tUCUMCARI ATTRACTIONS
- MESALANDS COMMUNITY COLLEGE'S DINOSAUR MUSEUM
- TUCUMCARI HISTORICAL MUSEUM
- NEW MEXICO ROUTE 66 MUSEUM
- TUCUMCARI RAILROAD MUSEUM
- MURAL WALKING TOUR
- ROBERT LUMPKIN MEMORIAL DISC GOLF COURSE
- TUCUMCARI MUNICIPAL GOLF COURSE
- TUCUMCARI TALKING TOUR
222 East Laughlin Street
Tucumcari, New Mexico 88401
(575) 461-3466
Mesalands Community College’s Dinosaur Museum has been open to the public since May 2000. The facility houses approximately 10,000 square feet of exhibit space, a spacious, well-equipped paleontology/geology laboratory (with a large area devoted to storage of the Museum collections not on exhibit but available for study), a classroom, offices, and a retail store. Classes for natural science degree programs, with an emphasis in paleontology and geology, are held here and all fossils found on course field trips are sorted and prepped in the lab.
The Museum Shop offers 1,300 square feet of retail space. Among the items for sale are scientific and educational books, rocks and minerals, fossils, clothing, games, teaching aids, gift items and souvenirs, and much more.
The Museum facilities are available for group tours and for hosting special events. Organizations and businesses are invited to discuss their needs with Museum staff.
The 11,000 square-foot Exhibit Hall houses replicated and original fossils, from tiny footprint casts to the 40′ long skeleton of a Torvosaurus . Although not limited to this time span, the Museum’s focus is on the Mesozoic, the “Age of Dinosaurs,” which is comprised of the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous. The newest major exhibit to open is a “mini-museum” that explains and exhibits items from the earliest known fossils to modern man.
The museum is home to the world’s largest collection of bronze skeletons, fossils, and replicas of prehistoric creatures. The bronzes, created in the College’s foundry, were poured by members of Mesalands staff, assisted by a number of community volunteers. The Museum was the first in the world to display a Torvosaurus skeleton, a rare carnivore from the Jurassic that is related to Tyrannosaurus Rex .
Within the Exhibit Hall is a children’s activity area with seating for parents and grandparents, and most of the exhibits are child-friendly and touchable.
Hours of operation
Summer Hours: March 1 – Labor Day
Tuesday through Saturday, 10:00 am – 6:00 pm (Closed Sunday and Monday)
Winter Hours: Labor Day – February 28/29
Tuesday through Saturday, 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm (Closed Sunday and Monday)
Closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s Day.
Admission prices
Dinosaur Museum Fees:
Adult (12-64) $6.50
Children (5-11) $4.00
Children (under 5) Free
Senior (65 and over) $5.50
Groups $4.50 Adult/$3.00 child
School group $4.50 Adult/$2.50 child
Educators/College Students $4.50
Active Military (ID Required) $5.85/$3.60 child
Effective March 16, 2010
416 South Adams Street
Tucumcari, NM 88401
575-461-4201
[email protected]
This historical museum, housed in the original 1903 schoolhouse, showcases items ranging from 12,000 B.C. Indian artifacts to a 1926 Chevrolet fire truck.
The Tucumcari Museum is a museum for regular folks. This museum is different. It is like one giant attic of old stuff. There is stuff piled on top of stuff – under stuff – between stuff – stuffed inside of stuff – and overstuffed stuff. There are two stories of stuff, a basement with stuff, and outbuildings overflowing with stuff. And what constitutes a museum exhibit? Here at the Tucumcari Museum, about anything goes. Prized bowling balls, a collection of used cowboy boots, a bucket of particularly colorful cow-patties, piles of family scrapbooks, bootleg liquor stills, a roulette wheel from one of the old gambling halls, you name it. The collection is like buried treasure. There is an excellent chance you can dig through stuff and find something that the rest of the world didn’t even know existed.
Hours of operation
Open 9am-3pm year round, Tues thru Sat. We also now have group rates for 10 or more. Contact the Museum for Special Events Schedule.
Admission Fees
Admission is $5.00 for adults, $4.00 for Seniors 65+, and $1.00 for ages 6-15 and under 6 are free.
