This small but informative museum spotlights the history of the US Border Patrol, which was founded in 1924. This happened three days after Congress passed the National Origins Act, severely restricting immigration via country-of-origin quotas. The displays of tools and vehicles used to cross the border and elude capture, from ladders to boats to motorized hanggliders, are fascinating.
The Washington Post/Getty
Border Patrol Museum
El Paso
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
10.28 MILES
This thoroughly enjoyable small-scale museum is housed in a former Greyhound station. Its pride and joy is a 13th-century Byzantine Madonna and Child, but…
16.25 MILES
Home to Texas’ oldest continually active congregation, tracing back to 1680, Ysleta Mission was established for Spanish refugees and Tigua people fleeing…
4.75 MILES
The largest urban park in the US, at over 24,000 acres, offers a quick escape from the city to the home of ringtail cats, coyotes and countless other…
10.03 MILES
El Paso might not seem an obvious location for a Holocaust museum. Created by local survivors, though, this excellent little memorial holds thoughtful and…
First Armored Division & Fort Bliss Museum
7.26 MILES
As the largest air-defense training center in the Western world, Fort Bliss consumes much of the desert northeast of El Paso, and trains troops from all…
Hueco Tanks State Park & Historical Site
23.91 MILES
Just over 30 miles northeast of El Paso, toward Guadalupe Mountains National Park, this 860-acre park contains three small granite mountains that are…
17.01 MILES
The surrounding community of Ysleta del Sur Pueblo is sovereign home to the Tigua tribe and is recognized by many as the oldest town in Texas. Despite…
9.23 MILES
Home to a large number of endangered animals, including the Asian elephant, Sumatran orangutan, Malayan tiger and the rare Amur leopard. All told, more…
Nearby El Paso attractions
1. El Paso Museum of Archaeology
0.04 MILES
The dioramas depicting the lives of the region's ancient peoples aren't particularly illuminating, but the baskets, pottery and hunting tools created by…
2. Franklin Mountains State Park
4.75 MILES
The largest urban park in the US, at over 24,000 acres, offers a quick escape from the city to the home of ringtail cats, coyotes and countless other…
3. First Armored Division & Fort Bliss Museum
7.26 MILES
As the largest air-defense training center in the Western world, Fort Bliss consumes much of the desert northeast of El Paso, and trains troops from all…
9.23 MILES
Home to a large number of endangered animals, including the Asian elephant, Sumatran orangutan, Malayan tiger and the rare Amur leopard. All told, more…
9.33 MILES
This park celebrates the cultures of Mexico, the United States and the borderland between them, as well as the settlement of a property dispute between…
6. Cordova International Bridge (Bridge of the Americas)
9.54 MILES
These two bridges over the Rio Grange connect El Paso and Ciudad Juarez in Chihuahua, Mexico.
7. Western Playland Amusement Park
9.79 MILES
Small but fun, this old-school amusement park (just over the border in New Mexico) is a great way to burn off the pent-up energy of kids on a long drive…
9.84 MILES
One of Texas' best-kept secrets, this El Paso landmark was built in 1875 for Joseph Magoffin, an early El Paso politician and businessman. With 4ft-thick…