El Camino Real International Heritage Center - Socorro, New Mexico Monument to America's Oldest Highway

Among New Mexico's newest state monuments, the El Camino Real International Heritage Center opened in November 2005. It honors the history of America's oldest and longest continuously used highway - El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro. Presented here for public viewing are award-winning exhibits, historical artifacts, and an interpretive learning center focused on the "Royal Road to the Interior'' that served colonists moving from Mexico and Spain to New Mexico from 1598 to 1885.

About 30 miles south of Socorro, the monument is appropriately located on Interstate 25, which closely parallels the El Camino Real route through New Mexico from Las Cruces to Santa Fe. It overlooks the dry desert regions of the Jornada del Muerto, the lower Rio Grande, and the El Camino Real trail, indicative of the climate and long dusty journey endured by early travelers.

Apart from the exhibits and displays, which are all wheel-chair accessible, the center has a volunteer-manned retail shop featuring gift items, books, art, and crafts of Spanish, Mexican, and local origin. No food services are available, but dining on the outdoor patio is permitted for those who bring their own food and beverages.

The El Camino Real International Heritage Center is open Wednesday through Monday from 8:30am to 5pm; closed on Tuesdays, New Year's Day, Easter Sunday, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. The cost of admission is $5 for adults. Children aged 16 years and under are admitted free of charge.