Annual Buffalo Roast Fundraiser
2020-03-14 17:00 - 22:00 | NM
5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Museum Director Mark Santiago will be the speaker at Human Systems Research’s 9th Annual Buffalo Roast Fundraiser at the Museum.
A cash bar and silent auction begin at 5 p.m., the dinner is at 6 p.m., and the presentation is at 7 p.m. Tickets are $50 and there are advance ticket sales only. For tickets and information, please call 575-524-9456.
Human Systems Research Inc. is a nonprofit for anthropological research and preservation.
A multi-award winning author, Santiago’s talk is called “Labyrinth of Blood: Apaches and the Spanish Empire.” Over the course of several centuries, the Apache peoples repeatedly confronted and confounded the northern movement of the Spanish Empire into what is now the Southwestern Borderlands. This talk will examine the origins, course and results of this long, bloody struggle.

Reading Roundup
2020-03-14 14:00 - 15:00, 2020-02-09 14:00 - 15:00 | NM
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Join us for Reading Roundup in the Museum lobby. Children of all ages are welcome to listen and learn. This activity is free with regular admission ($5 for adults, $4 for senior citizens, $3 for children 4-17). Children 3 and under are admitted free.

Culture Series: Paquimé and the Casas Grandes Culture
2020-03-10 12:30 - 13:30 | NM
Culture Series: Paquimé and the Casas Grandes Culture
12:30 pm – 1:30 pm
Jeff Romney, the director of the El Paso Museum of Archaeology, will discuss Paquimé as a ceremonial and trade center within the greater Casas Grandes region. The discussion will also include the cliff dwelling sites at Cuesta Blanca, Cave Valley, and Cuarenta Casas and the petroglyph sites at Anchondo, Arroyo de los Monos, and others. Admission is free.
The Casas Grandes Culture inhabited parts of Chihuahua, Sonora, and New Mexico between 700 AD – 1450 AD. During the Medio Period (1200 AD – 1450 AD), the Casas Grandes Culture reached the height of its prominence and influence in the region. It is during this period that Paquimé was built, eventually becoming an important ceremonial and trade center. The largest cache of shells ever found in an archaeological context in North America was excavated at Paquimé. Exquisite ceramics, beautiful works in stone, copper bells, turquoise, and macaw remains were also found at the site. Paquimé was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1998.
Culture Series: Paquimé and the Casas Grandes Culture
12:30 pm – 1:30 pm
Jeff Romney, the director of the El Paso Museum of Archaeology, will discuss Paquimé as a ceremonial and trade center within the greater Casas Grandes region. The discussion will also include the cliff dwelling sites at Cuesta Blanca, Cave Valley, and Cuarenta Casas and the petroglyph sites at Anchondo, Arroyo de los Monos, and others. Admission is free.
The Casas Grandes Culture inhabited parts of Chihuahua, Sonora, and New Mexico between 700 AD – 1450 AD. During the Medio Period (1200 AD – 1450 AD), the Casas Grandes Culture reached the height of its prominence and influence in the region. It is during this period that Paquimé was built, eventually becoming an important ceremonial and trade center. The largest cache of shells ever found in an archaeological context in North America was excavated at Paquimé. Exquisite ceramics, beautiful works in stone, copper bells, turquoise, and macaw remains were also found at the site. Paquimé was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1998.
Romney grew up in Chihuahua, Mexico, near Paquimé, which inspired his life-long interest in Southwest Archaeology. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Anthropology from Brigham Young University (BYU) in 1995 with an emphasis in Southwest Archaeology and Native American Studies. While at BYU, Romney worked at the Museum of Peoples and Cultures as student co-curator, working primarily with the museum’s large collection of Casas Grandes pottery. After graduating from BYU, he accepted the position of Museum Specialist at Wheeler Historic Farm, Salt Lake County’s Parks and Recreation Department. In 2006, Romney joined the El Paso Museum of Art where he served as Head of Development for a decade. He has 21 years of experience in the museums profession. Romney’s research interests include the Pre-Columbian Southwest, Native American cultures, and pottery. When not working, he enjoys collecting Pueblo pottery, gardening, cooking, reading, photography, saltwater coral reef aquariums, and his dog Sadie.

