The current owners have spent years cleaning up the General Store which had been locked up and left with all the goods for sale still inside. It is now a walk back in time to when this was a thriving town with many bars and no church! It's worth a stop if you are in the area.
Just 28 miles from Elephant Butte and very much worth the time. The Pioneer Store is a treasure chest at the end of the road over 90% of the items are orginal from when the store closed down in 1909. There is items I have never seen before. Ask about the boom box, the first laptop, and the credit system. The owners of the Pioneer store are invaluable source of information about the items in the muesum and history of the area. They have a love for the town that is contagious. There is a nice place to picnic and clean bathrooms.We went to end of town and drove a liitle way up the forest road and did some hiking. Canyon wall facings were very beautiful. Do not recommend driving through if you don't have tires that can handle rocky areas. We drove in about two miles and hiked from there.Bring water and soap to wash hands, or hand santizer.VERY WORTH the time my kids had no cell phone reception. Donations are welcome!
We seen some hand written signs directing traffic off the highway. We always like to see the less travelled route and were pleasantly surprised.The small town store - which doubles as the Tourist Info spot was awesome. The fellow that ran the place was super friendly and very helpful. Full of information about the town and surrounding tourist attractions.The prices in his store were very fair - I would rather give someone like this my business for tourist keepsakes than the big chain places!
Really interesting experience, owner has done really well putting the show back on the road. Great to see the old stock in the store, marvellous old safe. The café has been rebuilt - adobe bricks made on site by Mexican labour. Well worth a visit and give the café a go - excellent food off the beaten track!
If you have the time and enjoy history and storytelling, you really should check this place out. First, the drive which takes around an hour from T or C provides some really nice New Mexico scenery. When you arrive at the old silver mining boom town, you'll be rewarded with a Pioneer Store Museum which is probably the best of its kind that we have ever visited. It is literally a time capsule, having been boarded up with its 19th century merchandise still inside in 1923 and reopened in 1998 after being lovingly restored by the Edmund family. We were lucky enough to spend time with both Don Edmund and his daughter Linda who were happy to describe the items in the museum, some of which we had never seen before, and tell wonderful stories about them as well. No matter how many times they've given the tour and told the stories, they manage to maintain their enthusiasm and passion. In addition to the Museum, which is reason enough to go, there are several more buildings and cabins of interest and the original "hanging tree" in the middle of the street. Also, a gift and gallery store which features local arts and crafts.
It's a very interesting small town with an AMAZING drive to it. The scenic drive was one of the best that I've seen. The people that we've met in the town are helpful and knowledgeable of the town's old history. We ended up going here because our original scheduled activities were canceled due to government shutdown. We loved our side trip and highly recommend it. The museum was great and the Chloride Bank/Cafe was delicious!
The family that owns the 'downtown' of Chloride has lovingly restored the old General Store into a museum. When they took the boards off, all the items of the day was still there...under bat poop, but still complete. Really gives a complete 'feel' of the era. Next door, the dance hall is a 'local area artists' gift shop with some amazing stuff. There is also the renovated cabin of the man who discovered silver and a small but very nice campground. They are also converting the bank into a resturant. We will return, plan on at least an hour for the general store!
And, chances are good you'll have it all to yourself. There are a few local, year-round residents, but not many. And, today I was the only tourist around. I usually yawn at museums, but this one was unique. No fee; donate on your way out if you'd like.The Chloride Bank Café was a welcome surprise out here, too. Fresh, delicious food, friendly service, and the owners know what "vegan" means because they're vegan themselves. Don't worry - they'll cook you up whatever you want and you'll enjoy it. The menu is extensive and the food is prepared when you order it.
Pioneer museum and the owners were great. Trying to plan a trip back and use their rv hookups. Could spend days there, and we will next time. Got stuck in Las Cruces because of bad weather north. We are glad we did.
What a wonderful piece of history. Such love is shown in preserving of Chloride history. The bank is now a wonderful cafe. Yummy! They once had 9 saloons- dance halls. The general store is a step back in time. The official hanging tree still stands dead center of town. The first cabin circa 1879 still stands with the pre-public restroom. Yep, the outhouse. A step back in time is something we all could us.