The Branigan Cultural Center is pleased to announce Cleared for Take Off: Aviation in Southern New Mexico, a new exhibition that provides an overview of the history of aviation in the greater Las Cruces region. The exhibition runs from Oct. 1, 2021 to the Summer of 2022.
Cleared for Takeoff examines more than 100 years of regional aviation history, both military and civilian, in southern New Mexico, using photographs, oral histories, and historic objects. Starting with the introductory use of military airplanes in 1916 after Pancho Villa’s raid on Columbus, N.M., the exhibition explores the local impact of aviation-related training programs offered through New Mexico College of Agriculture and Mechanical Arts during World War II and the post-war era.
It addresses the flourishing of civilian aviation from the 1950s through the 1960s, with the formation of flying clubs and shuttle airlines dotting southern New Mexico. With the decline of leisure flying beginning in the 1980s, it notes the changing nature of local aviation in the 21st Century. Come learn more about aviation history in southern New Mexico.
The museum is at 501 N. Main St. and is open from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday. The museum is accessible via RoadRUNNER Transit Route 1, Stop 1. For information, visit the Museums System website at MUSEUMS | Las Cruces, NM (las-cruces.org) or follow us on Facebook and Instagram @LCMuseums, or call 575/541-2154.
Mask UP Las Cruces! Help stop the spread of COVID-19. For information about COVID-19 and how you can help stop the spread visit: Local Covid-19 Updates, Information, and Resources | Las Cruces, NM (las-cruces.org).