The National Border Patrol Museum is located at 4315 Woodrow Bean Transmountain Drive, in the county of El Paso, in the U.S. state of Texas.
The Border Patrol Museum, the only one in the United States, receives no federal funds and relies on donations to keep our doors open.
The Museum has made several historical documents and photographs available to view online. This includes the Border Patrol’s history, oral history interviews, historical photos, and the history of the museum.
At the top of the list is the fascinating, if not quirky, National Border Patrol Museum. Located just off Highway 375 in the northeastern section of the city, this museum is hard to miss – just look for the Border Patrol helicopter in front. Accessible parking is available in back, with barrier-free access around to the ramped front entrance. Inside, there’s level access over to the information desk, the accessible restrooms and into all of the galleries.
Exhibits include a large gallery of Border Patrol vehicles, including a snowmobile, a Pontiac Firebird, an OH-6A observation helicopter, and even a 1931 Model A that was seized in a smuggling operation. There’s also a whole case of seized weapons, right next to an equally large display of duty carry weapons, as well as a memorial room for fallen agents.
The exhibits on the far end of the room trace the history of the Border Patrol, and include lots of photos, clippings, uniforms, training materials and equipment. Information about electric surveillance methods, the horse patrol and special operations is also presented. Perhaps the most interesting part of the museum is the section dedicated to confiscated vehicles that were used to try and cross the border, including motorcycles, a coyote’s boat, a motorized hang glider, and a smuggling cart that passed beneath a bridge at the El Paso port of entry. Top it off with some Border Patrol Art and a honor guard display, and you have a well rounded look at this federal agency that was created in 1924.
And although you can certainly spend some money in the gift shop, there’s no admission charge at the National Border Patrol Museum.
