Admission and tours of the El Paso Museum of Archaeology are free. We focus on the human occupation of the El Paso area and the Southwest from 15,000 years ago to the present. Tours should be arranged at least two weeks prior to the desired tour date and there should be at least one adult chaperone for every 10 children.
You’ll experience hands-on exhibits including a full-size model of a pueblo room, a toy display, and artifacts from our education department which can be handled by the public. We have a tree-ring dating activity and interactive “How old is it?” stratigraphic dating activity. You will also see maps of the Southwest locating contemporary Indian villages and reservations as well as prehistoric culture areas and sites.
Dioramas depict scenes in the life of the Paleoindians of over 10,000 years ago, Hunters and Gatherers of Archaic times, horticultural pit-dwellers, Pueblo cliff dwellers, and the Mescalero Apache including the Mountain Spirit Dancers who are still performing ceremonies today.
This gallery showcases a variety of artifacts from modern and prehistoric cultures that interacted in the El Paso region. It also contains a small section of the fossils of the area.
The auditorium houses changing exhibits. Please check with museum staff for current information. The drawers contain a sampling of objects from the collections in Museum storage.
The trails surrounding the museum offer a beautiful view of the native plants and wildlife of the El Paso area.