Ghost Towns
Shakespeare
Hidalgo County has two ghost towns; Shakespeare- established by mining and Steins- established by railroad. Both are available for tours.
Shakespeare is 2.5 miles from Lordsburg and offers an authenic look into the mining era of the past. The first silver strike was in 1870 and the resulting town, then called Ralston, grew to over 3,000 residents. Thriving as an overland mail stage stop, a mining town, and the only point of merchandise sales in the area, it died with the arrival of the railroad (three miles away) which began Lordsburg and the closure of mines in the 1893 depression.
Regular two-hour tours are available, as well as periodic reenactments of real Shakepeare events.
New Mexico Tourism Department Article
Steins
Steins was established as a stop on the Butterfield Overland Stage route in the mid 1800's. When the Civil War began, Congress closed the stage line. The Army set up a communication station in Steins to signal news about Geronimo and other renegades. Later, the Southern Pacific Railroad built a work station in Steins, which sustained it until trains switched to diesel after WWII. The town then vacated.
New Mexico Tourism Department Article
Historical Buildings and Sites
There are 24 sites in Hidalgo County listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Though many are not accessible to the public, you still have many historical sites to see.
Lordsburg Walking Tour
1. Lordsburg Hidalgo Library, 1937
2. Hidalgo County Courthouse, 1927; WWI and WWII Eagle Monument
3. Historic Railroad Avenue and Southern-Pacific Tent City
4. Enrichment Center, Lordsburg's first high school
5. First United Methodist Church, 1894
6. Lordsburg Masonic Lodge # 30, 1906
7. Knights of Pythias Hall, Pyramid Lodge # 23, 1896
8. The Muir House, 1880's
9. Dunagan Hotel, 1889 (operated until 1976)
10. Church of Christ, 1896
11. Sam Gass Hourse, in which Elizabeth Garrett penned part of NM's state song
12. First Baptist Church, 1909
13. St. Josephs' Catholic church, 1900
14. Lordsburg-Hidalgo County Museum
15. Shadow Lawn House, 1889, restored 1973
Bootheel Cowboy Poetry Fiesta
The second week in February, a two-night event brings in visitors and poets from all over the country. One night is reserved for stories and one for poems. Showcasing the western way of life in story, song, and poem, the fiesta entertains and educates with tales of cowboying. The fiesta is held in and benefits the Hidalgo County Museum. It is a must for everyone who hankers to be a cowboy, lives the cowboy life, or wonders what cowboys are really like. Plan to attend!
Lordsburg-Hidalgo County Museum
Photography and Art
The county is perfect for photography. The weather changes so quickly that you might capture a summer rainstorm, rainbows, clear horizons, and a spectacular mountain sunset all in the same day. Hundreds of abandoned mining and homestead buildings can preserve the past in pictures. Mountain vistas and desert valleys can be accessible within a few miles.
The scenery contains both plant and animal treasures. Capture a Mexican Eagle in flight or a Gila Monster sunning. Snap a shot of a javelina herd or catch a bobcat with its cubs. See your first Coatimundi and Elegant Trogon, native to Mexico and only found in the US here.
If you paint or collect art, travel south to Rodeo, where the Chiricahua Gallery hosts regional artists' work.
Bed and Breakfast & Country Lodging
Casa Adobe Bed and Breakfast
For a friendly alternative to hotels, try a bed and breakfast. You will get a dose of home cooking, stories about the area, and real people's lives by choosing a bed and breakfast facility.
Casa Adobe Things to Do
Rodeo Cottages
Remodeled and redecorated cottage with a kitchen and private patio. Pets accepted.
575.557.1167 or 773.248.4322
Painted Pony Resort
Accommodate up to 18 people in three buildings with nine bedrooms. It has five RV hookups, also. Enjoy a geothermal/solar heated pool and hot tub, game rooms, and basketball court. Use the hangar and runway for aircraft or ultralight vehicles. It is perfect for families, reunions, and small meetings.
Mountain Valley Lodge
Enjoy a view of mountain ranges and beautiful skies! There are cottage, RV, and motel accommodations.
Chiricahua Mountain Lodge
Enjoy a new building in the Rodeo Valley with room for family reunions and rallies. Fully equipped and within a few minutes of many area attractions, it will be the perfect center for a day or week trip!
