Moonlight draws downtown crowd

What began as a quiet evening inside the Museum of Nature & Science grew into a bustling crowd May 29 as visitors gathered for Las Cruces Museums’ latest Moonlight event. 

Guests moved between galleries throughout the evening, stopping to examine artwork, interactive displays, and themed activities while enjoying refreshments. As more people arrived, the atmosphere remained relaxed, with conversations flowing between exhibits and groups lingering long after they had finished exploring the galleries. 

The free 21-and-over event featured a 1990s nostalgia theme and offered visitors an opportunity to experience the museum in a setting far different from its traditional daytime hours. For Emilia Linley, museum manager for visitor experience, the idea began years ago while attending conferences for children’s museums. 

“At those conferences, they have all of us that are attending the conference visiting the museums at night with alcohol pairings to just commiserate with one another and get to know other fellow museum people from around the world,” Linley said. “I thought it would be really neat if we did that just regularly.”   

The concept has since grown into a recurring program designed to attract visitors who may not otherwise spend an evening at a museum. 

“A lot of what people think about for museums is that it’s this stuffy middle-class place where only middle-aged people go to,” Linley said. “People think, ‘Oh, well, that’s just for children. It’s not really for me.’”   

According to Linley, the audience often stretches well beyond what many people expect. Some guests have chosen to celebrate their 21st birthdays at Moonlight events, while others attending have been in their 80s and 90s.   

The museums recently introduced a passport program that encourages repeat visits throughout the year. Attendees can collect stamps during multiple Moonlight events and earn a prize by participating in several programs throughout the season. 

The series also serves as an introduction to the museums for many first-time visitors. Some attend because of a featured musician or artist, while others discover the events through community partners and local businesses. 

“We’ve had people that are like, ‘I never knew that you had three museums here,’” Linley said. “‘I just knew about this one museum, but it’s so cool.’”   

The May 29 gathering centered on a 1990s nostalgia theme selected by the museums’ collections team, one of several departments that help shape future programming. Each team develops its own concepts, allowing the series to offer a different experience throughout the year. 

Linley said the combination of accessibility and atmosphere has helped make the program successful. 

“This is a big city vibe still at our small-town cost,” she said. “We offer it for free.”