Looking for the Best Things to Do in Artesia NM (New Mexico)? Artesia is a beautiful and exciting city located between Roswell and Carlsbad in the southeast corner of New Mexico.
There are always events to occupy, amuse, and educate both residents and guests because of its great history and culture. Since the 1800s, the city has been the center of a distinctive culture. In 1905, the city’s name was formally changed to Artesia. Widely known for its oil and gas reserves.
Artesia takes pride in its excellent educational opportunities, art programs, wide range of recreational activities, and constantly expanding cultural landscape.
Whether you’re a history enthusiast, an outdoor adventurer, or a food lover, this lovely city got you covered in all ramifications.
For your better travel experience, here is the list of the best things to do in Artesia NM,
Best & Fun Things to Do in Artesia NM (New Mexico)
1 Artesia Historical Museum and Art Center
Begin your journey by exploring Artesia’s past at the Artesia Historical Museum and Art Center. The museum has been in existence since 1970 and has taught locals and tourists alike about the rich history and heritage of southeastern New Mexico.
You’ll find various collections containing photos, farm and ranch displays, and Native American artifacts when you enter the museum.
2 Heritage Walkway
One of the major things to do in Artesia AM is to explore Heritage Walkway. Take a leisurely stroll through the Heritage Walkway, a charming park adorned with sculptures and historical markers, offering a glimpse into Artesia’s history.
The path is lined with trees and flowers, and there are plenty of benches to sit on and enjoy the view. The walkway also passes several historic buildings, including the Artesia Historical Museum.
You can stop for a rest and a picnic lunch in a little covered spot if you get tired of walking. Once you’ve gone through the archway, you’ll find these amazing murals. Don’t forget to go with your camera.
3 Brantley Lake State Park
For outdoor enthusiasts, Brantley Lake State Park is an ideal place to add to your list of things to do in Artesia NM.
Bighorn sheep, elk, and mule deer are among the animals that can be found in the park. The park has a number of hiking paths that wind through it, making it the ideal place for a day hike or overnight camping excursion.
The park is named for Brantley Lake, a man-made reservoir made possible by the construction of Brantley Dam across the Pecos River in the 1980s. The lake, which is the southernmost lake in New Mexico is popular for boating and fishing.
4 Visit Eddy County Fair
Plan your visit to Artesia in August to experience the Eddy County Fair, a quintessential American fair featuring carnival rides, delicious food, and live entertainment.
You’ll be enthralled as a tourist by this historical occasion that occurs every August. Get to know the residents, take part in events, and enjoy their delicious cuisine, which will leave you wishing for more. To ensure that you don’t miss out, plan your trip for August.
5 Artesia Country Club
Artesia Country Club is a private golf course and social club established in 1946 in the heart of Artesia, New Mexico. The course was designed by Ralph Plummer, a renowned golf course architect, and it spans across 18 challenging holes.
Plummer loved to plan and strategize, and during his career, he designed and redesigned 86 golf courses.
The Artesia Country Club has since become a local and tourist attraction for golfers of all skill levels. The place also offers dining, casual and formal events, and business meetings at the Clubhouse.
6 Historic Downtown Artesia
Explore the charming shops and boutiques in Historic Downtown Artesia, New Mexico. Bring a camera with you as you stroll around this fascinating downtown, and don’t forget to shop at some of the unique stores the area has to offer. While soaking up the city’s small-town charm, find unusual gifts.
7 Balloons & Tunes Festival
Plan your trip on the first weekend of November every year to witness the annual Balloons & Tunes Festival, featuring colorful hot air balloons, live music, and family-friendly activities.
Hot-air balloons have been part of New Mexico’s distinctive culture since the state’s high-desert air is ideal for these soaring balloons.
You may see bright balloons dotting New Mexico’s clean, blue sky when you glance up. You can take a stroll and take in the fascinating activities when you get back to Downtown Artesia. This should be on your list of things to do this weekend in Artesia.
8 Admire the Mural at the Artesia Public Library
The stunning painting that is on exhibit at the Artesia Public Library makes it a bona fide tourist destination in addition to its book collection.
If you’re curious, the mural was created by renowned New Mexican artist Peter Hurd and bears the motto “The Future Belongs to Those Who Prepare for It.” The mural is about 47 feet long and 15 feet tall.
Hurd originally created the mural in a Houston, Texas, building lobby.
Hurd was forced to transport the mural to Artesia so he could permanently hang it up after the city decided to demolish the building.
9 Carlsbad Caverns
Carlsbad Caverns National Park is a United States National Park in the Guadalupe Mountains in southeastern New Mexico. The primary tourist attraction of the park is the show cave, Carlsbad Cavern.
Carlsbad Caverns National Park is open every day of the year except Christmas Day. Visitors to the cave can hike in on their own via the natural entrance or take an elevator from the visitor center.
