by Michael Totten

Created on: July 28, 2009

The El Paso Museum of Archeology at Wilderness Park is home to several permanent and rotating exhibits about the anthropology and archeology of the Greater Chihuahuan Desert, spanning the period of time from the Paleoindian hunters of the Ice Age into the modern era. Its particular emphasis is on narrating, interpreting, and preserving the prehistory and culture of the El Paso region.

Many of the museum's temporary and traveling exhibits are combined with public lectures or documentaries sponsored by the El Paso Archeological Society (EPAS). EPAS members also volunteer as docents for the museum and run the Museum in a Box outreach program. On Wednesday mornings, EPAS opens its onsite lab facilities to the public. In the summer, EPAS holds a summer day camp for children aged 6-12, including a field trip to Heuco Tanks State Park and Historic Site. In partnership with EPAS, the museum also regularly hosts academic conferences such as the Jornada Mogollon Archaeology Conference, held on the first weekend of October 2009.

The permanent collection of the Museum of Archeology consists of hundreds of prehistoric artifacts from the American Southwest and northern Mexico, many of them on loan from EPAS, as well as cultural collections up to the present day including ceramics, basketry, textiles, and stone tools. In addition to its artifacts, the Museum of Archeology also has dioramas which reconstruct typical life scenes of prehistoric indigenous peoples.

At the Museum Store, you can shop for memorabilia and regional handicrafts such as authentic Indian jewelry and pottery. Several publications on anthropological and archeological topics are also available, many of which include photographs of artifacts from the museum's collection.

The Museum of Archaeology can be found at 4301 Transmountain Road in El Paso, Texas, just west of U.S. Highway 54 and right next door to the National Border Patrol Museum. The surrounding land along the eastern base of the Franklin Mountains includes 15 acres of nature trails and outdoor exhibits, as well as a desert garden, with plantings of over 250 native plant species.

Admission to the Museum of Archeology is free. Museum hours of operation are from 9-5 Tuesday through Saturday, and 12-5 Sunday. The museum is closed Mondays and major holidays. To arrange a group tour, call at least 2 weeks in advance of your visit at (915) 755-4332. For school trips and in-class studies, teachers' guides can be requested from the museum free of charge. A gazebo is available for the use of small groups and families.

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