The El Paso Museum of History offers visitors a bilingual, multi-cultural experience through exhibitions that focus on the history of El Paso del Norte (The Pass of the North). The permanent and rotating exhibitions in the museum’s six galleries feature history beginning from pre-Spanish contact to present.
Frontera Esoterica
Sep 26, 2026
Frontera Esoterica delves into the Paso del Norte’s connection to folk magic and spirituality through regional art, artifacts, herbs, and mystical ephemera to bring to life more than a hundred year of spiritual trends, and non-western healing. This examination encompasses the wide range of spiritual and medicinal customs in Mexico and this region, that combine African, European, Asian, and traditions rooted in the Indigenous Americas, set amidst the background of the Chihuahuan desert.
El Otro Muralismo: Historical and Contemporary Sign Painting in El Paso and Ciudad Juárez
Jul 11, 2026 - Jul 11, 2027
Gallery D, 2nd Floor
The El Paso Museum of History invites you to attend the opening of our latest exhibition El Otro Muralismo: Historical and Contemporary Sign Painting in El Paso and Ciudad Juárez. The title, El Otro Muralismo, is a phrase coined by a group of Mexican scholars who argued that sign painting is Mexico’s other form of muralism.
In collaboration with University of Texas at El Paso professor and graphic designer Anne Giangiulio, this exhibition will explore the traditions, practices, and artistry that surround sign painting. Featuring original artworks created specifically for EPMH, the exhibition will also highlight the contributions of local rotulistas (sign painters).
In the Paso del Norte region, sign painting saw a rapid expansion with the arrival of the railroad in 1881, subsequent population boom, and increased demand for services. Stylistically, hand painted signs along the border are both influenced both by classic American sign painting traditions and popular traditions as found in Ciudad Juárez. El Otro Muralismo will explore this history while also discussing contemporary styles and artists.
Neighborhoods and Shared Memories: Austin Terrace
Apr 30, 2026 - Mar 14, 2027
Join us as we celebrate the opening of our newest exhibition Neighborhoods and Shared Memories: Austin Terrace. Known as El Paso’s first metropolitan suburb, Austin Terrace is a historically designated neighborhood located in Central El Paso. Its diverse architectural styles, unique street layout, and lush greenery were influenced by notable architects like Mabel C. Welch, Henry C. Trost, and Otto H. Thorman.
Construction of homes began in the 1920s and catered primarily to wealthy El Pasoans. In addition to the homes in the neighborhood, institutions like Loretto Academy and the Radford School were influential forces in shaping the neighborhood’s identity. Austin Terrace explores this history from the 1910s through 1970s while showcasing items borrowed from families and schools in the area.
Mountain of Gold: A History of East and Southeast Asian Cultures in El Paso del Norte, 1880s – 1980s
Sep 27, 2025 - Mar 14, 2027
Gallery B, Second Floor
The title Mountain of Gold refers to how many families described the United States as the “mountain of gold” and Mexico as the “mountain of silver” as they journeyed to the border in pursuit of prosperity.
Historically, many Asian individuals were often formally and informally labeled as Chinese, but this installation explores the unique stories and influences of East and Southeast Asian communities in the borderlands. Drawing on local memories and histories, this community-based exhibition honors and explores our region’s historic Chinese, Korean, Filipino, Japanese, and Vietnamese communities. Mountain of Gold challenges narratives of an Asian monolith and dives into each group’s distinct traditions, highlighting different family stories, neighborhoods, businesses, and community institutions as well as cultural exchanges along the border.
