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Alamogordo is a small city in southern New Mexico. It’s the gateway to White Sands National Park and has a handful of interesting attractions.
Introduction to Alamogordo
Alamogordo was inhabited by the Mescalero Apache since before the arrival of the Spaniards in 1534. The modern city was founded in 1898 and incorporated in 1912. Its name means “fat cottonwood” in Spanish.
The largest employer in the city is Holloman Air Force Base. It also has deep ties to the Trinity atomic bomb test in 1945, which took place in what is now the White Sands Missile Range.
Where to Stay in Alamogordo
There are some decent choices for accommodation in town, ranging from budget to a few nicer options.
Motel 6 Alamogordo
We stayed at the Motel 6 Alamogordo. For a Motel 6, it actually wasn’t bad at all. The rooms were surprisingly cleaner than expected, and there were several chain restaurants nearby to choose from.
Downtown Alamogordo
We stopped in Alamogordo after a fun day of sledding on the sand dunes at White Sands. We honestly didn’t have much planned and only visited one attraction, the New Mexico Museum of Space History.
Our short exploration of the city was limited to New York Avenue in the historic downtown. It has a few buildings dating back to the early 20th century. The one that stood out the most to us was the FM Avis Block, built in 1903.
New Mexico Museum of Space History
The New Mexico Museum of Space History is one of the coolest museums I’ve been to. It’s chock full of artifacts, memorabilia, and information on space travel, and includes a few interactive exhibits.
The New Mexico Museum of Space History is open daily except Tuesdays from 10am to 5pm (noon to 5pm on Sundays. Prices are current as of September 2025:
- Admission to the museum only is US$8 for adults age 13-59, US$7 for seniors age 60+, US$6 for kids age 4-12, and free for kids under 4.
- Feature films cost US$8 for adults age 13-59, US$7 for seniors age 60+, US$6 for kids age 4-12, and free for kids under 4.
- Planetarium shows are US$6 for adults age 13-59, US$5 for kids age 4-12 and seniors age 60+, and free for kids under 4.
- A combo ticket for the museum, a feature film, and a planetarium show is US$16 for adults age 13-59, US$13 for seniors age 60+, US$11 for kids age 4-12, and free for kids under 4.
- A combo ticket for the museum and a feature film is US$13 for adults age 13-59, US$11 for seniors age 60+, US$9 for kids age 4-12, and free for kids under 4.
- A combo ticket for the museum and a planetarium show is US$11 for adults age 13-59, US$9 for seniors age 60+, US$7 for kids age 4-12, and free for kids under 4.
John P. Stapp Air and Space Park
We started our exploration on the grounds outside the museum, where several items are on display. This makes up the John P. Stapp Air and Space Park.
The park includes the Little Joe II rocket, which was used for five unmanned tests from 1963 to 1966. At 86 feet tall, it was the largest rocket ever launched from New Mexico by NASA. There’s also a Nike Ajax missile with launcher, an F-1 rocket engine, and a whisper dish.
Closer to the museum entrance is a model of a Mercury capsule used by NASA from 1961 to 1963. Visitors can climb up and look inside the cramped space.
Grave of Ham, the World’s First Astrochimp
Also outside is the grave of Ham, the world’s first astrochimp. Ham was born in Cameroon in July 1957 and trained at Holloman Air Force Base. He was launched into space from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on January 3, 1961, reaching an altitude of 155 miles, and recovered at sea 420 miles from the launch site. Ham died on January 19, 1983, at a zoo in North Carolina.
Icons of Exploration
Once inside the New Mexico Museum of Space History, we began with the Icons of Exploration exhibit. It’s an introduction to recurring themes presented throughout the museum. The exhibit includes a timeline of space exploration and several artifacts.
International Space Hall of Fame
The New Mexico Museum of Space History is the home of the International Space Hall of Fame. It was established in 1976 to highlight the achievements of those who have explored space as well as others who have contributed greatly to space travel.
Photos of members inducted into the hall of fame begin appearing on the wall during the Icons of Exploration exhibit. They continue throughout the museum.
Living and Working in Space
On the next level is the Living and Working in Space exhibit. It shows how humans have adapted to survive in the extreme conditions of space. On display are both American and Russian space suits, space food, and other astronaut clothing.
Some displays include contraptions used for survival in space. Among them are a portable life support system, an Apollo fuel cell, and even a space toilet.
Interactive displays allow visitors to sit inside a replica space shuttle deck and a space station. They come complete with lights and sounds, and have plenty of buttons available to push.
Rockets!
Continuing through the museum is the Rockets! exhibit. It contains information on the development of rockets as well as honors pioneers in the field of rocketry. There are plenty of buttons to push for visitors to listen to the sounds of different rocket engines.
Trinity Nuclear Test
A small section of the museum is dedicated to the Trinity nuclear test. On July 16, 1945, at 5:29am, the world’s first detonation of a nuclear device occurred at what is now the White Sands Missile Range. There’s a model of the Trinity Site as well as pieces of trinitite, which is a greenish substance created by the sand at the detonation site. Also on display are photos and a replica anthropomorphic mannequin used during numerous bomb tests.
Space in Pop Culture
One of my favorite exhibits covered the topic of space in pop culture. It includes all kinds of space-related toys and action figures as well as profiles of individuals who have used their imagination to recreate space for entertainment.
There are also plenty of movie posters from the Star Wars epic, War of the Worlds, and other historic space-related movies.
Be an Astronaut
The final section at the New Mexico Museum of Space History is a hands-on exhibit allowing visitors of all ages to dress up in a space suit and become an astronaut for a few minutes. We had good fun with this, and enjoyed posing for photos “on the moon”.
New Horizons Dome Theater and Planetarium
In another building just outside the museum is the New Horizons Dome Theater and Planetarium. It contains the world’s first Spitz Scidome 4k Laser full-dome planetarium projection system. We didn’t have time for a show, but when we visited, there was an exhibit on Mars.
There were also a handful of satellite photos of different spots on earth. Some highlighted natural places while others showed negative environmental impacts or cityscapes.
