2 Best Sights in Southwestern New Mexico, New Mexico

The Branigan Cultural Center, in a striking 1935 Pueblo Revival building embellished inside with murals by Tom Lea, offers compelling programs covering such topics as the 1942–1964 Bracero Program (a Mexican guest workers initiative), or a reflection on Frida Kahlo's later years through rarely seen photographs, along with rotating exhibits covering local history and culture. The city-run Branigan is a focal point—along with the Las Cruces Museum of Art next door—of the revitalized downtown.

Near the Chile Pepper Institute, the Zuhl Museum is home to the Zuhl Geological Collection, featuring a rich abundance of petrified-wood samples (vibrant reds and yellows mark the Late Triassic pieces from the Chinle region of Arizona), fossils, minerals, and an oviraptor dinosaur nest.