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Chamizal National Memorial is a small urban park in El Paso, Texas. It’s dedicated to the settlement of a 100-year border dispute between Mexico and the United States.
Visiting Chamizal National Memorial
Chamizal National Memorial is a fee-free park (as of September 2025). The park grounds are open daily while the visitor center is open Tuesday through Saturday. Trails are available for walking, jogging, and biking. It’s also a great place to have a picnic, with nine covered picnic tables available on a first-come, first served basis.
Throughout the year, the park hosts cultural events, performances, ranger-guided programs, and more. Check the official website for more info.
Visitor Center
Our stop at Chamizal was limited to the visitor center. It contains the Franklin G. Smith Gallery, which displays local art, as well as a museum with informative displays about the border dispute. There’s also a short orientation video.
Nuestra Herencia
The visitor center is decorated with a beautiful mural on the outer walls. The mural is called Nuestra Herencia (Our Heritage) and was painted by Carlos Flores in 1992. The mural blends the cultures and heritage of Mexico and the United States by using symbols and images of each country. It was restored between 2014 and 2016.
Chamizal Dispute Exhibit
The museum focuses on the Chamizal dispute, which was centered on a plot of land measuring about 600 acres. It was caused by a southward shift in the Rio Grande from the original border in 1852. The river had continuously shifted until 1873, and the new land it created was settled and incorporated into El Paso.
The dispute was finally settled in 1963, when President John F. Kennedy agreed to honor an arbitration award dating back to 1911. Mexico received 366 acres of the Chamizal area and 71 acres to the east. The United States received 193 acres and compensation from Mexico for 382 structures included in the transfer. The two countries also agreed to split the costs of building a concrete channel to prevent the Rio Grande from shifting further, as well as the construction of three new international bridges.
Presidents Lyndon B. Johnson of the United States and Adolfo López Mateos ratified the treaty on January 14, 1964. Chamizal National Memorial was authorized on June 30, 1964, and established as a National Park Service unit on February 4, 1974.
