3410 N. White Sands Blvd. 

Alamogordo, NM  88310 

 

Alameda Park Zoo is a seven-acre zoo, which is home to over 300 mammals and birds from around the world.

The Toy Train Depot, located on the north end of Alameda Park, features interior exhibits of antique and modern working train setups as well as an outside miniature train ride.

The Tularosa Basin Historical Society Museum, located next to the Chamber of Commerce preserves and promotes local, regional, and sometimes national history through exhibits, projects, presentations, and various other methods of conveying ideas.

Golfing - Desert Lakes Golf Course is an 18-hole course in Alamogordo and there is another course at Holloman Air Force Base. Regionally, there are three 18-hole courses, four 9-hole public courses plus private courses.

Hunting and Fishing - a wide variety of lakes and streams exist for fishing. Both public and private lands exist for hunting large game - elk and deer. Duck, turkey, quail and dove hunting is also available.

Alamogordo is also the home of the Flickinger Center for the Performing Arts, Alamogordo Music Theater, Alamogordo Community Theater and the Otero Community Concerts series.

La Luz, four miles northeast of Alamogordo, is the oldest settlement in the Tularosa Basin. Founded in 1705 by the Spanish, it is now a quiet plaza surrounded by a few old adobe buildings, homes and artist studios, including a cooperative art gallery.

SHOPPING LOCATIONS

White Sands Mall is a 250,000 sq. ft. (23.92 acres) enclosed shopping facility located on the north end of the city with over 30 stores, 5 cinema theaters and has JCPenney and BIG-K-Mart as anchor stores. Super Wal-Mart and Hastings also have stores in Alamogordo. The major grocery stores are Albertsons, and Van Winkles IGA. Additional shopping is available throughout the city. The downtown area near 10th St. and New York Ave. is the community's financial and business district as well as the location for local government offices. Many shops are located on the Downtown Mall area.

REGIONAL RECREATION

The Space Center and International Space Hall of Fame.
This facility operates as a part of the New Mexico Office of Cultural Affairs and was opened in 1976. This attraction is the third most visited museum in New Mexico. The neighboring Clyde W. Tombaugh Space Theater is outfitted with a 20-foot wrap-around OMNIMAX screen and audio system. visitors tour a model 2001 space station. Also, adjacent to the complex is the John P. Stapp Air and Space Park with a collection of historic space items such as the Sonic Wind I rocket sled. The Space Center is just off Highway 54 in Alamogordo.

White Sands National Monument

At the northern end of the Chihuahua Desert lies a mountain ringed valley known as the Tularosa Basin. Rising from the heart of this basin is one of the world's great natural wonders -- the glistening white sands of New Mexico. White Sands is New Mexico's number one National Monument attraction. Here, great wave-like dunes of gypsum cover nearly 300 square miles of desert. The dunes are ever changing -- growing, cresting, then slumping, but always advancing. Slowly, relentlessly, the sand covers all. White Sands National Monument preserves a major portion of the world's largest gypsum dune field, along with the plants and animals that have successfully adapted to this harsh environment. The Monument is located on U.S. Highway 70, fifteen miles west of Alamogordo.

Oliver Lee Memorial State Park

Named for Oliver Milton Lee, a pioneer southern New Mexico rancher and state legislator, Oliver Lee Memorial State Park is located at the mouth of Dog Canyon in the rugged Sacramento Mountains south of Alamogordo. Water flows year-round in Dog Canyon, creating a quiet green oasis in contrast to the surrounding prickly desert setting. The 180 acre canyon was an early Apache stronghold, and records show that at least five major battles occurred in the area between government troops and Mescalero Apaches. For many centuries, visitors have been drawn to this place of surprising beauty. Oliver Lee Memorial State Park is located 12 miles south of Alamogordo via US 54.

Lincoln National Forest

Alamogordo is bordered on the east by the Sacramento Mountains and the 1,103,441 acre Lincoln National Forest. Elevations of 4,000 to 11,500 feet pass through five different life zones from chihuahuan desert to sub-alpine forest. Vegetation ranges from rare cacti in the lower elevations to blue spruce in the highest areas. All areas of Lincoln National Forest not reserved for specific use are available for a wide variety of recreational activities including picnicking, camping, hiking, horseback riding, trail bike riding, sightseeing, fishing, hunting, downhill and cross-country skiing, snowmobiling and showshoeing.

