Things To Do

Created in 1936, the Centennial was the first museum in El Paso and one of the earliest buildings at the College of Mines, now UTEP. Permanent exhibits focus on the Chihuahuan Desert region, the largest desert in North America. Temporary exhibits are generally related to border life and culture, or more broadly to the Americas. The extensive Gardens display native plants in a variety of settings.

Hours of Operation

Sun: Closed
Mon: 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Tue: 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Wed: 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Thu: 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Fri: 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Sat: 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM

The Chihuahuan Desert Gardens are open daily from dawn to dusk.

Invite the ones you adore for a stroll through magnificent color-filled lush gardens at the El Paso Municipal Rose Garden. Embark on your own adventure amongst 500 varieties of roses and over 1,900 rosebushes. Raised beds, waterfalls, walking paths, and a Koi Pond, all span over 4 acres creating a memorable experience for all.

Feather Lake is a 43.5-acre wildlife sanctuary based on a 40-acre wetland built by the City of El Paso in 1969 as a stormwater-retention basin. Since 1976, the El Paso/Trans-Pecos Audubon Society has maintained the wildlife sanctuary. There have been 219 different species of birds observed, especially those associated with water. Feather Lake’s water sources are irregular; the lake is sometimes dry. During the spring, many White-faced Ibis’s come to the sanctuary. In the fall, crowds of Yellow-headed Blackbirds can be seen. In the winter, this park is also inhabited with ducks.

Keystone Heritage Park is home to the third sculpture of the XII Travelers Memorial of the Southwest – Susan Magoffin. Susan Magoffin’s 7-foot bronze statue is the first woman of historical significance and third statue to be included in the XII Travelers series. It was unveiled on June 2, 2012. Despite the dangers of travel with the Mexican American war just beginning Susan Magoffin still made the expedition into Mexico and until 1987 it was believed she was the first Anglo-American woman to travel the Santa Fe trail. Coming from a wealthy family she was able to travel with plenty comforts of home and took her servant Jane and greyhound dog Mr. Ring along with her. She kept a journal of her travels almost daily from June 1846 until 1847 and it remains a valuable record on the development of the west and provides a unique woman’s perspective of the times.

The 372-acre city park is a compilation of wetlands and riverside forest which is home to over 200 species of birds. An excellent display of spring can be seen in the bright yellow blooms of the annual Forb Bittersweet. The spring wildflowers are best seen in April and May however, these 6-to-10-inch flowers have been known to stick around through the summer months.