Las Cruces, New Mexico is on the south east side of New Mexico. It borders Texas and is about an hour east of El Paso. It is a mid-size city with plenty of accommodations and every convenience you can think of. We stopped on our way from San Antonio, Texas to Las Vegas because visiting White Sands National Monument was on our family’s bucket list. But of course we were looking forward to exploring what this city had to offer as well.
Las Cruces New Mexico is an amazing spot to bring your family. There are lots of things to do with kids in Las Cruces and if you are making a road trip across the Southwest it is a place you will definitely want to pop in for a few days. Besides having amazing restaurants, plenty of free attractions for families, an excellent farmers market it is also within close proximity to White Sands National Monument. This makes it a perfect stopping point to rest up and do some sightseeing with your kids. Not to mention that beautiful natural scenery that borders Las Cruces, New Mexico is worth it alone for a visit.
Related Posts
Tips for visiting White Sands National Monument
Things to do in San Antonio with kids
Here is our list of things to do and see when visiting Las Cruces, New Mexico with kids:
Las Cruces Farmers Market
Every Wednesday and Saturday morning they close down a few blocks in downtown Las Cruces from 8:30 am to 1:30 pm for the city’s farmers market. Here you will find actual local produce and fruit, unique hand made goods and crafts, and other delicious bakery items and snacks for purchase.
Just for fun, I gave each of the kids two dollars and told them they could purchase and buy whatever they wanted at the Farmers Market with their money. I was genuinely curious to see how it would play out. One child bought a giant tomato and some mini donuts, another giant filled her pockets with various flavors of honey sticks and we were the proud owners of another giant tomato. My oldest loaded herself up on more mini donuts and my youngest shared a cinnamon roll with his dad (there may have been some persuasion from his father on that choice). It’s a great opportunity to incorporate a few homeschooling lessons while enjoying a morning strolling beautiful downtown Las Cruces.
Stroll downtown Las Cruces
We loved the clean and artsy feel of the downtown area in Las Cruces. There were beautiful doorways, unique architecture, interesting stores as well as fun murals and art pieces to marvel at. Parking is easily accessible and it felt clean and safe.
Catch a matinee at the Rio Grande Theatre
My kids absolutely love going to movies but truth be told my three year old usually doesn’t last long. So when I found out that the downtown historic Rio Grande Theatre hosts a children’s matinee some Saturdays for $1 it felt like just the ticket for the kids to get the movie theater experience and not be heartbroken if we didn’t make it all the way through. The theater itself is worth the trip. It’s an old fashioned theater dating back to 1926 and is stunning. The decor inside makes you feel as though you are stepping back in time. Don’t forget to bring money for popcorn and treats. This is one favorite movie Las Cruces stop your family will enjoy.
New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum
Of course, we homeschool so museums are a must on all of our travels. We love for the kids to learn a little local history but also be able to delve into hands-on learning about a subject. I think the New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum does a great job at that. Inside the massive museum, you get a look at what life was like in Las Cruces in the late 1800s and early 1900s. My kids loved looking at the different clothes through periods of time. I also loved some of the mockups of what a kitchen, a general store, and a home in Las Cruces would have looked like throughout the years and see daily wool spinning demonstrations.
Outside you can learn from a working blacksmith, learn about how milk is produced and of course, my kid’s favorite see the baby cows and horses. If you have kids or even just adults in your party this will be an attraction that you will enjoy. I would allow at least 3-4 hours to give yourself plenty of time to explore. There are also a few playgrounds (one indoors!) and picnic areas on site and a well-stocked gift shop with plenty of local treats.
Veterans Memorial Park
When doing some research on Las Cruces, I was drawn to this Veterans park and knew we had to bring our kids. The park is clean, quiet and in a great location. There are memorials set up for all the wars and for every facet of the military. But what really drew me in was that it has one of the few memorials in the world devoted only to women veterans. It’s a beautiful tribute and as a mother to three girls, I wanted them to see it. The park also has a fun playground set off to the side that makes a great stop for kids who need to stretch their legs.
White Sands National Monument
Obviously, this was high on our list on our recent visit to Las Cruces. It is about an hour and a half drive out to the monument but it’s worth every second of it. The drive itself is actually pleasant as there is unique and beautiful scenery to see along the way. This needs to be on your must visit list if you are traveling anywhere within three hours of the area. It is definitely one of our top ten favorite days on our extended RV road trip for over a year. Sledding, exploring and enjoying the beautiful contrast of the white sands and the blue sky is just good for the soul.
Read our full guide to visiting White Sands National Monument and check out the video below.
Dripping Springs Natural Area and Cox Ranch
Unfortunately, we ran out of time and were not able to enjoy this attraction, but it comes with high remarks from fellow travelers so we wanted to make sure we included it in this list. If you love spending time in nature than you will want to make sure to pack a picnic and visit this beautiful area. It offers a multitude of hikes at varying levels and you can catch the ruins of the Cox Ranch and the historical Dripping Springs Resort. This is an easy day trip from Las Cruces.
More Free Things To Do In Las Cruces
Like I mentioned earlier we love to take kids to museums and one thing we loved about Las Cruces is that they have several FREE museums that you can visit. My youngest is train obsessed so visiting the Las Cruces Train Museum was high on our list. The museum is located in the old train depot and I absolutely love that they incorporate artifacts and images of what it would have been like in its hay day. The bathrooms have been restored but are original. They also have several train displays featuring models of Las Cruces and a kids area to play and set up their own train sets.
Other free museums include the Museum of Nature Science, the Las Cruces Museum of Art, The Las Cruces Railroad Museum, and the Branigan Cultural Center. These are great educational opportunities for your children and family to enjoy while traveling.
RV Parks in Las Cruces
We stayed at the Hacienda RV Resort, which is right off the Interstate 10. It is definitely one of the nicer resorts we have stayed at with an adults only hot tub, gym, clean restrooms, and showers and is very close proximity to shopping, restaurants and Las Cruces attractions. We loved how the sites had more privacy with fences and nice patio areas. If you have pets there is a great pet area on site as well. We highly recommend this resort, but we will note there is no swimming pool or playground for kids. Regardless kids were welcomed at this resort.
Las Cruces is a great gateway to White Sands National Monument or for a stop on your road trip through the lower Southwest. It offers many cultural opportunities to explore and family-friendly amenities and activities.
We were hosted by the Las Cruces Visitors Bureau but all opinions are our own.
Pin This
Comments 1
Pingback: Our Favorite Family Friendly RV Parks | Dotting the Map