1500 Route 66
Tucumcari Convention Center
Tucumcari, New Mexico 88401
(575)-282-7866
We invite you to enjoy a unique glimpse into the Route 66 heritage of The Land of Enchantment. Experience a rich history that stretches from Glenrio to Gallup, from the old Ozark Trails system to today’s 604 miles of HIstoric Route 66 – and everything in between. Come visit and be enchanted!
Home of the World’s Largest Route 66 Photo Exhibit. Michael Campanelli’s Route 66 Photo Exhibit includes over 166 images from Route 66 from Chicago to L.A. Plus a re-created diner complete with Rock-Ola Juke Box, porcelain signs from the road, a delightful collection of vintage automobiles and much more memorabilia.
The New Mexico Route 66 Museum is located in Tucumcari, New Mexico at the Tucumcari Convention Center on Route 66. Drive around to the back parking lot and look for our signs.
Hours
Monday – Thursday 9 am to 1 pm
Friday & Saturday 9 am to 5 pm
Or call ahead for appointment
Admission
$3 per person, children under 12 are free!
100 W Railroad Avenue
Tucumcari, New Mexico 88401
(575)-461-4413
All aboard for the fun that awaits you at the Tucumcari Railroad Museum! We invite you to visit the exhibits in the restored Union Station depot, originally built in 1926.
Explore the many historical aspects of the railroad industry in Eastern New Mexico from the 19th century to present day. Experience the “rumble and roar” of passing freight trains. Enjoy being the engineer of a GP-38 diesel as it makes its run on the train simulator and the real hands-on control stand. Discover the fascination history of the Southern Pacific and Rock Island railroads along with their predecessors: the original route from El Paso, TX to Liberal, KS to the Civil War to the eventual combination into today’s Union Pacific Railroad. Learn about the people who were the ones who created the railroads and built them into the industry they are today.
Seasonal Hours
May-October
Thursday-Saturday from 12:00 noon – 5:00 pm
With more than 40 murals in and around Tucumcari and Quay County, we have redefined “painting the town”. Most of these beautiful works of art were created by Doug & Sharon Quarles and other artists. Check out our online map!
The blank external walls on the buildings around town have been turned into colorful, detailed paintings depicting different parts of our area. You will be amazed!
Get your mural map guide at the Tucumcari Quay County Chamber of Commerce or your hotel! The murals are spread throughout town so you’ll get to see all of Tucumcari along the way.
The Robert Lumpkin Memorial Five Mile Park Disc Golf course is a full 18 hole professional level disc golf course. The course is complete with professional and amateur cement tee pads for each hole, so the course is enjoyable for all skill levels.
The course has a total length in excess of 7,000 feet with a mixture of open and wooded fairways. The course is set in historic Tucumcari Metropolitan Park, known by locals as Five Mile Park, surrounded by several scenic mesas including the well-known landmark, Tucumcari Mountain.
The disc golf course is open year round and there is no charge for use. Tucumcari Metropolitan Park is designed as a “pack-in, pack-out” park and as such, there are no facilities for refuse. Visitors are encouraged to maintain the parks beauty by picking up after themselves.
4465 Rt. 66
Tucumcari, NM 88401
575-461-1849.
Five miles west of Tucumcari on Route 66 is the Tucumcari Municipal Golf Course. This charming up-and-down, tree-lined 9-hole golf course features excellent greens situated among the mesas. Complete with driving range and golf cart rentals, the Tucumcari Municipal Golf Course is one of Eastern New Mexico’s golfing secrets. You’ll find a fun and challenging round that is truly one of the best golf values anywhere.
Hours of operation
Tuesday-Sunday, 8 a.m. to dark
Tune your AM radio dial to 1640 to hear about your favorite Tucumcari & Route 66 landmarks, motels, murals, museums, and more on this self-guided talking tour. Each stop on the tour features a brief radio introdution to the location along with the historical and cultural significance of the stop. Each point along the tour will bring you a better understanding of our town and history!
Visit Tucumcari Talking Tour for more information, maps, and to donate towards the Tucumcari Lights Grant Project. All of the stops are also marked on our online mural map .