Cowboy Days - March 8
2020-03-08 10:00 - 16:00 | NM
Cowboy Days
10:00 am – 4:00 pm
* Update: Because of the rain, we have moved our craft vendors, children’s games and crafts, and our musical performances indoors. The rain might affect some of our other outdoor activities. Please call (575) 522-4100.*
The Museum’s big spring event pays tribute to the state’s ranching traditions. Enjoy two days of cowboy demonstrations, charreada demos and trick roping, horse training, chuck wagon cooking, children’s activities, cowboy music, stagecoach and pony rides, living history, Western authors, food vendors, arts and crafts vendors, and more. Our family-friendly admission this year is $10 per vehicle. (no discounts or passes, and no pets, please).
Sunday, March 8 – 10 am to 4 pm
Ongoing educational demonstrations: Chuck wagon cooking, children’s crafts and games, food and craft vendors, blacksmith, woodcarving, spinning, weaving, quilting, selfie stations, and more.
10 – 10:45 am Western Writers of America in the Theatre
10 am – 12 pm Pony rides near the Horse & Cattle Barn ($5)
10 am – 3 pm Miniature train rides on the South 20 ($3)
10 am – 3 pm Rawhide braider, Dick Schorr, in the Courtyard
10 am – 3:30 pm Stagecoach rides out front (by donation)
10:30 – 11:15 am Singer, Kenny Arroyos, in the Courtyard
11 – 11:45 am Film: On the Trail of Jack Thorp, in the Theatre
11 am – 12 pm Daniel Castro & family (Lienzo Charro El Pedregal) charreada demonstration in the Round Pen
11:30 am – 12:15 pm Ramblin’ Rangers perform in the Courtyard
12 – 12:45 pm How the West was Done! (stories, poetry, trivia, melodrama) in the Theater
12 – 1 pm Parade of Breeds at the Round Pen
12:30 – 1:15 pm Tom Foster Morris & Friends perform in the Courtyard
1 – 2 pm Ralph Estes “Billy and Me” in the Theatre
1:30 – 2:15 pm Singing group, The Muletones, in the Courtyard
1 – 2 pm Josh Armstrong, horse trainer, in the Round Pen
1:30 – 3 pm Pony rides near the Horse & Cattle Barn ($5)
2 – 3 pm Parade of Breeds at the Round Pen
2 – 2:45 pm Singing group, Dusty Boots, under the Pavilion
2:30 – 3:15 pm Live Lively Square Dance demonstration in the Courtyard
2:15 – 3 pm How the West was Done! (stories, poetry, trivia, melodrama) in the Theatre
3 – 3:45 pm Singing group, Dusty Boots, under the Pavilion
3:15 – 3:45 pm Film: On the Trail of Jack Thorp, in the Theatre
3:30 – 4:15 pm Singing group, The Muletones, in the Courtyard
Schedule is subject to change

Cowboy Days March 7th
2020-03-07 09:00 - 17:00 | NM
The Museum’s big spring event pays tribute to the state’s ranching traditions. Enjoy two days of cowboy demonstrations, charreada demos, and trick roping, horse training, chuckwagon cooking, children’s activities, cowboy music, stagecoach and pony rides, living history, Western authors, food vendors, arts and crafts vendors, and more. Our family-friendly admission this year is $10 per vehicle. (no discounts or passes, and no pets, please).
Saturday, March 7, 2020 – 9 am to 5 pm
Ongoing educational demonstrations: Chuckwagon biscuits & cowboy coffee, blacksmith, woodcarving, spinning, weaving, quilting, selfie stations and more.
9 am – 5 pm Wonders on Wheels, DCA’s traveling exhibit bus
9 am – 5 pm Rawhide braider, Dick Schorr, in the Courtyard
10 – 10:45 am Western Writers of America in the Theater
10 am – 12 pm Pony rides near the Horse & Cattle Barn ($5)
10 am – 3 pm Miniature train rides on the South 20 ($3)
10 am – 3:30 pm Stagecoach rides out front (by donation)
10:30 – 11:15 am Kenny Arroyos sings in the Courtyard
11 – 11:45 am Singer songwriter, Sid Hausman, on stage in the Theater
11 am – 12 pm Daniel Castro & family (Lienzo Charro El Pedregal) charreada demonstrations in the Round Pen
11:30 am – 12:15 pm Ramblin’ Rangers perform in the Courtyard
12 – 12:45 pm How the West was Done! (stories, poetry, trivia, melodrama) in the Theater
12 – 1 pm Parade of Breeds at the Round Pen
12:30 – 1:15 pm Tom Foster Morris & Friends perform in the Courtyard
1 – 1:45 pm Singer songwriter, Sid Hausman, on stage in the Theater
1:30 – 2:15 pm Singing group, The Muletones, in the Courtyard
1 – 2 pm Josh Armstrong, horse trainer, in the Round Pen
1:30 – 3 pm Pony rides near the Horse & Cattle Barn ($5)
2 – 3 pm Parade of Breeds at the Round Pen
2:30 – 3:15 pm Live Lively Square Dance demonstration in the Courtyard
2 – 2:45 pm How the West was Done! (stories, poetry, trivia, melodrama) in the Theater
3:30 – 4:15 pm Singing group, The Muletones, in the Courtyard
3 – 3:45 pm Singer songwriter, Sid Hausman, on stage in the Theater
Times subject to change

