New Mexico History Museum

The New Mexico History Museum is a history museum in Santa Fe, New Mexico. It is part of the state-run Museum of New Mexico system operated by the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs. Opened in 2009, the museum houses 96,000 square feet (8,900 m2) of permanent and rotating exhibits covering the history of New Mexico from ancient Native American cultures to the present. The museum was built after the Museum of New Mexico’s collection of historic artifacts had outgrown its previous home at the 400-year-old Palace of the Governors. The new $44 million museum opened to the public on May 24, 2009, receiving more than 10,000 visitors on its first day. It holds around 20,000 artifacts. The New Mexico History Museum has 3 1/2 floors of exhibitions telling the stories that made the American West, from the early lives of Native people to Spanish colonists. During the brutal conflict, 501 New Mexicans lost their lives. The museum has a section for the Fray Angélico Chávez History Library and Photo Archives. It also has the Palace Print Shop & Bindery, and the Native American Artisans Program. In 2018 New Mexico History Museum opened an exhibit, “The First World War”, on the 100th anniversary of Armistice.