Constructed 1905.
The Artesia Historical Museum & Art Center is housed in the 1905 Moore-Ward cobblestone house, built using river rocks from the Rio Penasco just south of town. A wide variety of exhibits and objects are on display, including Native American artifacts, farm and ranch tools, early oil and gas exploration materials, and lots more.
There is a hands-on Children’s Room with clothes and hats to try on, and even the door from our early stagecoach station with Billy the Kid’s bullet holes in it! The kitchen has been restored to its 1930 splendor, complete with early appliances, and our extensive grounds feature vintage tractors, Native American grinding stones, and our very own 1941 Seagrave fire truck–purchased brand-new by the City of Artesia Fire Department in 1940 for $8,000. (It still runs and yes, the siren works!) The Art Annex gallery next door features a variety of traveling exhibits, programs, and in-house displays.
505 W. Richardson Avenue Artesia, NM 88210 | 575-748-2390
photo by Elmo Baca.