The Museum Rocks! Gem & Mineral Show
2020-02-23 10:00 - 17:00 | NM
10:00 am – 5:00 pm
This seventh-annual event is hosted by the Friends of the Museum and features more than 60 vendors from throughout the Southwest. The event is sponsored by Frank Parrish.
The Museum ROCKS! brings together wholesale and resale dealers of both cut and uncut gemstones, rocks, minerals, fossils, meteorites, jewelry, jewelry-making supplies and educational displays on the art and science of rocks and gems. There will be geology discussions and films, as well as children’s activities, and food and beverages for sale.
Admission is only $7 for everyone aged 12 and up, $4 for ages 6-11, and FREE for ages 5 and under, which also includes museum entry. For more information, visit www.LCMuseumRocks.com.

The Museum Rocks! Gem & Mineral Show
2020-02-22 09:00 - 17:00 | NM
9:00 am – 5:00 pm each day
This seventh-annual event is hosted by the Friends of the Museum and features more than 60 vendors from throughout the Southwest. The event is sponsored by Frank Parrish.
The Museum ROCKS! brings together wholesale and resale dealers of both cut and uncut gemstones, rocks, minerals, fossils, meteorites, jewelry, jewelry-making supplies and educational displays on the art and science of rocks and gems. There will be geology discussions and films, as well as children’s activities, and food and beverages for sale.
Admission is only $7 for everyone aged 12 and up, $4 for ages 6-11, and FREE for ages 5 and under, which also includes museum entry. For more information, visit www.LCMuseumRocks.com.

Basic Weaving Workshop
2020-02-12 09:00 - 2020-02-15 16:00 | NM
9:00 am – 4:00 pm each day
Space is very limited in these workshops and a wait list is available for future classes. This three-day weaving workshop teaches students how to warp their looms on Wednesday and weave basic twill patterns Thursday and Saturday. First-time weavers are welcome. The class is offered to adults and children 14 and over (accompanied by an adult). Class fee is $60 and pre-registration and payment required. For more information contact LuAnn Kilday at 575-522-4100 or luannr.kilday@state.nm.us.

Culture Series: Killing Pat Garrett
2020-02-11 12:30 - 13:30 | NM
12:30 pm – 1:30 pm
Pat Garrett, the Wild West’s most famous lawman – the man who killed Billy the Kid – was himself killed on leap day, February 29, 1908, on a barren stretch of road between his home ranch and Las Cruces.
Who killed him? Was it murder? Was it self-defense?
No Garrett biographer has been able to answer these questions. All have expressed opinions. None have presented evidence that would stand up in a court of law. Here, for the first time, drawing on newly discovered information is the definitive answer to the Wild West’s most famous unsolved killing.
Award-winning author and historian David Thomas will discuss this fascinating story which is detailed in his new book, “Killing Pat Garrett: The Wild West’s Most Famous Lawman — Murder or Self-Defense?” Admission to this day-time Culture Series presentation in the Museum’s Theater is free.
The book’s awards include: 2019 Best Book Awards Finalist, United States History; 2019 Best Indie Book Notable 100 Award Winner; 2019 Royal Dragonfly Book Award Winner, Second Place, Historical Non-Fiction.
Supplementing the text are 102 images, including six of Garrett and his family which have never been published before. It has been 50 years since a new photo of Garrett was published, and no photos of his children have ever been published.
Garrett’s life has been extensively researched. Yet, the author was able to uncover an enormous amount of new information. He had access to over 80 letters that Garrett wrote to his wife. He discovered a multitude of new documents and details concerning Garrett’s killing, the events surrounding it, and the personal life of the man who was placed on trial for killing Garrett.
• The true actions of “Deacon Jim” Miller, a professional killer, who was in Las Cruces the day Garrett was killed.
• The place on the now abandoned old road to Las Cruces where Garrett was killed.
• Garrett’s original burial location.
• The sworn courtroom testimony of the only witness to Garrett’s killing.
• The policeman who provided the decisive evidence in the trial of the man accused of murdering Garrett.
• The location of Garrett’s Rock House and Home Ranches.
• New family details: Garrett had a four-month-old daughter the day he killed Billy the Kid. She died tragically at 15. Another daughter was blinded by a well-intended eye treatment; a son was paralyzed by childhood polio; and Pat Garrett, Jr., named after his father, lost his right leg to amputation at age 12.
Pat Garrett’s life was a remarkable adventure, with enormous highs. He met two US presidents: William McKinley Jr. and Theodore Roosevelt. President Roosevelt he met five times, three times in the White House. He brought the law to hardened gunmen. He oversaw hangings. His national fame was so extensive the day he died that newspapers from the East to the West Coast only had to write “Pat Garrett” for readers to know to whom they were referring.
He also had devastating lows. He experienced heartbreaking family tragedy. He was blocked for re-appointment as El Paso Customs Collector by unjustified personal animus. He was pursued ruthlessly for a loan that he had co-signed as a favor for a friend. He had his ranches and livestock confiscated and sold on the Las Cruces public square.
In spite of his reputation as a gunman, when faced with public humiliation, he responded with commendable dignity. Queried after losing his Custom Collector job, he replied:
“I simply take my medicine.”
This book is written so you experience his life as he did, as it happened, event by event.

