Centennial Museum and Chihuahuan Desert Gardens facts for kids

The Centennial Museum and Chihuahuan Desert Gardens is a cool place to learn about history and nature. It's located on the campus of the University of Texas at El Paso in El Paso, Texas, United States. This museum was built in 1936 to celebrate 100 years of Texas being independent. That makes it the oldest museum in El Paso!

The Centennial Museum helps students and visitors understand the amazing nature and history of the Chihuahuan Desert. It shows off many different plants and animals from the region. The museum also has special collections and gardens. It helps people learn about the area's natural beauty and the people who live there.

What You Can See at the Museum

The Centennial Museum is right on the UTEP campus. It focuses on the history and cultures of people living in the border areas of the southwestern United States and Mexico. You can learn about the first people who lived here and how life changed over time.

The museum also teaches you about the natural world. It has exhibits on the geology (rocks and land) and biology (living things) of the Southwest and Mexico. There's a special focus on the Chihuahuan Desert.

Permanent Exhibits

The museum has exhibits that are always there for you to explore. These include:

• Paleontology: This is about ancient life, like dinosaurs and other fossils.
• Geology: Learn about the Earth's rocks, minerals, and how the land was formed.
• Ethnology: Discover the cultures and traditions of different groups of people.
• Archaeology: See artifacts from long ago that tell us about past civilizations.
• Regional Animals: Learn about the bigger animals that live in the Southwest.

The museum also has a special collection of ancient pottery from a place called Casas Grandes. Many of these beautiful items are shown on the museum's website and in the exhibits.

Special Exhibits

Sometimes, the museum has temporary exhibits that change. These often focus on interesting topics related to the El Paso border region. They help you learn even more about the area's unique history and environment.

Exploring the Chihuahuan Desert Gardens

Right on the museum's grounds, you'll find the amazing Chihuahuan Desert Gardens. These gardens are home to over 600 different kinds of plants that grow naturally in the desert.

The gardens show how beautiful and useful native plants can be. They also teach us about saving water, which is very important in a desert area. The plants are arranged in different "theme" gardens, making it fun to explore.

The gardens are also a great place to learn about plants and the environment. There's a huge online collection of plant pictures and information connected to the gardens. The gardens work with the University of Texas at El Paso Biodiversity Collections. They help create exhibits and share information with the community.

The Chihuahuan Desert Gardens' website is one of the best places online to learn about the plants and animals of the Chihuahuan Desert ecoregion. It's made for everyone, not just scientists!

You can also find other cool stuff on their website. There are transcripts of over 1300 short radio talks about the Southwest. These were aired by the local public radio station, KTEP. The website even has online courses like An Introduction to the Chihuahuan Desert and Mammalogy on the Web.

Gallery

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  Nook in Chihuahuan Desert garden at UTEP.

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  The Contemplative Garden.

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  Pool in the Contemplative Garden

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  Garden walk

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  Chihuahuan Desert Garden walkway

Visiting the Museum

It's free to visit the Centennial Museum! If you have special needs, the museum is accessible. There is also some parking available. If you want a guided tour, you should book it in advance.

The museum is open Monday through Saturday, from 10:00 am to 4:30 pm. It is closed on university holidays and when UTEP has home football games.

See also

In Spanish: Museo del centenario y jardines del desierto de Chihuahua para niños

• Flora of the Chihuahuan Desert