The City of Las Cruces Museums System will partner with the El Paso Museum of History to bring the exhibit Lucha Libre: Stories from the Ring to El Paso beginning Thursday, Aug. 26, 2021 and continuing through March 2022.
The exhibit originally opened at the Branigan Cultural Center in the spring of 2020 but its time at the cultural center was cut short because of the COVID-19 pandemic. An opening reception for the Mexican professional wrestling exhibit will be from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. August 26 at the El Paso Museum of History, 510 N. Santa Fe St., in El Paso.
The reception will feature “luchadores,” wrestlers, for EP Heroes Lucha Libre, and refreshments will be provided. The exhibit is free to the public.
The exhibit, which was developed by the Branigan Cultural Center, tells the history of Lucha Libre, its connections to the border region between the U.S. and Mexico, and the stories that have come from the sport. Lucha libre is a type of professional wrestling that originated in Mexico. Many of its contestants wear masks and use rapid acrobatic techniques.
The exhibit will showcase stories, sponsors, and memorabilia related to the local history of Lucha Libre.
The collaboration between the Branigan Cultural Center and the El Paso Museum of History is relatively new but is already becoming strong. While the Lucha Libre exhibit will be shared, plans are in the works to swap an El Paso Museum of History exhibit regarding lowriders with the Las Cruces Museums System in the future.
The public will be required to wear face coverings while visiting the El Paso Museum of History.
The El Paso Museum of History is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday; 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday; and from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday.