Lea County Cowboy Hall of Fame Raffle

Tickets are $3 ea or 4 for $10 and can be purchased at the Museum or from Lea County Cowboy Hall of Fame board members now, or when you visit the Fair.  Winners will be announced at the Fair on Saturday, August 11 at 7pm.

Proceeds benefit the NMJC Rodeo Team Scholarships.

June Family Fun Day

Celebrate America at the Museum's June Family Fun Day. Our two newest exhibits will be open all day: Chartering Freedom and The Cowgirl Who Became a Justice: Sandra Day O'Connor.

8-11:30am - Chalk Art Contest (registration required)
10am-2pm - Crafts (Color a Pocket Constitution cover, patriotic temporary tattoos, balloons)
2pm - Move: National Treasure

Chalk Art Contest

The Western Heritage Museum and Lea County Cowboy Hall of Fame invites artists of all ages to participate in first ever Chalk Art Competition on June 30, 2018. The theme this year is “America the Beautiful.” Artists will create their entries on the sidewalks in front of the Museum between 8 am and 11:30 am. Judging will take place at 12 pm and prizes will be awarded at 1:30 pm.

Space is limited and will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis.

Competition is divided into 3 groups: Grades K-5; Grades 6-12; and Adult

$5 entry fee – secures your spot and includes your chalk. All artists will use chalk issued by the Museum. 

$500 in prizes sponsored by Estacado Federal Credit Union. 1st, 2nd and 3rd places will be awarded in each division.

ALL ARTWORK must be appropriate for public viewing by all age groups. The Museum reserves the right to remove any artwork that does not comply.

DEADLINE: Completed registration forms must be received by 4:00 pm on Thursday, June 28, 2018. Space is limited to the first 30 paid entries.

For more information call 575-492-2678

Click here for the registration form

Chartering Freedom

June 14 - October 20, 2018

The simple truth at the heart of the American Revolution is that people are born with certain natural rights, including "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." These and other rights of the American people are secured by this nation's founding documents, known collectovely as the Charters of Freedom: the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and the Bill of Rights.

The documents reproduced in this exhibition chronicle the creation of the Charters and their impact on events in this country and around the world. They reveal the story of earlier generations of Americans who had both the vision to see a better world and the audacity to build it.

"Chartering Freedom" is an exhibition featuring reproductions of the Charters of Freedom and other milestone documents that chronicle the conception, creation, and implementation of the Founding Fathers' vision.

This exhibition was created by the National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, DC, and is traveled by the National Archives Traveling Exhibits Service.

The Cowgirl Who Became a Justice: Sandra Day O'Connor

June 14-November 4, 2018

Prior to Sandra Day O'Connor, no other female in the United States had been given as heavy and as public a yoke to carry in representing women, the West and in turn the best interests of the nation. President Ronald Reagan appointed Justice Sandra Day O'Connor to the United States Supreme Court in 1981; she was the first woman to serve on the Supreme Court since its inception in the late 1700s.

The exhibition features family and public-life photos, ranch artifacts on loan from the Day family, and selected editorial cartoons. Arid desert scenes are juxtaposed with the confirmation hearings and the publicity that surrounded the future Justice.

The Cowgirl Who Became a Justice: Sandra Day O'Connor was organized by the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame.

Museum Rental

Do you need a place to host your next event?  Look no further than the Western Heritage Museum and Lea County Cowboy Hall of Fame.  We have a variety of spaces available for different sized events at a great price.  Events we have hosted in the past include meetings, luncheons, banquets, wedding/baby showers, birthday parties, weddings, concerts, book clubs and book signings.  We'll work with you on making our spaces work for your event.  Be aware that some spaces and options may NOT be available depending on the exhibits in the Museum at the time.  Let's take a look at some of the spaces available for rent.

The theater is a great place to host meetings.  Our theater-style chairs seat up to 140 and we have a variety of technical options including:  projector, dvd/blu-ray, laptop, and sound system.  The theater has also been the location of birthday parties with their favorite movies.  Other events have included graduations, dance recitals and concerts.  Four hours in the theater will cost $250.

If you need a smaller meeting space, our conference room seats up to 15 and costs $50/hr.

Looking for a banquet space?  The Chuckwagon Room and our Patio are great options.  The Chuckwagon Room availability will depend on what exhibit is in the gallery at the time, but if available, it can seat comfortably 150 people and it will be $250 for the first four hours.  The patio is available for day or night events and can sit about 200 people.  We have coolers for the summer months.  The patio costs $300 for the first four hours.

There are several other spaces you can check out and, if interested, we'll quote you a price.  Check out our Rental Agreement for more information or email Darrell Beauchamp at dbeauchamp@nmjc.edu.

Dr. Samantha Uhrig

Dr. Samantha “Sammie” Uhrig, DVM from the Desert Willow Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Carlsbad, NM is the featured speaker.  

            

Dr. “Sammie” as is lovingly known, was born and raised on a cattle ranch outside of Carlsbad, New Mexico. She spent most of her time working on 4-H projects and studying wildlife. In 1988, she obtained her state and federal permits to rehabilitate wildlife, and she and her mother began operating a wildlife rehabilitation facility at the family ranch. They cared for everything from songbirds and hawks to deer and raccoons. In 1998, Dr. Uhrig received her degrees in Wildlife Biology and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine at Colorado State University and went on to complete a Master’s of Science degree in Clinical Sciences, specializing in recognition and treatment of pain in animals. 

Upon her return to Carlsbad, Dr. Uhrig opened her mobile veterinary practice, providing a variety of veterinary services to the residents of Eddy County.