Beginning Tuesday, February 6 through March 2018, the Chamizal National Memorial Cultural Center in El Paso will be temporarily closed for maintenance projects, including the installation of new air handlers that run the building’s heating and cooling systems. Here is the information provided by the National Park Service:
This will create a more comfortable year-round indoor environment for staff and visitors alike. The Memorial’s Cultural Center includes the Museum, Interpretive Exhibit Hall, Western National Parks Association Park Store, Visitor Center, restrooms, and Theater.
During this temporary closure, all visitor services will be available in the Administration Building, located next to the Cultural Center. This will include visitor information, museum exhibits that share the Chamizal story, our 4-minute orientation video, purchase and issue of Federal Recreational Lands Passes (America the Beautiful, Senior, Access, Military, and 4th Grade), and restrooms. Visitors will also be able to request escorted access to shop in our Park Store. Another temporary closure to enable us to complete important projects is the Franklin G. Smith Gallery.
Current projects include the design and development of our new permanent Museum exhibits scheduled to be installed in 2019, a complete inventory and reorganization of our Museum and Archives Collection, repainting and restriping our road and curbs, repairing and resurfacing the Gallery floor, repainting the Theater stage in preparation for El Nuevo Siglo Festival scheduled for April 7-14, planning for National Junior Ranger Day on April 21, and more.
Some of the recently completed projects include restoration of the “Nuestra Herencia” mural by original artist Carlos Flores and son Marcos, replacement of the south-facing doors on the Cultural Center and the addition of new electric openers to both sets, creation of new outdoor exhibit panels for our pilot xeriscaping or native plant landscaping plots to be installed in the coming year, and replacement of our irrigation system well pump with one that is more water and energy efficient to help us meet our conservation mission while maintaining the existing non-native turf on the grounds.
Other exciting projects coming up include updating the brochure and exhibit panel for the restored “Nuestra Herencia” mural, planning and creation of additional outdoor exhibits around the Memorial grounds, an El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro National Historic Trail exhibit, and others.
Wondering where the money is coming from? It’s coming from a variety of grants and other special projects funding.
Please visit our website at www.nps.gov/chamizal for alert updates and to learn more about Chamizal National Memorial, El Paso’s national park. We hope you’ll visit again soon and experience some of the exciting changes happening here.
For questions or more information, contact Anne Stephan at (915) 532-7273 x 124 or via email at Anne_Doherty-Stephan@nps.gov.
Chamizal National Memorial: El Paso’s national park, where history and culture come to life.
About the National Park Service: More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 417 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov.