'Wonders on Wheels' brings New Mexico history to Rio Rancho

RIO RANCHO — Heidi Heidgerken doesn’t just teach history; she drives it.

Heidgerken, an instructional coordinator for the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs, drove a 38-foot RV into the parking lot of the Loma Colorado Main Library in Rio Rancho on Thursday for families to learn about state history from the exhibit “Eight Sites, One History: Explore the Past at New Mexico Historic Sites,” under the program “Wonders on Wheels.”

The exhibit places a spotlight on Jemez, Coronado, Los Luceros, Fort Shelden, Bosque Redondo Memorial at Fort Sumner, Lincoln, Fort Stanton and Taylor-Mesilla — all places that indigenous communities inhabited going back 400 years. A poster inside the RV said department officials hope the exhibit inspires families to visit the historic sites themselves, asking them, “Which one will you visit first?”

The bus features mini exhibits on each historical site and includes artifacts. In an interview, Heidgerken said “Wonders on Wheels” is “just a taste” of what it’s like to see the historic sites in person.

“We can go in depth, but it’s really wonderful if they get the chance to visit the sites and see the buildings and the land and learn from the objects,” Heidgerken said.

Rio Rancho resident Denise Gonzales, who visited Wonders on Wheels Thursday, noted that she has visited the Coronado Historical Site with her 10-year-old daughter as part of her homeschool program. After visiting the mobile exhibits, she wants to see the Taylor-Masilla Historic Site.

“I’m kind of a nerd,” Gonzales said, referring to her love of history and interest in the exhibit’s artifacts.

Gonzales and Heidgerken agreed that Wonders on Wheels is one way to educate families, especially those in rural communities, who don’t have the ability to travel the state to see the historical sites.

But when it comes to Rio Rancho, one of the state’s largest cities, Heidgerken said what attracted her and department officials to the area was the library and its programming.

“Being here, I feel like libraries are the hub of the community,” she said.

“Wonders on Wheels” originated in 1996 as the “Van of Enchantment,” a program of the New Mexico Department of Transportation and the Department of Cultural Affairs, Heirdgerken said. The program has been solely under the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs following its rebranding in 2016, when it was renamed “Wonders on Wheels.”

In visiting the state’s 33 counties each year, Wonders on Wheels will make approximately 120 visits to municipalities throughout New Mexico. The RV made a stop at the Santo Domingo Pueblo Library Thursday following its visit to Rio Rancho.

Editor's note: One of the eight historic sites featured in the exhibits is Bosque Redondo Memorial at Fort Sumner. A previous version of this story incorrectly stated the site's name.