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Las Cruces is the second-largest city in New Mexico, set in the fertile Mesilla Valley along the Rio Grande, about 45 miles north of El Paso. The dramatic Organ Mountains, named for their spiky granite peaks that resemble organ pipes, rise to the east. The name Las Cruces, the crosses, is said to come from graves of travelers killed along the Camino Real, the royal road that once linked Mexico City and Santa Fe.
Today Las Cruces has about 115,000 residents and is home to New Mexico State University, with its mission-style campus. Its historic heart is the nearby village of Mesilla, where the plaza, adobe buildings and the twin-towered Basilica of San Albino date to the 1850s. Billy the Kid was tried and sentenced here, and the old courthouse now houses a gift shop.
The Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument offers hiking and climbing on the city's edge, and the Las Cruces Farmers and Crafts Market fills Main Street on Saturdays. The New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum tells the story of agriculture in the region, and White Sands National Park is about an hour away.
The historic plaza of Old Mesilla, a village on the southwest edge of Las Cruces where the Gadsden Purchase was made official in 1854. Adobe buildings around the plaza hold restaurants, galleries, gift shops and chile stores. Visit in the evening when the plaza is lit up, and try local enchiladas.
A twin-towered brick church facing Mesilla Plaza, built in 1906 on the site of an 1850s adobe church and named a minor basilica in 2008. It is one of the oldest parishes in the region and still active. Visitors are welcome outside Mass; the bells and stained glass are highlights.
NMSU's campus on the south side of the city has Pueblo Revival style buildings, the University Art Museum, and the popular Aggie Creamery serving ice cream made on campus. Visitors can walk the central Horseshoe area freely. Check the athletics calendar for Aggie games.
A national monument protecting the jagged Organ Mountains east of Las Cruces and other desert ranges, with hiking trails, rock climbing, petroglyphs and wide desert views. The spires glow at sunset. Bring plenty of water, start hikes early in summer and check trail conditions first.
A state park along the Rio Grande on the west side of Las Cruces with trails through cottonwood and willow bosque and wetlands, a visitor center and good birdwatching for roadrunners, hawks and waterfowl. Visit early in the morning for wildlife. A small day-use fee applies.
A section of the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks monument with a visitor center and an easy trail of about 3 miles round trip to the ruins of a 19th century mountain resort and a sanatorium below dramatic cliffs. A small day-use fee applies. Gates close in the late afternoon, so start early.
A 47-acre museum on the east side of town covering 4,000 years of farming and ranching in New Mexico, with live cattle, horses, sheep and goats, milking and blacksmith demonstrations, and historic tractors. It is a great family stop. Allow two to three hours and bring sun protection.
A city museum in a 1935 Pueblo Revival building on the downtown Main Street plaza, with rotating exhibitions on local history, art and culture of the Mesilla Valley. Admission is free. It sits next to the Las Cruces Museum of Art, so it is easy to visit both in one trip.
A free city museum downtown on Main Street with exhibits on the Chihuahuan Desert, live desert animals such as snakes and lizards, fossils and hands-on science displays for kids. It also runs nature programs and star parties. It is a good first stop before hiking in the area.
A free museum in the 1910 Santa Fe railway depot near downtown, with model trains, railroad artifacts and exhibits on how the railroad shaped the city's growth. Kids enjoy the model train layouts. It is small, so plan about 45 minutes, and check the limited opening days.
Las Cruces' revitalized downtown along Main Street, with the Plaza de Las Cruces, museums, theaters, restaurants and breweries. It is home to the weekly farmers market and events such as concerts on the plaza. Walk Main Street on a Saturday when the market fills the street.
One of the largest markets in the Southwest, held on Main Street downtown every Wednesday and Saturday morning, with hundreds of vendors selling local produce, chile, pecans, baked goods, crafts and art. Go early, especially in summer, to avoid the heat and get the best selection.
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