Stand on the rimrock at the edge of the Franklin Mountains and the city spreads below you in one direction while the Rio Grande and the rooftops of Ciudad Juárez fill the other. That doubled horizon is the thing first-time visitors notice: El Paso is a border city, and much of what is worth your time sits along that line or looks out over it.
This guide suits travellers with two or three days who want museums, desert gardens, a historic cemetery and a ballgame rather than a checklist of landmarks. It covers the sights and experiences the source material documents, with the practical details you need to fit them into a day.
Note that several sites sit on or near Fort Bliss, where visitors need passes from a visitor control center before entering, and that a few listings in the source are seasonal or temporarily closed. Check ahead before you build a day around them.
Top things to do in El Paso
1. Chamizal National Memorial
A large park in the southern part of the city, near the US/Mexico border, established to commemorate the peaceful resolution of a border dispute at this spot. It hosts concerts and dance performances through the season, so it works both as a green space and as a venue.
The grounds are open 7AM–10PM and the Cultural Center 10AM–5PM, opening 30 minutes before evening performances. Entry is free, though some performance groups may charge admission. Check the event schedule before you go if a performance is the reason for your visit.
2. El Paso Museum of Archaeology
On the east side of the Franklin Mountains, the museum holds artifacts and reconstructions of life in the past, including pottery and Chacoan architecture. Behind it, trails cover fifteen acres and give you views of the Franklin Mountains along with over 250 native plant species.
It is open Wednesday to Saturday, 9AM–5PM. A border patrol museum sits next door if that interests you, which makes the trip out here easy to combine with the trails in one outing.
3. Centennial Museum and Chihuahuan Desert Gardens
Temporary exhibits cover life, culture and the natural environment of the Borderlands, often made up of contributions from fellow El Pasoans, while the permanent exhibits present the natural and social history of the Chihuahuan Desert. The desert garden just outside holds over 600 native plant species.
Open Tuesday to Saturday, 10AM–4:30PM, though the museum is sometimes closed during Miner football home games on Saturdays. At the end of every April the gardens sponsor FloraFest, when native plants such as agave, yucca and cacti can be purchased. If you are interested in horticulture, particularly xeriscaping, plan around that date.
4. Concordia Cemetery
This is the resting place of gunslinger and Old West figure John Wesley Hardin and John Selman, the man who took him out, along with buffalo soldiers and Civil War veterans. It is a compact way to read the region's nineteenth-century history through its graves.
Hours are Monday to Saturday 8AM–5PM, and from April 1 to September 30 the cemetery stays open Monday to Sunday 8AM–8PM. Go in the cooler part of the day, since much of the ground is unshaded.
5. Keystone Heritage Park and the El Paso Desert Botanical Garden
Chihuahuan desert demonstration gardens, wetlands and the remnants of an ancient village sit together at this site on Doniphan Drive. The combination of cultivated desert planting and wetland is unusual in this landscape.
It is open Tuesday and Wednesday 9AM–5PM and Thursday to Sunday 9AM–8PM. The longer summer evenings make a late-afternoon visit practical.
6. El Paso Mission Trail
A collection of three historic Spanish missions along the Camino Real de Tierra Adentro, dating from the early 17th century. Shops along the trail sell artwork, crafts and historic pieces, so the drive is as much about the stops as the churches.
Because the trail runs through the valley, pair it with other stops in the same direction rather than doubling back into the city between visits.
7. El Paso Museum of History
A museum about border history between the United States and Mexico, on North Santa Fe Street. It gives context to everything else you will see along the river and in the missions.
Open Wednesday to Saturday, 10AM–6PM. Admission is free, with donations permitted. It pairs naturally with a downtown walk.
8. El Paso Museum of Art
The city's art museum, at 1 Arts Festival Plaza. It is a straightforward stop to fold into a downtown afternoon.
Combine it with the Second Floor Gallery at 209 Texas Avenue, a locally owned space featuring artists from El Paso and Juárez, open Wednesday to Saturday 3PM–11PM and Sunday 3PM–9PM, within walking distance of the Double Tree and Holiday Inn. Admission there is free and private tours are available.
9. El Paso Holocaust Museum and Study Center
All exhibits are presented in both English and Spanish, which makes it a useful stop if you are travelling with Spanish-speaking companions. It is free, with donations accepted.