Crafts for Kids
2020-02-08 10:00 - 12:00 | NM
10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Children are invited to come make a Valentine’s Day craft. Craft is free and materials will be provided, but regular Museum admission is required for all family members: $5 for adults, $4 for senior citizens, $3 for children 4 to 17, and free admission for children 3 and under.

Antique Treasures Show
2020-01-26 10:00 - 16:00 | NM
10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Whether it’s learning how to best preserve a family heirloom, identifying an archaeological discovery, or looking to find a special antique to purchase, the Museum’s annual Antique Treasures Show is a two-day celebration of all things old, unique, and precious.
Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for senior citizens and $3 for children 4 to 17. Veterans and active U.S. military members are admitted for $2 and children 3 and under are free.
The show is a mix of antique and collectible vendors from throughout the region, along with preservation and identification activities. Some of the vendors may also offer free unofficial, independent appraisals.
Visitors are invited to bring family heirlooms, artifacts, or objects from home to learn more about them and how to preserve them. Visitors can also play “Stump the Curator” by bringing in objects to see if the Museum’s curators – Director Mark Santiago, Chief Curator and Program Manager Lisa Pugh, former Chief Curator Toni Laumbach, or History Curator Leah Tookey – can identify them. Santiago will also have an antique gun presentation each day at 1 p.m.
Representatives from Fort Selden Historic Site, a sister agency to the Farm & Ranch Museum, will be at the show with some unusual objects to play “Identify It.”
The show also features demonstrations such as sewing, weaving, wool spinning and blacksmithing. Admission includes all of the regular Museum offerings.

Antique Treasures Show
2020-01-25 09:00 - 2020-01-26 17:00 | NM
9:00 am – 5:00 pm each day
Whether it’s learning how to best preserve a family heirloom, identifying an archaeological discovery, or looking to find a special antique to purchase, the Museum’s annual Antique Treasures Show is a two-day celebration of all things old, unique, and precious.
Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for senior citizens and $3 for children 4 to 17. Veterans and active U.S. military members are admitted for $2 and children 3 and under are free.
The show is a mix of antique and collectible vendors from throughout the region, along with preservation and identification activities. Some of the vendors may also offer free unofficial, independent appraisals.
Visitors are invited to bring family heirlooms, artifacts, or objects from home to learn more about them and how to preserve them. Visitors can also play “Stump the Curator” by bringing in objects to see if the Museum’s curators – Director Mark Santiago, Chief Curator and Program Manager Lisa Pugh, former Chief Curator Toni Laumbach, or History Curator Leah Tookey – can identify them. Santiago will also have an antique gun presentation each day at 1 p.m.
Representatives from Fort Selden Historic Site, a sister agency to the Farm & Ranch Museum, will be at the show with some unusual objects to play “Identify It.”
The show also features demonstrations such as sewing, weaving, wool spinning and blacksmithing. Admission includes all of the regular Museum offerings.

Basic Weaving Workshop
2020-01-15 09:00 - 2020-01-17 15:00 | NM
9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Space is very limited in these workshops and a wait list is available for future classes. This three-day weaving workshop teaches students how to warp their looms on Wednesday and weave basic twill patterns Thursday and Friday. First-time weavers are welcome. The class is offered to adults and children 14 and over (accompanied by an adult). Class fee is $60 and pre-registration and payment required. For more information contact LuAnn Kilday at 575-522-4100 or luannr.kilday@state.nm.us.

Reading Roundup
2020-01-12 14:00 - 15:00 | NM
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Join us for Story Time in the Museum lobby. Children of all ages are welcome to listen and learn. This activity is free with regular admission ($5 for adults, $4 for senior citizens, $3 for children 4-17). Children 3 and under are admitted free.

National Milk Day
2020-01-11 10:00 - 12:00 | NM
January 11th
10:00 am – 12:00 pm
In honor of National Milk Day we will be making a dairy cow craft. This activity is free with regular admission ($5 for adults, $4 for senior citizens, $3 for children 4-17).
