Taking the kids to White Sands National Park? Spend the weekend in Alamogordo, where a stellar space museum, a nutty giant pistachio, and more family fun awaits.

Updated April 1, 2024 | Original Article

THE NEW MEXICO MUSEUM of Space History, in Alamogordo, is ready for you to launch your weekend adventure.

Several new exhibits at the Smithsonian–affiliated museum, highlights space exploration and honors the important role Alamogordo played in the development of America’s space program.

The museum makes a stellar Launchpad for a family visit to Alamogordo, a city also known as the gateway to White Sands National Park. Kids and adults can pilot a simulated space shuttle landing, tour the museum’s International Space Hall of Fame, and see a star show in its New Horizons Dome Theater and Planetarium. Sci-Fi and Sci-Fact, an exhibit that opened in December 2023, looks at fictional gadgets of the past (like the two-way wristwatch worn by Dick Tracy in 1940s comic books) that seem to have predicted today’s real-life technologies (see: your smartwatch). It features props from the hit Netflix series Stranger Things, too.

After exploring outer space, why not get a little nutty? Alamogordo is home to the world’s largest pistachio, a 30-foot-tall sculpture celebrating the area’s most famous crop. You’ll find it—along with pistachio candy and pistachio ice cream—at PistachioLand, a working farm and vineyard. Learn more on a tour of the orchards, offered daily.

At Alameda Park Zoo, established in 1898 and now the oldest zoo in the Southwest, shaded paths lead to naturalistic habitats and more than 200 animals, from black bears and mountain lions to kangaroos. Kids can learn more about conservation, take a behind-the-scenes tour, and check out a hands-on reptile show.

Alamo Jump! Indoor Play Place & Trampoline Park, in historic downtown Alamogordo, offers a chance for the kids to catch some air.

With live music, a revolving lineup of food trucks, and local brews for mom and dad, 575 Brewing Company is a popular, dog- and kid-friendly spot for a laid-back meal. You can also grab a slice at the Pizza Mill and Sub Factory, then walk next door to the Arcade Dungeon for a night of old-school arcade games and pinball.

Lodgings in Alamogordo range from budget motel rooms to more upscale hotel suites. Just be sure to set an early alarm: Watching the sun rise over the gypsum dunes at White Sands is unforgettable.

EAT LIKE A LOCAL

Grab a gordita or fried apple turnover at CJ’s Si Señor Restaurant, a longtime local favorite.

At D.H. Lescombes Winery & Bistro, try a honey pepper BLT or the pistachio-pesto pasta with a glass of cabernet or syrah.

Kick back on the Tuscan-inspired patio, nibble on pistachios, and enjoy a glass of Corazón Gitano at Heart of the Desert Pistachios & Wine.