Poncho Villa State Park is a great place to visit with a nice visitor center/museum. Combine your visit with a stop at The Pink Store 2 blocks across the border for some good food and margaritas. As far as the hater reviews.... they should just get over it, history happens!

Columbus, NM Deputy Sheriff Jack Breen (1885 a?" 1962) originated the name a?oPancho Villa State Parka?? (Deming Headlight, Nov. 23, 1961). Breen was the well respected Deputy Sheriff of Columbus at the time of the raid. Breen said he knew Villa well and stated that Villa was not in Columbus during the raid. Senator Ike Smalley (1905 a?" 1998) from Deming introduced the bill in the 1959 state legislature that was responsible for the construction of the park and he promoted the naming of the park (Deming Headlight, Nov. 23, 1961). The name a?oPancho Villa State Parka?? passed unanimously in the New Mexico Senate and then passed unanimously in the New Mexico House. There were no dissenting votes. Pancho Villa State Park in Columbus, New Mexico, was established in 1959 a?oIn the interest of preservation of the memory of the unique, historical occasion of the last hostile action by foreign troops within the continental United Statesa?? (Kottlowski, 1980). It became the only park in the United States to be named after a foreign invader. The naming of the 60-acre park was a gesture of peace and goodwill between the United States and Mexico. The town of Columbus has been designated a National Historic Site. PVSP was dedicated on November 18, 1961 by Governor Edwin Mechem (1912 a?" 2002).

This state park has a wonderful mix of history from the Columbus Raid and biological examples in their fantastic desert fauna gardens. Having the name Panco Villa is no more offensive than having a park that is named for Billy the Kid or any character of questionable character. The fact is, we have towns and parks named for individuals that some might find offensive. Native Americans might not like Carson National Forest because of the Long Walk. Mexicans had their land taken by Americans in the Mexican-American war, a war in which we were the aggressor. History is repleat with miss-deeds and much of the determination as to what is wrong and right depends on your prospective. In Mexico they call the Mexican-American War the American War of Aggression.