Western Playland
Come and enjoy thriller rides and attractions at our local amusement park, open March through October. Western Playland has rides for kids of all ages and adults from roller coasters, water slides, trains, and more. This is a well-maintained and exceptionally clean theme park.  (est. 7 min./2 mi.)

Wet 'n Wild
This 37-acre water park is full of fun and excitement. Shady trees and cascading waterfalls surround picnic benches, water slides, and restaurants.  (est. 30 min./27 mi.)

Insights El Paso Science Museum
Uncover mysterious wonders of science with fabulous interactive exhibits. This museum displays a number of fossil artifacts and collections and takes a learn by doing approach to make learning science an active experience.  (est. 9 min./6 mi.)

Natural History Museum of El Paso
Over 300 exhibits examining the wonders of the natural world including dinosaur skeletons, ancient Egyptian artifacts, and an international fossil collection.  ((est. 14 min./10 mi.)

Fort Bliss
This museum and study center portrays the rich history of the army outpost established in 1848. Learn how air and missile defense progressed and glimpse dramatic changes planned for the 21st century. 

El Paso Museum of Art
This museum, located downtown, features the internationally famous Kress Collection as well as exhibits from Tom Lea, works on paper, and many traveling exhibits.  (est. 10 min./7 mi.)

La Viña Winery — New Mexico’s oldest winery is just across the state line from El Paso, at 4201 S. NM Highway 28, one mile north of Vinton Road. Information: (505) 882-7632.
  The tasting room and patio are open daily for sales and tasting of wines from 12 to 5 p.m. daily. Tasting fee is $3. A daily tour is offered at 11:30 a.m.; the $5 fee includes tasting.(est. 34 min./25 mi.)

Sunland Park Race Track & Casino — The copper-domed casino offers slot machines, and video machine versions of poker, keno and other games. Hours are noon to midnight seven days a week. Lounge is open, with live entertainment and dancing, until 2 a.m. weekends. Simulcast racing also available every day.
  Simulcast racing is available every day. The live horse racing season runs November-April. Information: (505) 874-5200.
  To get there, take the Sunland Park exit from I-10, go south (left turn coming from Downtown), and follow the signs.

Texas Wine Tasting — Tejano Winery, 5032 Doniphan (Placita Santa Fe), offers samples of various Texas-produced wines 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday through Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday. Information: 875-0400.

Indian Cliffs Ranch — The working cattle ranch in Fabens offers a children’s zoo, buffalo, longhorns, deer, rattlesnake pit, movie sets, and the Fort Apache playground. It’s also home to the famous Cattleman’s Steakhouse. Information: (915) 544-3200.
  Web: cattlemanssteakhouse.com

Wyler Aerial Tramway — Texas’ only publicly accessible mountain tramway gives passengers a view of 7,000 square miles, two countries and three states (Texas, New Mexico and Chihuahua) from Ranger Peak, elevation 5,632 feet.
  Cost is $7 for adults and $4 for children 12 years and under. Hours are noon to 6 p.m. Mondays, Thursdays and Sundays, and noon to 8 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays and holidays. The tram is closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Information: 566-6622.
  The tramway is managed by Texas Parks & Wildlife as part of Franklin Mountains State Park. To get there, take Alabama to McKinley and turn toward the mountain. You can reach Alabama from the Fred Wilson exit off U.S. 54 (head west and Fred Wilson turns into Alabama); or from the south, take Scenic Drive or Grant to Alabama.
  It takes nearly 5 minutes for the gondolas to travel 2,400 feet and climb 940 feet from the base at the end of McKinley Avenue in Central El Paso. Each of the two gondolas holds seven people. On top is an observation deck, gift shop and various exhibit panels.

El Paso Zoo - 4001 E. Paisano. The zoo displays more than 700 animals, including endangered thick-billed parrots, jaguars, golden lion tamarins and more. Hours are 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday, 9-5 Saturday and Sunday.
Admission: $4 for ages 12-61; $2 for ages 3-12, and $3 for age 62 and older; free for ages 2 and under and El Paso Zoological Society members. Information: 532-8156 or 521-1850.

