El Paso Archaeology Museum

Photo: The El Paso Archaeology Museum with poppies surrounding the building. In 1976, 17 acres of the former Castner Firing Range were conveyed to the city of El Paso through the U.S. General Services Administration and the U.S. Department of the Interior. Construction of the 12,000 square foot museum building and rudimentary nature trails were completed in October 1976. The museum opened to the public in October 1977 as the Wilderness Park Museum. In 1992, two acres of the original 17 were leased for 30 years to the National Border Patrol Museum and Memorial Library Foundation for construction of a museum. In 1995, the then Mayor of El Paso attempted to transfer ownership and management of the museum to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. This highly controversial proposal was withdrawn after public protests. During 2002, the museum was closed from January to mid-September for major interior renovations and remodeling. Building Maintenance, Department of Public Works, conducted the bulk of this work. The project included: installation of a climate control system (refrigerated air, humidity control, and new gas heaters); new ceilings, wiring and lighting; new carpeting, ceramic tile floors, ADA compliant entrances, bathrooms and fixtures; a new septic system; and more sophisticated communications technology. In addition to increasing the level of safety and comfort for visitors, these improvements insured the safety and long-term preservation of rare and irreplaceable artifacts in the museum’s collections. The museum reopened in October of 2002 on its 25th anniversary as the El Paso Museum of Archaeology. Today, the museum operates with a professional staff: a director, two curators, and a secretary, as part of the Museums and Cultural Affairs Department. In October 2007 the museum commemorated its 30th anniversary.