Take a day trip to this captivating National Park, where you can explore stunning underground caves and witness breathtaking bat flights.
10 Stargazing
New Mexico is one of the Southwestern U.S. states that is frequently forgotten, particularly when discussing astronomy and stargazing. While professionals and amateur enthusiasts know that the Land of Enchantment is great by day and has astounding dark skies, most folks who just want to see the stars are more likely to end up looking at sites in Arizona, Colorado, and Utah.
And yeah, those states are great but there’s no experience quite like stargazing in the beautiful city of New Mexico.
From ancient ruins to geological wonders, New Mexico provides the perfect backdrop to look up and admire the wonders of the universe.
You can sense the immense galactic clock that has been ticking since the beginning of time as well as the imprints that planetary forces and people have also left on the universe while stargazing in New Mexico.
11 Artesia Aquatic Center
The Artesia Aquatic Center is an attraction for guests of all ages serving the City of Artesia and surrounding communities. Offering a wide variety of programs, activities, and aquatic attractions.
Guests of the outdoor facility can enjoy a full concession stand, splash away in the site’s multiple water features, relax in the lazy river, or slide down one of the three water slides from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
Artesia Aquatic Center is equipped with 4 unique bodies of water: An indoor 25-yard competition pool, an indoor warm-water training pool, an outdoor zero-depth entry wading pool with multiple water features including a custom oil rig-themed Whitewater Aquaspray structure for swimmers up to 12 years old, and an outdoor one-of-a-kind bulldog recreation pool with a lazy river and 3 water slides.
They offer a variety of programming, including swim lessons, water fitness classes, American Red Cross certification courses, and even tumbling.
Also, Read 15 Fun things to do in Santa Rosa NM (New Mexico)
12 Spend some time at Eagle Draw Park
If you want to spend more time in nature, Eagle Draw Park can be a wonderful option. Join other New Mexicans who enjoy being outside as you stroll through the park’s tree-lined greenbelt and discover the beautiful vegetation and variety of fauna that it has to offer.
As the Artesia Balloons and Tunes Festival lifts its hot balloons from the park, make sure you don’t miss it. If not, simply rest nearby while your children play while you hang out with them.
There are stations with stationary exercise equipment along the 3.2-mile path where you may work out. So, if someone asks you what to do in Artesia, New Mexico, you might suggest that they visit Eagle Draw Park.
13 Experience the Red Dirt Black Gold Festival
The Artesia Red Dirt Black Gold Festival commemorates the town’s earlier days as an oil and ranching community. It is held annually. As part of various rituals honoring this rich past, hundreds of tourists participate with the locals.
The annual Red Dirt Black Gold Festival, which honors the region’s oil and gas industry, is held in Artesia. The celebration includes a carnival, a procession, and live music.
Sea Fest. An annual May Sea Fair is held in Artesia to celebrate its marine history.
You can participate in the Oilfield Olympics or hear live “red mud” music. You may also sip on cool beverages at the beer and wine garden.
14 Visit Baish Veterans Park
If American democracy is to survive, we must safeguard the veterans who have put their lives in danger to uphold the flag. In 2012, the city of Artesia renovated the Baish Veterans Park in honor of these troops.
This park is located right in front of City Hall. Remember to show respect to all veterans in North Eddy County, both present and past. The park has gone through several refurbishments and was designed by Jose Zelaya, an architect from Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Veterans’ names from the region are now memorialized in the park, which also houses the enormous sculpture “Freedom’s Fire.” This sculpture was created by Lander, Wyoming-based artist Beverly Paddelford.
When you visit this park, kindly bear in mind the bravery of the warriors who gave their lives to safeguard America’s freedom.
15 See a Show at the Ocotillo Performing Arts Center
Originally a movie theater that was later converted into a cafeteria, the structure was purchased by the Artesia Arts Council.
The Ocotillo Cinema was operational from 1935 to 1959.
The property was acquired by new owners in 1961, who transformed it into Clifton’s Cafeteria before renaming it the Townhouse Cafeteria three years later. However, it once again shut.
The Artesia Arts Council oversaw the building’s substantial restorations, which turned it into a complete performing arts venue.
The Ocotillo Performing Arts Center now hosts musical performances and theatrical productions by local and visiting acts.
Attending a show at this distinctive structure should be on your list of fun things to do in Artesia NM and will also enrich your evening with vibrant city culture.
16 Sample Drink at the Wellhead Restaurant and Brew Pub
The Wellhead Building, located in downtown Artesia, was constructed using faux 55-pound stone blocks in 1905.
The structure accommodated visitors as a hotel and pub or as a “sample room” and restaurant. You can sample craft beer both locally and internationally.
Over the years, the structure has been home to a number of companies, including an auto parts shop, a clean food store, and a used furniture store.
There were even offices for the US Post Office and the New Mexico Army National Guard there.
