Wonder on Wheels mobile museum makes a stop in Rio Rancho

Wonders on Wheels, packed with art, culture, history and science exhibits, made a stop in Rio Rancho July 18.

Wonders on Wheels, a mobile museum program of New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs, travels all over the state, bringing museum exhibits to the people of New Mexico.

Thursday, the Wonders on Wheels RV rolled into Loma Colorado Main Library with all its exhibits and drew a big crowd.

“We had a great turnout. I always have great turnout here,” Wonder on Wheels Program Supervisor Jessica Hasty said. “Everybody's very happy with it. We've had a wonderful time with this exhibit this year. This is one of the most interactive exhibits we've ever had.”

Wonders on Wheels Mobile Museum is a specially retrofitted 38-foot RV featuring 300 square feet of arts, culture, history, science exhibits and curriculum-based programming. The WoW mobile museum brings exhibits curated from one of DCA’s eight state-run museums to public schools (pre-K through grade 12) and libraries in communities throughout New Mexico.

“Every year one of the state museums gives us an exhibit. We tour all over the state of New Mexico. We visit all counties every single year,” Hasty said. “We prioritize visits to rural and underserved areas, and particularly tribal areas. Mainly we visit schools and libraries and special events. So we come to the Rio Rancho library pretty much every year.”

The 2024 exhibition is Growing New Mexico/Creciendo Nuevo México curated by New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum.

Growing New Mexico/Creciendo Nuevo México explores agriculture and foodways in the state. Curated by the New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum in Las Cruces, the exhibition highlights the importance of corn, beans and chile to the New Mexico economy and culture.

Children and families can learn about companion crops (such as the three sisters), waffle gardening, selective breeding and modern and traditional irrigation methods, such as acequias. The exhibition also covers the science of agriculture, including the use of GPS, soil sensors, drones and solar panels in contemporary New Mexico farms.

The hands-on exhibition explores distinctive food cultures by considering the ingredients and tools of New Mexico kitchens, popular dishes (with recipes) and the importance of specific foods to rituals and celebrations. Outside the mobile museum, activity tables provide samples of corn, beans and chiles along with microscopes for studying their parts up close. Visitors learn about soil science as they plant seeds to take home, watch them germinate and replant for long-term growth.