The Quality of Life Department has something for everyone

Here in Las Cruces we have a great quality of life, due to our sunny weather, beautiful surroundings, and friendly people. But did you know that the City of Las Cruces has an entire department called “Quality of Life?”

We provide programs, services, and exhibits from 10 locations, including the Las Cruces Public Libraries, Las Cruces Museums, and the centers operated by Las Cruces Senior Programs. What’s more, we are responsible for 70 amazing pieces of public art that enrich our community.

Take a selfie with one of our public art pieces through our “Made You Look” campaign. Most important is our belief in caring for the people we serve, demonstrating cariño to all we reach in our community.

There is always something exciting going on at our Quality of Life facilities, and the month of July is no exception. This year’s Summer Reading Program, “Unearth A Story” is in full swing through July 18 at our headquarters Branigan Library, as well as our two micro-branches at the Munson Senior Center and Sage Café.

The theme deals with all things emerging from the ground, including dinosaurs, paleontology, archaeology, and geology. We will have special programs for all ages (toddlers to seniors) around this theme, including a Library Lab STEM Program on New Mexico Geology on July 8 at 4 p.m., and a program on Ice Age America with Ziggy the Archaeologist on July 16 at 1:30 p.m.

Sign up to read as part of the program and you can win prizes ranging from books, items from our treasure chest, or even mugs and pens with a reading theme.

Heading to our downtown museums complex, there is much to enjoy at the Branigan Cultural Center, Museum of Art, and Museum of Nature and Science. Just down the road in the Alameda-Depot Historic District you will find our Railroad Museum, housed in a 1910 Atkinson, Topeka and Santa Fe railroad depot with actual artifacts and exhibits that show how the depot functioned in its heyday. Each museum features diverse and engaging exhibits, with accompanying interpretive programs sure to provide many hours of learning and entertainment.

Current exhibits include the dynamic Land of the People exhibit at the Branigan Cultural Center, which tells the story of six Indigenous groups with historic roots and contemporary involvement in the Borderland region through their own words and perspectives. This exhibit also features a rotating exhibit every 12 weeks that allows each Indigenous group to go deeper into their own unique stories, traditions, and perspectives.

On July 17, a new exciting exhibit will open at the Museum of Art called Dancing With Life: Mexican Masks that explores the rich festival culture of masks and regalia from the Michoacàn region of Mexico and features 50 masks. While there, be sure to visit the Museum of Nature and Science next door where you will find our living collections featuring native wildlife – as well as new interactive, digital exhibits that focus on astronomy, space travel, and the work of local astronomer Clyde Tombaugh who discovered Pluto.  

With five senior center locations, Senior Programs has something for all seniors from age 50 to 100. Our centers provide congregate meals each weekday, art and craft programs, fitness and recreation activities, and even special dances throughout the year.  

Whether you visit the Munson Senior Center or Eastside Center near the center of town, Frank O’Brien Papen Dining Hall and Center in Mesilla Park, Benavidez Center on the west side, or the Sage Café on the East Mesa, you will find a wide range of activities all year.

And, if you or a senior you know is homebound, we can come to qualified individuals with home delivered meals, home care and respite care. We even have a special program for Grandparents Raising Grandchildren.

The Quality of Life Department invites you to join our programs, exhibits, and activities that help residents connect with our beautiful land, learn new skills, and support one another. By continuing this work with purpose, we strengthen our community where both people and place can thrive.