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Location
Accessibility
Service animals welcome; pets not permitted
Best time
Visit during Smokey Bear Days (May 1-3, 2026) for free admission, or check out special art exhibits like the Rudy Wendelin painting exhibit (April 30-May 10, 2025) to enhance your experience.
Visitor tip
Have children complete the Junior Ranger or Little Ranger activity workbooks to make the visit more interactive and engaging—they'll earn souvenirs while learning about fire prevention throughout the exhibits.
Quick Facts
- Type
- Historical Park & Nature Center
- Main Attractions
- Smokey Bear's burial site, fire ecology exhibits, Junior Ranger programs, Fallen Firefighter Memorial
- Admission
- $6 adults, $4 seniors, $3 youth (7-12), free children 6 and under
- Hours
- Tuesday-Sunday 9am-4:30pm (closed Mondays)
What visitors say
As a wildland firefighter I could not pass through this part of town and not stop here but I will say the entire center is amazing they have all types of information all stuff about Smokey Bear as well as a lot of fire prevention and…
Great park homage to Smokey the Bear. There is a ton of information about the real Smokey and a cute little garden and path to walk around outside including Smokey's gravesite. It's definitely worth the small fee to stop and check out
Absolutely great memorabilia. We enjoyed the movie and displays inside. The walk through the garden was interesting. Smokey the bear was actually from Capitan!
From 1,086 Google reviews Read all reviews
Did You Know?
- Smokey Bear, the famous mascot, is actually buried on-site at the park in Capitan, New Mexico, making it a pilgrimage destination for fans of the iconic wildfire prevention character
- The park features a Wildland Fallen Firefighter Memorial, honoring those lost in wildfire suppression efforts, with annual Memorial Day observances held at the site
- Interactive Junior Ranger and Little Ranger programs allow children to complete workbooks and activities about fire prevention while earning souvenirs, combining education with gamification
More Family Fun Nearby
Other venues within driving distance:
Sacramento Mountains Museum in Cloudcroft
Children's MuseumsCloudcroft, NM
42 miles away
New Mexico Museum of Space History
Children's MuseumsAlamogordo, NM
48 miles away
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