Overview
White Sands is a huge natural area in southern New Mexico. Most of it is part of the White Sands Missile Range (WSMR), a high-security military installation testing cutting-edge weapons technology. In addition to the inclusion of White Sands National Park, a little-known location accessible to the public with restrictions, White Sands Missile Range Missile Museum (that’s a mouthful to say and type. For this article, I’ll stick with Missile Museum.)
In the past, before human flight, rockets were simple weapons that you pointed in a general direction and launched them. Remeber the lines from our national anthem, “the rockets’ red glare”? Rockets the British shot at Fort McHenry. So, while there is a technical defination and while some use the words interchangeably, for me, a missile is a weapon, and a rocket just goes very fast. The Smithsonian seems to agree. Here is the definition from the National Air and Space Museum.
The museum has three parts. The biggest and most impressive is the Missile Park and outdoor display of over 60 various objects, including weapons, drones, missiles, and rockets. It is an interesting display. There is the main exhibition building and the V2 building.
The Missile Museum
A small section of the museum is a small building between the Missile Park and the museum proper. It houses a complete V2 rocket, constructed using parts captured from Germany after the Second World War. Along with the parts, several top scientists traveled to the desert of New Mexico to form the nucleus of the missile and rocket testing program. The most famous was Wernher Von Braun. Dr. Braun was instrumental in creating NASA.
The last part of the museum is the main exhibition area. Besides the obvious exhibits on the missile testing and development at WSMT, there are also exhibits on the start of nuclear weapons. There is an exhibit about the start of nuclear weapons. The first atomic blast happened at the Trinity site, near the north end of the post, closed to public access except for one day a year. The current schedule for at least the next three years is the third Saturday in October. Check with the museum for details.
Exhibits on the history of the area from the native inhabitants, through the US Civil War in New Mexico, the Indian Wars, and the participation and somber capture of New Mexico National Guard troops at the start of World War II. And of course, lots of information on the testing and development of missile and rocket technology at WSMR.
Conclusion
The museum is near White Sands National Park and the second-largest city in New Mexico (Las Cruces), but not many people visit. It is on a major highway, US 70, but that doesn’t seem to help. I just think that no one knows about the Missile Museum, so no one goes there.
Tight security, vehicle restrictions, ID and background checks; getting into WSMR requires all of these. With the current threat level, I walked five minutes to the museum. The process on the website could use some clarification. Check the site or call before arriving, so you’re not disappointed.
The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 am to 4 pm. I was unable to locate the hours for the Reception Center.
This almost unknown and underappreciated museum is well worth the effort to visit. While the military aspect of missile and rocket technology is displayed, it is not a propaganda booster for the military. If you are in the area, take the time to visit the Missile Museum.
