MEANWHILE, BACK AT THE …
NM Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum reopens to in-person visitors
The New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum is welcoming in-person visitors. After months of being closed to the public, the museum opened to visitors Feb. 8.
“We are excited and grateful for the opportunity to reopen the New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum,” said Heather Reed, the museum’s executive director. “While we have worked hard to stay connected to the public through our online offerings during the temporary closures, and will continue to do so, our staff also has worked hard behind the scenes to prepare for this reopening. We look forward to seeing everyone again, and providing our guests a safe environment to experience our state’s amazing history through our museum exhibits and livestock areas.”
According to officials, the museum will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Saturday. More information can be found at nmfarmandranchmuseum.org.
As a member of the state Department of Tourism’s New Mexico Safe Certified program, the museum offers plenty of room for social distancing on the 47-acre campus and 100,000-square-foot main building.
The capacity during this phase of reopening is 75 people, and face coverings are required (indoors and outdoors).
“Home on the Range: From Ranches to Rockets” is the current featured exhibit at Farm & Ranch.
The exhibit stretches through two galleries and tells the story of the dramatic transformation of the Tularosa Basin during World War II and beyond.
Reed says a new feature at the museum on display is the historic horse-drawn hearse that likely was used for the Western lawman Pat Garrett and other prominent Las Crucens during the early 20th century.
Other featured exhibits include “Agricultural Beginnings,” the “New Mexico Colonial Home,” “Wheels & Gears,” “Home Sweet Home,” “Grist for the Mill,” and “The Cowboy Way: Western Drawings by Robert ‘Shoofly’ Shufelt.”
Visitors to museum can also take a walk to see the livestock, including seven breeds of beef cattle, horses, sheep and a donkey.
Reed says the indoor and outdoor play areas, the barns, cart tours, the greenhouse, pony rides, classrooms, the theater and demonstrations all will be closed to the public.