17 Abo Elementary School and Fallout Shelter
Located in the small southeastern New Mexico town of Artesia, the Abo Elementary School was built in 1962 to function as both a school and an underground fallout shelter for the community during the height of the Cold War after plans by Roswell New Mexico architect, Frank M. Standhardt.
With the exception of three, flat-roofed concrete block buildings, the building is located completely underground and was engineered to withstand the effects of a thermonuclear blast.
From 1962 until 1995, the building functioned as a public elementary school. It continued to enjoy a degree of notoriety through the 1960s and 1970s.
Various educational experts visited the school during the 1960s, including the noted St. Louis researcher, Frank Lutz, who concluded that students at the subterranean school performed as well academically as their counterparts in above-ground schools. The town was proud of the school and marketed it as a tourist attraction.
Additionally, the shelter included a sizable storage area where the neighborhood kept emergency food and supplies that could serve 2,160 people. The Abo Elementary School was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1999.
18 Visit the Artesia Lanes Bowling Center
Looking for a fun night out in Artesia? Look no further than the Artesia Lanes Bowling Center. This family-friendly center is perfect for a night of bowling and also has a full menu of food and drinks to keep you fueled up.
The Artesia Lanes Bowling Center is a great place to have fun with family and friends. They offer open bowling, leagues, and tournaments. They also have a full-service pro shop and snack bar.
This family-run bowling alley has been offering good times to everybody who enters its doors for more than 60 years. It is still ranked first among the city’s family-friendly attractions today.
19 Try New Mexican Food at the Adobe Rose Restaurant
If you’re looking for a unique dining experience while in Artesia, check out Adobe Rose Restaurant. This restaurant is located in an old adobe home and offers a variety of New Mexican cuisine. The Adobe Rose is also known for its live music, so check the schedule before you go.
Visit the Adobe Rose Restaurant to experience this great state’s delicious cuisine and rich culture and taste New Mexican food.
The restaurant is known for giving its food a distinct Southwestern spice. The restaurant’s main dining area is inside a traditional adobe structure, which gives you a touch of an intimate atmosphere.
Alternatively, you can eat your meals outside in the courtyard while listening to good music and relishing the warmth of the fire pit’s centerpiece.
20 Catch a Football Game at Bulldog Bowl
On the last list of fun things to do in Artesia NM is to visit Bulldog Bowl. The Bulldog Bowl is the place to be on a Friday night during football season.
This local stadium is the center of the city’s attention and enthusiasm on high school football game days.
This stadium is home to the Artesia Bulldogs high school football team, which has won numerous titles at the state and federal levels.
The stadium might be packed with more than 10,000 people, giving it a vivacious, energetic atmosphere. Some critics have even claimed that it is one of the noisiest high school football stadiums in the nation.
Take advantage of this great setting to have some fun with local football fans and create an electrifying moment.
Best Time To Visit Artesia New Mexico
According to a majority of tourists, the best and busiest months for tourist visits in Artesia, NM, US is June, followed by May and January.
Frequently asked questions about Artesia NM
Where is Artesia, New Mexico located?
Artesia is located in southeastern New Mexico, in the United States. It’s situated in Eddy County.
What is the climate like in Artesia?
Artesia has a semi-arid climate with hot summers and mild winters. Summers can be very hot, with temperatures often exceeding 90°F (32°C), while winters are generally mild with daytime temperatures in the 40s to 60s°F (4-20°C).
What are some popular attractions in Artesia?
Artesia offers several attractions, including the Artesia Historical Museum and Art Center, Brantley Lake State Park for outdoor activities, and the Pecos River Walk for scenic strolls. The nearby Carlsbad Caverns National Park is also a popular destination.
Is Artesia close to Carlsbad Caverns National Park?
Yes, Artesia is relatively close to Carlsbad Caverns National Park, which is approximately a one-hour drive to the south. Many visitors to Artesia also take the opportunity to explore this famous natural wonder.
What is the main industry or economy of Artesia?
Artesia’s economy has historically been tied to the oil and gas industry due to its location in the Permian Basin, one of the largest oil-producing regions in the United States. Agriculture and ranching also play a role in the local economy.
When is the best time to visit Artesia?
The best time to visit Artesia depends on your weather preferences. Spring and fall offer milder temperatures, while summer can be very hot. Winter is generally mild but cooler. The choice depends on your comfort with the weather and outdoor activities.
Are there any annual events or festivals in Artesia?
Artesia hosts several events and festivals throughout the year, including the Artesia Arts Council’s events, Fourth of July celebrations, and the Eddy County Fair and Rodeo.
How far is Artesia from major cities like Albuquerque or El Paso?
Artesia is approximately 200 miles south of Albuquerque and around 210 miles east of El Paso, Texas.
What are the dining options in Artesia?
Artesia has a variety of restaurants serving both local and international cuisine. Mexican and American fare are commonly found, but you can also discover other culinary options in the city.
