Centennial Museum and Chihuahuan Desert Gardens 500 West University Avenue, El Paso, TX 79968

"Go on the first Saturday of the month. It's slower, so you don't have to contend with weekly classes, easier parking, no entry fee, and you get to see the Lhakhang, which is only open the first Saturday and weekly on Wednesdays. The temporary Bhutanese exhibit was fantastic, and frankly, I think it should be permanent considering how it is deeply linked to the university. The second floor of the museum houses the permanent collection of fossils, minerals, artifacts, and taxidermy (yes, I said taxidermy). Clean restrooms, and there is an elevator if you can't or don't want to climb the stars. The Chihuahuan garden partially circles the museum. It is small, but quaint with lots of secluded spots to sit."

"We did not make it inside the museum, but will definitely be back to see the exhibits. We visited the Lhakhang as we saw there was a building from Bhutan in El Paso and had to see it. (Back story is we were married in Bhutan and it’s a small county in the Himalayas near Nepal). The building is phenomenal and brought back so many wonderful memories of our trip. The museum director was there and we spent close to two hours discussing Bhutan, the county, the people and the only Bhutanese built building in the US. It’s only open on Wednesdays and the first Saturday of the month to preserve it. It’s a MUST see!!!"

"I haven't seen the museum yet but I got a tour of the gardens which are nice to stroll through and there are areas to sit or even meet a group of people. The water to about half the garden is broken so some of the water features aren't working otherwise I'd give it four stars. I'll get more pictures later. I just got a picture of the entrance to the museum this time."

"My girls and I loved the current exhibits on migrants, border history related to migration , and civil engineering. It was our first visit but we are planning to visit again! I love that our city offers free cultural options like this. They also have designated parking right in front of the museum, you just have to go inside the office for a pass. We also enjoyed a peaceful walk around the Chihuahuan Desert Gardens and then headed to the UTEP library for a quick visit. The exhibits were very educational and visually pleasing. The museum is also very clean (restrooms too). Please visit and try to donate if you are able to!"

"If you haven't visited this gem or even if you have it's worth a visit. I love meandering through the gardens outside. They are so well tended and thought out. They plants and trees are marked with their names. The inside is just as interesting and they usually have a different exhibition the 1st floor. The rest of the exhibits deal with El Paso's wonderful history. You gotta go."