Magdalena Attractions

Magdalena is located west of Socorro on Highway 60 in Socorro County. It got its name from a 16th-century Spanish soldier who thought he saw the face of Mary Magdalene in a rock formation nearby.

Box Car Museum

The Box Car Museum in Magdalena has exhibits on frontier life. It is located at City Hall, just off Main Street.

Tips

Pick up the key from City Hall.

Kelly, New Mexico

(Near Magdalena)

Three miles south of Magdalena is the ghost town of Kelly, which still has a small church that holds services once a year. In its mining heyday, Kelly had a population of 3,000 people. At the mine ruins, visitors can collect over 80 varieties of minerals.

Lady on the Mountain

The Lady on the Mountain is a rock formation on Magdalena Peak overlooking Magdalena. A Spanish soldier once called it the face of Mary Magdalene, giving the town its name.

Langmuir Lightening Lab

At the top of Mount South Baldy in the Magdalena Mountains is Langmuir Lightening Lab, where scientists study thunderclouds, lightning, the atmosphere and cosmic rays. The facility is named for Nobel Laureate Dr Irving Langmuir.

Address

Langmuir Lightening Lab
New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
801 Leroy Place
Magdalena, NM 87801
United States

Phone 1 (505) 838-5424

Fax 1 (505) 835-5913

http://www.ee.nmt.edu/~langmuir/

Very Large Array Radio Telescope

On the San Augustin plains, west of Magdalena, is the Very Large Array (VLA) Radio Telescope, with 27 dish antennas taking radio photographs of the sky. The antennas can be seen on a self guided walking tour.

Address

National Radio Astronomy Observatory
Box O
Socorro, NM 87801-0387
United States

Phone 1 (505) 835-7243

Fax 1 (505) 835-7027

http://www.nrao.edu

Hours

	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat	Sun
Open	8:30	8:30	8:30	8:30	8:30	8:30	8:30
Close	17:00	17:00	17:00	17:00	17:00	17:00	17:00

Tips

At least two weeks notice required to arrange a guided tour.