Find a miracle to save local market, bug museum

Only a miracle will save two of Santa Fe’s unique destinations — Traveler’s Market and the Harrell House Bug Museum, specialty tenants at Santa Fe Place mall that were told to leave by early January.

A new big-box store is coming, and the two local specialty shops have to vacate in the face of outside dollars. They will be closing by year’s end.

Traveler’s Market wants to remain in business — the bazaar-like space needs 10,000 to 20,000 square feet somewhere else to make that happen.

Market operator Lesley Anne Martin has 47 vendors operating now, so the shutdown will have a broad impact. That’s 47 operators who will lose income they likely can’t replace if the market can’t relocate.

It’s a loss for Santa Fe, a city that enjoys its exotic spots with offerings from all over the globe. Let’s hope a property owner can step up and help Martin save her business.

She and the bug museum relocated to the south-side mall from DeVargas Center only six months ago; they are still recovering costs. As specialty tenants, the mall does not have to give lengthy notice to move them out, even though Traveler’s Market has a oneyear lease on 39,000 square feet, with 8,000 square feet subleased to the bug museum.

And what city doesn’t need a place where children of all ages can see live insects and snakes for a reasonable price? Harrell’s is a treasure, both fun and educational, a place of wonder that teaches the appreciation of the natural world.

Owner Wade Harrell is leaning toward shutting the place down, although mall operators are offering the bug museum another space at the shopping center.

In an emotional Facebook post, the Harrell family said the news was “especially heartbreaking for us because of the literal blood, sweat, and tears that went into making this space what it is, and because we are still recovering physically and financially from the last move. Friends, we are done!”

Done, that is, unless the community can help them find either a new location or a move inside the mall.

Many have suggested a potential partnership with the Santa Fe Children’s Museum — but that would take donations to help support the collaboration. The children’s museum has its own struggles since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. But bugs and kids do go together, so it would make sense. Evidently, the parties are talking, and that’s a good sign.

Beloved institutions have been saved before in Santa Fe. Back in 1998, the F.W. Woolworth on the Plaza was slated for closure. Rather than let that happen, Earl and Deborah Potter stepped up and opened the Five & Dime (and launched a chain of such stores across the country) instead.

Santa Fe kept a variety store on the Plaza, along with Frito pies, because community sentiment proved stronger than market forces. May another miracle occur to find homes for the Traveler’s Market and the Harrell House Bug Museum.