Free admission to Gila Cliff Dwellings this weekend
LAS CRUCES - As part of the National Park Service Centennial Celebration, all entrance fees will be waived at Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument from Thursday to Sunday.
Special centennial events will take place Thursday, the 100th birthday of the National Park Service, including an Atal Atal Throw, Mimbres Bowl Painting, Animal Olympics, and a token search (with prizes) along the Cliff Dwellings Trail.
On Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., a Centennial Fair will be held at Gough Park in Silver City. Smokey Bear and a wildland fire crew will represent the United States Forest Service. Grant County Search and Rescue and the Gila Amateur Radio Society will have interactive equipment displays. The Mimbres Cultural Center will present activities related to Native American history and culture. There will also be a free raffle with National Park Service prizes.
Both the Thursday and Saturday events will include from noon to 1 p.m. a Coffee with the Superintendent event, an opportunity to ask the superintendent of Gila Cliff Dwellings questions about the monument.
For information, call 575-536-9461 or email hugh_hawthorne@nps.gov.