Hours are Tuesday to Friday 9AM–5PM and Saturday and Sunday 1–5PM. The weekend opening starts after lunch, so plan it as an afternoon visit.
10. El Paso Zoo
The city zoo on East Paisano, open 9:30AM–5PM. It is the most family-oriented stop on this list.
It sits on the same street as the El Paso County Coliseum, where the El Paso Rhinos play ice hockey, so the two can be paired if your visit coincides with a game.
11. El Paso Municipal Rose Garden
Rose cultivars on Aurora Avenue, open daily 8AM–6PM. A short, easy stop rather than a half-day out.
Morning is the sensible window, both for the cooler air and for the light on the beds.
12. UTEP and the Sun Bowl
The University of Texas at El Paso campus sits on the West Side, easily reached from I-10, with xeriscaped gardens set into rocky hills. The Sun Bowl stadium, home of the UTEP Miners football team, looks as though it was cut out of the mountain and doubles as a concert venue at other times.
Tickets for UTEP athletic events are handled through the ticket office at the Brumbelow Building, 201 Gloria Road. The Sun Bowl game itself is played every late December, and it is the longest running televised bowl game in the country.
13. Chihuahuas Baseball
A minor league baseball team, the Triple-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres, plays at Southwest University Park at 1 Ballpark Plaza. Tickets run from $5 to $30.
An evening game is an easy way to end a day downtown, since the ballpark is central.
14. Fort Bliss
The base is one of the largest US military installations in the world, stretching into both Texas and New Mexico, and the area near it has a large concentration of military surplus stores. It also has the first and biggest PX of its kind anywhere in the world.
Visitors who want access must obtain passes at a visitor control center: 11 Buffalo Soldier Gate, west of the airport terminal, or 12 Chaffee Gate off the Chaffee Road exit from the Liberty Expressway (SR-601). Traffic going in is controlled and all persons must have a valid DoD ID to enter. The Fort Bliss Museum is temporarily closed, so do not plan around it.
15. Licon Dairy
A working dairy near the International bridge in San Elizario, off Socorro Road, known for its Asadero cheese. Its petting zoo is unusual, with camels, goats, zebras and parrots, and visitors can fish for catfish at the small pond inside, which is filled about weekly.
The petting zoo is open 7AM–5:30PM daily. It sits in the same direction as the Mission Trail, so combine the two rather than making a separate trip.
If you only have one day
Morning: Start at the El Paso Museum of Archaeology on the east side of the Franklin Mountains, open from 9AM, and walk the fifteen acres of trails behind it for views of the mountains and the native plantings. If you have time before lunch, add the El Paso Municipal Rose Garden, which opens at 8AM.
Afternoon: Head downtown to the El Paso Museum of History, open from 10AM Wednesday to Saturday, then cross to the El Paso Museum of Art at Arts Festival Plaza and the Second Floor Gallery on Texas Avenue. If your visit falls on a weekend, the El Paso Holocaust Museum and Study Center opens at 1PM.
Evening: Finish at Chamizal National Memorial, where the grounds stay open until 10PM and the Cultural Center opens 30 minutes before evening performances. If a Chihuahuas Baseball game is on at Southwest University Park, take that instead and end the night at the ballpark.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a pass to visit Fort Bliss?
Yes. Visitors wishing to access the base must obtain passes at a visitor control center, either the Buffalo Soldier Gate west of the airport terminal or the Chaffee Gate off the Chaffee Road exit from the Liberty Expressway (SR-601). Traffic going in is controlled and all persons must have a valid DoD ID to enter.
Which museums in El Paso are free?
The El Paso Museum of History is free with donations permitted, the El Paso Holocaust Museum and Study Center is free with donations accepted, and the Second Floor Gallery has free admission. At Chamizal National Memorial entry is free, though some performance groups may charge admission.
When is the best time to see native desert plants?
At the end of every April, the Centennial Museum and Chihuahuan Desert Gardens sponsors FloraFest, when native plants such as agave, yucca and cacti and other hard-to-find desert plants can be purchased. The desert garden outside the museum holds over 600 native plant species year-round.
Can I combine the Mission Trail with anything else?
Yes. Licon Dairy in San Elizario, off Socorro Road near the International bridge, sits in the same direction, and its petting zoo is open 7AM–5:30PM daily. The trail itself also has shops selling artwork, crafts and historic pieces along the route.
Pick the days that suit the season, check the hours that change with it, and start mapping your route along the river.