El Paso Museum of History

El Paso Museum of History chronicles and promotes the multicultural and multinational history of the U.S./Mexico border region through permanent, temporary and visiting exhibits and programs. The past is reflected through the A to Z Exhibit, which is comprised of a number of artifacts, from A to Z, that include guns and rifles, which, no doubt, figured prominently in the taming of the territory, a 19th century Singer sewing machine, and a more recent alligator hide from the mid-to-late 1900s ,when live alligators actually splashed around in a pond in San Jacinto Plaza downtown. These objects and others as well as the railroad were instrumental in El Paso's development from a dusty settlement to a modern, paved city. Las Vilitas, the newest permanent exhibit in the making, is a history of local neighborhoods and shared memories through photographs and special momentos, supplied by local residents themselves across many generations of El Pasoans. Open daily except Mondays year round. 510 N. Santa Fe. 915-351-4345. ElPasoTexas.gov/history