On a recent Southwest Loop trip, one of our destinations was the Billy the Kid Museum in Fort Sumner, New Mexico. Now I will be honest here, Billy the Kid is more of Rich’s thing, as he was known as an outlaw in his day. As someone who is always interested in history and olden times, I found the museum interesting. It is full of a lot of historic exhibits, items from Billy’s time period and is informational.
A Tribute to Billy the Kid
Billy the Kid (born Henry McCarty alias William Bonney and Henry Antrium) was an outlaw and gunfighter who lived in the 1800’s and died when he was 21 years old, having a bounty on his head and being shot by Sherriff Pat Garrett. Allegedly, he had killed 21 men and had been involved in New Mexico’s Lincoln County War, during which time he had committed 3 murders.
Billy the Kid Museum
The Billy the Kid Museum in Fort Sumner is run by Ed and Lulu Sweet, along with their son Tim. It was interesting to note that when Rich was talking with Ed, he told Rich that a grandfather or great grandfather had known Billy or had some sort of association with him or his family. The Sweet’s have run the museum for many years and still run it today, although they do have an employee that helps them.
You can explore the comprehensive exhibits about the life of Billy the Kid, going from his earlier days as Henry McCarty to becoming an outlaw. The museum features artifacts, photographs, and historical accounts about his life.
The museum has many authentic artifacts and memorabilia from the Wild West era. There are personal belongings from Billy the Kid as well as weaponry, all of which tell a story of the frontier and lawlessness than once existed in bygone days.
Location of the Museum
Billy the Kid Museum is located at 1435 East Sumner Avenue off Highway 60/84 in Fort Sumner, New Mexico, two miles east of the town of Fort Sumner.
Gravesite of Billy the Kid
We did try to visit his gravesite, a few miles out of town, located at the Old Fort Sumner Museum at 3647 Billy the Kid Road, a short distance from the Billy the Kid Museum. We were not able to see his gravesite as they were closed the day we were in the area.
The Billy the Kid Museum in Fort Sumner, NM, is a place that offers much insight into the past, and the challenges people living in the 1800’s had. For those interested in exploring our past, the Billy the Kid Museum is a great place to visit.
