smokey bear museum and gift shop

I had the opportunity to see Smokey the Bear when he lived in the National Zoo in Washington DC many years ago, So visiting here was just perfect. The gift shop is not part of the museum but it does have a great display of old memorabilia ( not for sale) and newer items to purchase. The owner was very knowledgable and helpful and had great stories about the area. The history of Smokey the Bear and surrounding area was well presented in the museum. Outside was a walkway which took you to Smokey's resting place. It is just fitting that he be buried in the town where he was found. We were there in the winter so we were unable to see all the local plants blooming. Everyone at the museum was very friendly and obviously love their jobs. If you are in the area, especially with children I highly recommend this as a place to visit.

There is a small display of original Smokey Bear items - nice small display. The vast majority of the items in the gift shop for sale are your usual "made in China" items. The best thing at the museum or park is the grave of Smokey the Bear - at least he came home.

Interesting to learn and know there was a real Smoky the Bear. Nice to place to stop. National Park Service runs it. Clean bathrooms too.

Not a very large place so it doesn't take a lot of time to see unless you watch the videos. Great displays relating not only to Smokey but the area as well. Outside is a walking trail displaying many local plants. You can also pay your respects to Smokey at his final resting place. When we left I realized I had not gotten a pic so I asked the attendant if I could go back for a moment. She told me I could come and go as often as I liked. That's good customer service.

This was such an interesting bit of history. It's definitely worth the visit. Take your time and go through the museum and read all about the history of this cute little orphaned bear's life and how he became the symbol for the US Governments campaign on fighting wildfires and the face of Smokey the Bear! You can visit his grave and it is so heart warming that he would be buried close to the mountains he was found in. Don't forget to visit the gift shop to see one of his little baby bottles he used to feed from!

Such a cute little museum dedicated to Smokey the Bear. The ladies running the place, and the gift shop next door, love what they do. They will gladly answer any question you have, and know all the oral history of Smokey. A native nature walk leads you to where Smokey is laid to rest.

Old Smokey Bear was a real character and is buried nearby. Take some pictures of his gravesite and share with your friends. How many other folks have a photo like that?

I grew up with the original Smokey Bear campaign and always noticed the sign on I-25 with my many trips back & forth to ABQ from Las Cruces. One day, I decided to take the "scenic route" home.Smokey Bear's grave site is located in a nice little garden park that sports different foliage native to the area with a little (man-made) rock stream that ends in a pond. It's a short, quiet walk thru the grounds with the park's building having a short video and many pieces of memorabilia on display.Located towards the end of the path, is the original Smokey Museum in a nice little log-type structure. The lady working there can recite the whole story from start to finish, referencing the available book. She can tell a great story and includes a lot of "You gotta be kidding me!" type anecdotes. A wonderfully friendly soul that fits her "job description" perfectly.A small selection of the common souvenirs, t-shirts, hats, patches, etc., are for sale with the vast majority of items on display jogging my youthful memories. So, so many things to marvel at that were of the promotional variety back in the day. They have a fantastic collection of items with many photographs as well.It makes for a nice diversion, if you have the time, and it is interesting for anyone who was a fan of Smokey Bear. It's 85 miles east of I-25 but made for a great ride thru the forested mountains on the way back to Las Cruces (Hiway 380 to 70).

As a Smokey Bear fan from England I have been buying a few items on ebay and it was great to see the huge range of Smokey souvenirs that have been sold over the years.This is a small museum but packed full of goodies and a nice way to end the visit to the park and grave. Im now on ebay trying to locate some of my favourite things I saw!!

interesting video,good pictures. Lady working there was very helpful. We ask questions and she had all the answers.

This is the original Smokey Bear Museum. It has lots of memorabilia, as well as t-shirts and other gifts. The lady working there was very friendly and told us the history of the museum, as well as a brief history of Smokey. Very informative. Free admission.

Well done small park, resting place of Smokey, and gift shop. Easy quick stop on the Billy the Kid Hwy. Wander through the park maintained by the forest service and see all the fauna of the are. Then visit the tombstone of Smokey, his remains were returned here after he died at the Washington, DC zoo, where I saw him in the 1950's. The gift shop is full of memorabilia and lots of fun stuff to purchase.

If you're under 30 you probably don't know who Smokey the Bear was and that's a shame. To many generations I think he was a friendly teacher who reminded us not to play with matches and how to prevent forest fires. There is a lovely garden pathway that takes you to the burial site of Smokey so you can pay your respects.

Lots of old Smokey the Bear memorabilia and some decent souvenirs. The original museum, now more of a store

If your birthdate is in the 1950s this is a must see attraction as it has a good collection of artifacts from the 1950s. The exhibits are not very fancy, but the attendant is very knowledgable regarding the historical facts of Smokey Bear (not Smokey the Bear!).Note that you cannot directly access the adjacent Smoky Bear from this property even though they are side-by-side. There is ample street parking available.