Museums & Collections

Arthropod Museum

The Arthropod Museum at the Department of Entomology, Plant Pathology, and Weed Science, began as a small accumulation of insects. They were initially leftover specimens from the days when a collection of arthropods was kept at the then-Department of Botany and Entomology. The specimens are the work of over 100 years of collection and identification, and represent thousands of hours of work by world authorities on many arthropod groups.

Location: NW Corner of Skeen Hall, Room W168
Contact: (575) 646-6850
Visit: By appointment only. Schedule a visit to the NMSU Arthropod Museum.

Klipsch Museum

The Paul W. Klipsch Museum located in the Foreman Engineering Complex at New Mexico State University has been updated and is now available for private tours and social gatherings. The museum is a tribute to Klipsch and his wife Valerie, who have given the NMSU College of Engineering memorabilia from the audio engineering field spanning more than eight decades. Exhibits include historical photos of Klipsch, many of his working papers containing his calculations and research results, and original publications containing articles by or about him. Additionally, the museum contains antique audio equipment owned by Klipsch, demonstrations of his various speaker designs and awards he received.

Location: Inside the Foreman Engineering Complex
Contact: ( 575) 646-7416
Visit: By appointment only

New Mexico State University Herbarium

Founded in 1890 by Professor E.O. Wooton, the NMSU Herbarium is a kind of natural history museum that holds plant specimens collected from all over the world. Specimens and the data they contain are used by educators to teach people about plants. Researchers use specimens to study many interesting topics related to biology, biodiversity, ecology, conservation and agriculture. The NMSU Herbarium, as the state’s first herbarium, still houses the largest and most valuable collection of historical New Mexico plant specimens worldwide. The two largest assets of the herbarium are the collection of 115,000 unique, dried plant specimens, and the extensive botanical library of more than 7,000 books, journals and maps.

Location: Biology Annex Building, 3080 Williams Ave, Rooms 103 & 105
Contact:  (575) 646-1529,  zrogers@nmsu.edu
Visit: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For larger groups and visiting researchers, please schedule a visit/tour at the NMSU Herbarium.

NMSU Library Archives and Special Collections

The NMSU Library Archives and Special Collections holds primary source research collections related to southern New Mexico and the U.S./Mexico border region. These include historical manuscripts, family papers, records of businesses and organizations, photographs, oral histories, audiovisual materials, and maps, as well as collections related to the history of New Mexico State University. All materials are available for use in the Caroline E. Stras Research Room. Staff provides research assistance, duplications services, and classes on archives and archival research.

Location: Branson Library, 4th Floor
Contact:  (575) 646-3839,  archives@nmsu.edu
Visit: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Vertebrate Museum

The Biology Department’s Vertebrate Museum houses approximately 26,000 study skins, skeletons, fossils, karyotype slides, and ultrafrozen tissues of mammals, birds, and alcohol-preserved reptiles and amphibians for use in research and teaching. The collection dates to the inception of the New Mexico College of Agriculture and Mechanic Sciences in the late 19^th century. Most specimens are from New Mexico, the desert Southwest, and Western states, but the collection is global in scope. A mounted whale skeleton and locally excavated fossil ‘mastodont’ skull are on permanent public display in the Frenger Mall atrium of Foster Hall.

Location: Foster Hall, Room 101
Contact: (575) 646-6019 or phoude@nmsu.edu

University Art Museum

The largest visual arts facility in South Central New Mexico, the gallery presents six to nine exhibitions annually. The University Art Museum serves as a showcase for the visual arts in the border region, featuring contemporary and historical art of regional, national and international importance. The University Art Museum events include public lectures, gallery talks, workshops, films, outreach activities, videos and symposia. Tours for NMSU classes, public, private and parochial schools and community groups are available upon request; reservations are required.

Location: 1308 E. University Ave.  The University Art Museum is located in Devasthali Hall, near the intersection of University and Solano avenues in Las Cruces, New Mexico.
Contact: (575) 646- 2545 or  artmuseum@nmsu.edu  
Visit: Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

University Museum

The University Museum has provided more than 50 years of service to the university and the community. The University Museum assists NMSU in providing quality education, advancing knowledge through research and celebrating the culture and history of the southwest and the university. The University Museum serves the community as a repository and exhibitor of local and regional culture and history.

Location: 1280 E. University Ave., Inside Kent Hall
Contact: (575) 646-5161
Visit: Tuesday through Saturday, noon to 4 p.m.

Zuhl Collection

Part art gallery, part natural history museum, the Zuhl collection at NMSU showcases thousands of beautiful specimens of petrified wood, fossils and minerals. Over 1,800 specimens are in the Zuhl Collection with the majority on display in the Zuhl Museum, the Zuhl Library and Gardiner Hall, home of the Department of Geological Sciences. The entire collection is also available online via the Zuhl Collection Database.

Location: 775 College Drive, inside the NMSU Alumni and Visitors Center
Contact: (575) 646-4714
Visit: Tuesday through Friday, noon to 4 p.m.; every second Saturday of the month, noon to 4 p.m.

Zuhl Library
Location: 2911 McFie Circle, at the corner of Breland and McFie
Contact: (575) 646-4749
Visit: View building hours for Zuhl Library.

Gardiner Hall
Location: 255 N. Horseshoe St.
Contact: (575) 646-2708
Visit: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.