575.557.5757
Nature
Tours
Take a hike in a good way! Walk on an informative tour through Rodeo, NM and the neighboring Chiricahua Mountains of Arizona.
Bird Watching
Bird watching in Hidalgo County and neighboring areas is incredible! More than 50% of bird species in North America is found in southwestern New Mexico and southeastern Arizona.
The Chiricahua/Peloncillo Region - Birds
Ranches
Kerr Ranch
Travel through a county where cattle have grazed the same land claimed 150 years ago by pioneers, where families work fourth and fifth generation ranches in pretty much the same ways, where roads still have "Watch for Cattle" signs.
Take a tour of a real working cattle ranch. Located 10 miles west of Lordsburg, the Kerr Ranch gives tours that take visitors into the hills and acquaint them with area history and places. You will hear stories about the reality of cattle ranching and how the past still influences the present. Listen to accounts of yesteryear that still entertain and enlighten.
The Hideout Ranch
Farther toward Rodeo (right at the NM - AZ state line), visit the Hideout Ranch, which specializes in horseback tours of the area.
RV and Camping
If you travel by RV or camp, Hidalgo County is one stop you want to make.
Rusty's RV Ranch
South along Hwy 80 toward Rodeo, visit Rusty's RV Ranch, a full-service camping and RV facility. It includes corrals for horses, kennels, convenience items, Internet service, and a laundry. Nestled in the valley between the Chiricahua Mountains to the west and the Peloncillos to the east, the breathtaking scenery is enough to warrant a night here. But, there is so much to do, you might want to spend a few days exploring.
Lordsburg KOA
Spend a night or two at the Lordsburg KOA, located at 1501 Lead Street. It includes a park, pavilion, and pool.
Rodeo RV and Country Store
Visit the Rodeo community, the most Western Town in New Mexico! It is near the Peloncillo Mountains of New Mexico and the Chiricahua Mountains of Arizona.
Just $20 a night. Weekly and monthly rates available, too. Full hookups and pull-thrus. Bathroom with shower.
Truckers
Overnight parking is just $10 per night.
Rockhounding
Hidalgo County draws rockhounds from all over with its moderate weather, beautiful scenery, reasonable accommodations, and vast miles of minerals pockets.
Drive north from Lordsburg to find opals, fire agates, and chalcedony near the Summit Site. Search the remnants of mining claims of the Pyramid Mountains near Lordsburg for bornite, lead, linerite, azurite, and other minerals. Around Redrock, there is ricolite. Near the Coronado Forest (almost to the border of Mexico), search for geodes and Apache tears. Cross Granite Gap to find fields of quartz or explore Skeleton Canyon for agates and rhyolite.
If rocks are your thing, we have hundreds of places you will love to explore!
Rockhounding in Hidalgo County
New Deal and WPA Buildings
President Franklin D. Roosevelt took office during a dismal time in the US. He set about to establish work for the unemployed that would give them financial security and maintain their pride. Millions of people were employed to construct buildings, roads and dams; to upgrade fair grounds and conserve open spaces and forests; to bring electricity to rural areas; to teach, paint, photograph, sculpt, write, pen and play music, design, and turn dreams into reality. In 1935, over half of New Mexicans were employed in New Deal programs such as the Works Progress Administration (WPA).
There are numerous structures in Hidalgo County showcasing WPA programs.
Animas -
School building (former Administration Building)
Lordsburg -
Public Library
City Hall 
Fairgrounds
Sunset Canal Dam
Port of Entry
Wilson School
Rodeo -
School
Virden -
High School (right)
Fun & Entertainment
The Lost Arcade
Rodeo, NM
Located at the Rodeo R.V. and Country Store in Rodeo, New Mexico (right between Tucson, Arizona and El Paso, Texas)
Hours:
Saturday 8AM to 9PM
Sunday 9AM to 5PM
Also open by appointment and for parties.
Services:
--> Pizza, drinks, & snacks
--> Gasoline
--> Arcade game museum (operational, collectible, for sale)
--> Convenience store items
Chris Talbot
575.557.1963 (store)
575.557.0055 (personal)
Contact