Cloudcroft

Established in 1898, Cloudcroft (18 miles east of Alamogordo) is a place to cool off in the summer and ski in the winter (at Ski Cloudcroft). The downtown business district offers a unique western motif boardwalk with a variety of retail shops, art studios and cafes. The historic Lodge Hotel was constructed in 1899 and still is in use.

Surrounded by more than one million acres of Lincoln National Forest, Cloudcroft has one of the highest golf courses, southern-most ski areas in North America and miles of trails for hiking, biking and sight seeing. At the lofty elevation of 9,000 feet, Cloudcroft's climate is tempered by its southern location. The natural beauty of four distinct seasons inspires visitors to enjoy an abundance of year-round activities.

Apache Point Observatory
National Solar Observatory
Sacramento Peak, Sunspot, New Mexico

Located in the mountains 18 miles south of Cloudcroft are two observatories. the National Solar Observatory searches the sky by day, and the Apache Point Observatory searches the sky by night. The two facilities together provide some 70 jobs.

The National Solar Observatory is used for solar research and is managed by the National science Foundation. The Apache Point Observatory, managed by New Mexico State University, consists of a 3.5 meter telescope and three future sites that are under construction. Apache Point was chosen as the site for its altitude and clear weather. At 9200 feet, the atmosphere above the observatory contains little water vapor or contaminants that degrade images. Otero county's night sky at Apache Point Observatory is among the darkest in the United States. Construction has begun on a 2.5 meter diameter telescope of advanced design with major support of a grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. The observatory is open to visitors during daylight hours.

Mescalero Apache Reservation

The Mescalero Apache Reservation is 460,000 acres of pine forest and mountain range near Ruidoso. The Apaches operate the large Inn of the Mountain Gods resort complete with a lake and golf course. Camping, hunting, fishing and a casino are available for visitors' entertainment.

Valley of Fires Recreation Area

The Bureau of Land Management maintains and manages the Valley of Fires Recreation Area. Located four miles northwest of Carrizozo, New Mexico, on U.S. Highway 380, Valley of the Fires offers both camping and day use. the 3/4 mile long Malpais Nature Trail provides a close-up look at the lava surface. This is the most recent lava flow in the Continental U.S. The flow is 44 miles long, and scientists estimate it to be 1500 to 2000 years old.

Ruidoso & Lincoln County

Some fifty miles east of Alamogordo is the vacation community of Ruidoso. Located in the Sacramento Mountains, Ruidoso offers a wide variety of attractions and enjoys visitors from throughout the Southwest. Ruidoso Downs Race Track features quarter horse and thoroughbred racing from May through September. A major event is the world's richest horse race, the All-American Futurity. The Hubbard Museum of the American West near Ruidoso Downs Race Track was named New Mexico's "Best Destination" in 1993. The museum houses a vast array of saddles, carriages, wagons, Indian artifacts and fine art, a total collection of over 10,000 artifacts.

Ski Apache

Ski Apache is the United State's southern most ski area and the second largest in New Mexico. It boasts the largest lift capacity in the State of New Mexico. Ski Apache is owned and operated by the Mescalero Apache Tribe. The ski season starts each November on Thanksgiving and goes through Easter. Sierra Blanca Peak has an elevation of 12,003 feet. The United States' most famous fire fighter, Smokey Bear, was born in the mountains of Lincoln County. The small village of Capitan pays homage to Smokey with the Smokey Bear Museum and Smokey Bear State Park.

Historic Town of Lincoln

During 1878 and 1879, the citizens of Lincoln experienced a full-fledged war between two opposing merchants. Known as the Lincoln County War, this conflict brought notoriety to a young gunslinger -- Billy the Kid. Now in the 1990's, Old Lincoln, through careful preservation and restoration, has emerged as a visible reminder of the past. Within the town limits, there are 11 state monuments including four museums. The town's museums pay tribute to the Lincoln County War, Mescalero Apache Indians, Buffalo Soldiers and of course, Billy the Kid.

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