Magoffin Home State Historic Site - 1120 Magoffin. Built in 1875 by pioneer El Pasoan Joseph Magoffin, the Magoffin Home exemplifies the Territorial style of the period, combining Southwestern building techniques and Eastern design. To get there: Magoffin Street, in Downtown El Paso, runs one way going east from San Antonio Street. Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. Tours given through 4 p.m. Cost: $3; $2 for students and seniors; 6 and under are free. Information: 533-5147.

Lower Valley Missions - Three historic churches lie within eight miles of each other in El Paso County's Lower Valley.
· Mission Ysleta - Spanish and Tigua Indian refugees from northern New Mexico founded the community in the 1680s. The first mission was built in 1692, and rebuilt completely in both the 18th and 19th centuries. The current structure was built in 1851. It's near Zaragoza and Alameda.
· Mission Socorro - The first adobe structure in Socorro was built in 1692, and like Mission Ysleta, was destroyed by floods in later centuries. The current structure dates back to 1843. It's off Socorro Road two miles southeast of Ysleta.
· San Elizario Chapel - Established in 1789 as a Spanish presidio to protect the Camino Real, San Elizario was the first county seat of El Paso. The church was built in 1877, replacing one built about 25 years earlier. It's on the San Elizario plaza, off Socorro Road 5.5 miles southeast of Socorro Mission. Nearby is the famous jail which Billy the Kid reportedly broke into to rescue a friend.
Information: 534-0677.

Self-Guided Historic Downtown Walking Tour - Brochures are available for walking tours of historical sites in downtown El Paso amd Juárez. Information: Convention and Visitors Bureau, 534-0600.

Hart's Mill - Pioneer Simeon Hart built a flour mill in 1849 where Don Juan de Oñate crossed the Rio Grande in 1598. The mill is gone, but the home has been preserved as La Hacienda Restaurant, 1720 W. Paisano. Next door is Old Fort Bliss, 1881-1893 home of the post. 533-1919.

Concordia Cemetery - A historic cemetery that now lies in the shadow of El Paso's principal freeway interchange, Concordia is the final home of gunfighters John Wesley Hardin, John Selman and others. The former town Boothill can be reached by taking the Copia exit from Interstate 10. To find out about tours or other information, call the Concordia Heritage Association at 755-0000.

Franklin Mountains State Park - The largest urban park in Texas extends north from the heart of El Paso to the New Mexico state line. The highest point is North Mount Franklin, 7,192 feet above sea level. Park rangers give guided hikes on the first and third weekends of the month, beginning at the Tom Mays Unit entrance and last 2-3 hours. Information: 566-6441.
Entry fees are $3 per person, free for age 12 and under (with family). Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day, until 8 p.m. Thursday-Sunday during summer. The park also offers mountain biking, camping and picnicking.

Hueco Tanks State Historic Site - The park is famed for its unique geology and Native American rock art. Unguided access is limited to North Mountain. Rock art tours, hiking tours, and bouldering tours are available Wednesday-Sunday mornings. Reservations recommended: (915) 849-6684.
Admission fee is $4, special rates for seniors; free for children 12 and under. Hours: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Information: 857-1135. To get there: Take Montana Avenue (U.S. Highway 62-180) all the way into the Hueco Mountains, then turn left on Ranch Road 2775. It's about 32 miles from downtown El Paso.

Guadalupe Mountains National Park - 110 miles east of El Paso on the way to Carlsbad, the 86,416-acre park includes the highest point in Texas: Guadalupe Peak, 8,749 feet. One of the best examples of a Permian Period fossil reef, the national park offers camping and more than 80 miles of trails. Park headquarters is at Pine Springs, off of U.S. 62-180. McKittrick Canyon Visitor Center, 7 miles east of Pine Springs, offers nature, canyon and geology trails. Hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Free entry. Information: (915) 828-3251.

New Mexico/Mexico day trips

Alamogordo
This community, whose Spanish name means fat cottonwood, features a family recreation center, Olympic-sized swimming pool, and a number of natural wonders.  (est. 2 hrs./88 mi.)

Ruidoso
Enjoy skiing, golfing, mountain biking, fishing, hiking, camping, the excitement of live horse racing, a world-class performing arts theater, casinos, and year-round special events.  (est. 3 hrs./137 mi.) 

