No trip to Clovis is complete without making a visit the Norman Petty Studios, the recording studio that helped make Buddy Holly famous. Book a tour of the studio well in advance and see the original control board, microphones and furnishings as they looked in the late fifties when Buddy Holly was there. Sit in his original chair while listening to the original recording of "Peggy Sue"—and enjoy. Escape the New Mexico heat with a day in a park visiting the animals at the Hillcrest Park Zoo. This shady zoo features giraffes, hyenas, a tiger, a black bear and more. After you are finished meeting the animals, head to the playground with a picnic for a lovely afternoon. Travel back through the days of mammoths, saber-tooth cats and Native Americans at the Blackwater Draw Museum near the ENMU campus. A unique feature of this museum is its numerous “please touch” signs as well as its admission price, which includes a free visit to the Clovis dig site 10 minutes away.
Get a sense of Clovis’ railroading past (and present) at the two-story Clovis Depot Model Train Museum. The museum’s 11 operating layouts help tell the story of railroading before the technology innovations we see today. As a bonus, the BNSF Railway is directly in front of the museum. If you happen to be visiting Clovis in in the first week of September, a must-see is the annual Clovis Music Festival. Most of the festival’s popular events (motorcycle rally, antique tractor parade and concerts) happen at the Curry County Events Center; however, there are plenty of community events and tours that displays the culture and history of Clovis. Finish your trip with some easy and inexpensive entertainment at the 3,300-seat Curry County Events Center, only a five minute drive from downtown. Make sure to check their calendar to see what dates the rodeo, dog show, concert or circus will be in town.
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