La Luz is the oldest settlement in the Tularosa Basin. Its name probably dates from 1719 when Franciscan missionaries built a chapel dedicated to "Our Lady of Light " (Nuestra Senora de la Luz), so well cared for it shows little signs of its age. La Luz is a quiet village, rich with artisans, potters, weavers and painters.

Tularosa is the City of Roses with forty-nine blocks of the village a registered Historic District. A Rose Festival is held annually, usually the first weekend in May. There is an old-timer's picnic, a Rose Queen, arts and crafts - all celebrating the abundance of blossoming flowers. Other celebrations are the Fiesta of St. Francis de Paula. Luminarias line the church plaza and the highway on Christmas Eve, giving a soft glow of welcome to those driving through on U. S. Highways 70 and 54.

Things to do and enjoy

 Activities are available for all ages from the energetic to the sedentary.  Examples are the Gus Macker 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament, the Stealth Classic Softball Tournament, the Cottonwood Arts & Crafts Festival, the annual White Sands Balloon Invitational in September and Annual Christmas Parade. Twice a year the Chamber of Commerce organizes drive-your-own-vehicle caravans from Alamogordo to tour Trinity Site where the first atomic bomb was exploded in 1945. The Flickinger Center for the Performing Arts fills the bill for those inclined toward listening and watching. Plays, concerts, and movies are all at the 'Flick'.

If space history is more your thing, the New Mexico Museum Of Space History operates as a part of the New Mexico Office of Cultural Affairs and was opened in 1976. This is not another stuffy museum.  Try landing the simulated space shuttle! The neighboring Clyde W. Tombaugh Space Theater is outfitted with a 40-foot wrap-around OMNIMAX screen and audio system.  Visitors tour a model 2001 space station.  Also, adjacent to the complex is the John P. Stapp Air and Space Park with a collection of historic space items such as the Sonic Wind I rocket sled.  The view from the parking lot over the basin is alone worth the trip.

A museum in the classical sense is the Tularosa Basin Historical Museum located next to the Visitor Center.  It contains large displays of articles and photos of the history and early days of the area and the only 47-star American Flag on display anywhere. 

Oliver Lee Memorial State Park  is located 12 miles south of Alamogordo via US 54. Water flows year-round in Dog Canyon, creating a quiet green oasis in contrast to the surrounding prickly desert setting.  The 180-acre canyon was an early Apache stronghold, and records show that at least five major battles occurred in the area between government troops and Mescalero Apaches.  Today the only battle you may have is getting your breath back if you walk the Dog Canyon Trail to the top.

The Three Rivers Petroglyphs Site is north of Alamogordo on US 54. The number and concentration of petroglyphs here make it one of the largest and most interesting petroglyph sites in the Desert Southwest. More than 21,000 glyphs of birds, humans, animals, fish, insects and plants, as well as numerous geometric and abstract designs are scattered over 50 acres of New Mexico's northern Chihuahuan Desert.

White Sands National Monument awaits you south of town on US 70.  A delight that almost defies words, the White Sands are ever changing.  They are especially beautiful in the moonlight.