White Sands National Monument - The glistening gypsum dunes are a year-round attraction, offering eerie vistas, relaxing hikes and a wonderful natural playground for kids of all ages. The monument is about 15 miles southwest of Alamogordo, N.M., on U.S. 70.
Ranger-guided Sunset Stroll Nature Walks are offered an hour before sunset.
Lake Lucero tours are offered on the last weekend of each month. Participants drive their own vehicles 17 miles then hike 3/4 mile to the source of the white sands. Advance reservations (beginning two weeks before tour) are required.
Hours: Visitor Center, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Dunes Drive, 7 a.m. to sunset.; expanded hours in summer. Summer events include full moon night programs. Entry fee: $3 for adults. Information: (505) 479-6124

Carlsbad Caverns National Park - The caverns open at 8 a.m. daily, and the last elevator down leaves at 3:30 p.m. Visitors can also walk to the main caverns through the natural entrance - last walk-in is 2 p.m. (hours extended 1 1/2 hours in summer). Cost is $6 ($3 for ages 6-15, for seniors with discount card).
Additional tours offered; call for fees and reservations. Information: (505) 785-2232 or www.nps.gov/cave.
The park is 160 miles east of El Paso.  Open year-round.  (est. 3 hr. & 15 min./156 mi.)

Aguirre Spring Campground - The Organ Mountain recreational area, run by the federal Bureau of Land Management, is off U.S. 70 about 15 miles east of Las Cruces. Fifty-five family camping and picnic sites, plus two group areas. Day use fee is $3 per vehicle. The Baylor Pass (hiking and horseback riding) and Pine Tree (hiking) trails begin at the campground.
Information: (505) 525-4300.

Alameda Park Zoo - Alameda Park, North White Sands Blvd. (U.S. 54/70), Alamogordo. The zoo is part of the park that lines Alamogordo's main highway. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Admission is $2.20 adults, $1.10 children and seniors. Information: (505) 439-4290.

City of Rocks State Park - Between Deming and Silver City, four miles east of U.S. 180 off NM 61, is the peculiar formation known as City of Rocks. Erosion has sculpted the city out of volcanic material, creating a natural playground for rock climbers. Admission is $3. Information: (505) 536-2800.

Dripping Springs Natural Area - The recreational area is at the base of the Organ Mountains at the end of Dripping Springs Road (eastern extension of University Avenue), about 10 miles east of Las Cruces. The area includes the A.B. Cox Visitor Center, several hiking trails, and La Cueva Picnic Area. The area's entrance gate is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m; the visitor center is open 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Admission is $3 per vehicle. No pets allowed (except for assistance animals). Information: (505) 522-1219.

Living Desert Zoo and Gardens State Park - Carlsbad, N.M. Living Desert offers visitors an up-close at the mammals, reptiles and birds that inhabit the Chihuahuan Desert. Admission: $3 ($1 ages 7-12, free for 6 and under). Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (last entry at 3:30 p.m.) Information: (505) 887-5516.

Old Mesilla - The largest town between San Diego and San Antonio before the railroad passed it by in 1881, Mesilla has retained its appearance and character as a 19th-century center of the Southwest. The town plaza was the site of the official celebration in 1854 of the Gadsden Purchase. Mesilla also served as a stagecoach stop on the Butterfield Trail.
Many of the adobe buildings, some dating back to 1850, have been restored. Dozens of shops and galleries, scenic San Albino Church, the Fountain Theatre and historic restaurants await visitors.

Stahmann Farms - The world's largest family-owned pecan orchard offers free tasting tours at 2 p.m. Wednesdays through August at Stahmann's Country Store, 22505 Hwy 28 South, La Mesa, N.M. (six miles south of Mesilla). Allow one hour for tour; advance reservations for groups of 8 or more.
The tour is in the heart of Stahmann's 4,000 acres, and includes the shelling and candy plants.
Sample various sauces and condiments off the grill at Saturday culinary samplings, 1-3 p.m. Saturdays through August.

Border Jumper Trolleys - Trolleys depart from the El Paso Convention Center on the hour from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day. Cost: $12.50 (children 4-12, $9; children 3 and under, free). An all-day pass lets riders get off and on the trolley at the most popular shops and dining in Juárez. The trolley visits each stop hourly. Information: 544-0062

Tickets are also available at the hotel.  Contact our Experience Specialist at 915-342-5310