Sing the praises of Lordsburg, the birthplace of the New Mexico state song and home to history, good grub, and a museum filled with snakes.
Located along I-10 in southern New Mexico’s bootheel, Lordsburg makes a great destination for respite, dining, and attractions to travelers making the trek between Arizona and Texas.
It is the birthplace of New Mexico’s state song, “O Fair New Mexico,” which was written in 1917 by resident Elizabeth Garrett, the daughter of famed sheriff Pat Garrett. Lordsburg is also the southernmost gateway community for hikers heading north or south on the storied Continental Divide Trail. “Lordsburg is a hub for anything you want to do in the area,” says Marsha Hill, lifelong resident, active community volunteer, and former executive director of the Lordsburg-Hidalgo Chamber of Commerce. “People from around the world come to study the snakes, lizards, and tortoises at the Chiricahua Desert Museum.”
A 15-foot-tall rattlesnake-tail sculpture and eight-foot Gila monster mosaic greet visitors to the world-class museum. Opened in 2009, it boasts more than 60 wildlife species, including some rare and endangered animals native to the Chihuahuan Desert, like the Bolson tortoise, the rarest and largest land reptile. World’s largest snake-bite kit collection? Check. International antivenom research center? Check. Home to 35 species of rattlesnakes? Check.
If you’d rather not get up close and personal with the live slitherers, the museum holds the largest collection of herpetological wildlife art in the world, including Tell Hicks’s sculptures in the outdoor botanical garden and a gallery filled with his paintings. The museum also displays a large collection of historical Mimbres, Casas Grandes, and Apache artifacts.
Before adventuring further, Hill recommends fueling up at Ramona’s Cafe for satisfying Mexican food or finger-licking smoked brisket from Rusty’s BBQ.
History buffs will enjoy exploring the silver-mining ghost town of Shakespeare, which is less than a 10-minute drive from Lordsburg. A National Historic Site, the town is privately owned and open daily to those curious about a bygone era. The guided tour includes the interiors of seven preserved town buildings, among them the company mining house, the Grant House Saloon, the Stratford Hotel, and an old army mail station.
“Shakespeare is wonderful, historical, authentic, and not commercialized at all,” Hill says. “It’s an opportunity to see how the Old West was. It’s truly worth the stop.”
She also recommends the Lordsburg-Hidalgo County Museum, which was established by her father-in-law, Allen Hill, in 1995. “He wanted to preserve the history of the area,” she says. “The museum has rooms dedicated to the area’s mining history, ranching heritage, and the railroad.”
The collection also includes artifacts and history of Camp Lordsburg, an internment camp for 2,500 Japanese American citizens and 3,000 Italian and 5,500 German soldiers during World War II. Carvings, paintings, tools, photographs, and parts of the barracks comprise the exhibition about the camp, which operated from 1942 to 1945.
These days, the City of Lordsburg caters to active families, recently reimagining one of its sports complexes in Short Park. The park features walking paths, a swimming pool, a bowling alley, new playground equipment, disc golf, and a newly turfed softball field. And the annual family-friendly Lordsburg Tejano Fiesta draws visitors from around the region to downtown for live music, food, and arts and crafts vendors.
“Those of us who call Lordsburg home think it has a lot of potential for growth and businesses,” Hill says. “But it’s still a quiet, small town and a good place to raise your kids.”
