Chamizal National Memorial, located in

El Paso, Texas El Paso (; "the pass") is a city in and the county seat, seat of El Paso County, Texas, El Paso County in the western corner of the U.S. state of Texas. The 2020 population of the city from the United States Census Bureau, U.S. Census Bureau w ...

, along the

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–

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

international border Borders are usually defined as geographical boundaries, imposed either by features such as oceans and terrain, or by political entities such as governments, sovereign states, federated states, and other subnational entities. Political borders c ...

, is a

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational propertie ...

site commemorating the peaceful settlement of the Chamizal boundary dispute.

Facility

The memorial park serves primarily as a cultural center and contains art galleries, a theater, and an amphitheatre. A museum, which details the history of the U.S.–Mexico border, is located inside the

visitor center A visitor center or centre (see American and British English spelling differences), visitor information center, tourist information center, is a physical location that provides tourist information to visitors. Types of visitor center A visit ...

. The park honors the peaceful resolution of the

Chamizal dispute The Chamizal dispute was a border conflict over around on the Mexico–United States border between El Paso, Texas, and Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua. It was caused by a shift in the Rio Grande, as a survey presented in 1852 marked differences betw ...

, a more than 100-year border dispute between the United States and Mexico that resulted from the natural change of course of the

Rio Grande The Rio Grande ( and ), known in Mexico as the Río Bravo del Norte or simply the Río Bravo, is one of the principal rivers (along with the Colorado River) in the southwestern United States and in northern Mexico. The length of the Rio G ...

between the cities of El Paso and

Ciudad Juárez Ciudad Juárez ( ; ''Juarez City''. ) is the most populous city in the Mexican state of Chihuahua. It is commonly referred to as Juárez and was known as El Paso del Norte (''The Pass of the North'') until 1888. Juárez is the seat of the Ju� ...

, Chihuahua. This national memorial was established on part of the disputed land that was assigned to the United States according to the Chamizal Convention of 1963; a corresponding was created on the now-Mexican portion of the land. The Chamizal Convention was negotiated by the International Boundary and Water Commission, which was established in 1889 to maintain the border, and pursuant to later treaties to allocate river waters between the two nations, and provide for flood control and water sanitation.

Administrative history

The

National Memorial National memorial or National Memorial may refer to: * National Memorial (Thailand) * National memorial (United States) *National Martyrs' Memorial, in Bangladesh * National Memorial of the Republic of Belarus See also *Memorial (disambiguation) ...

was authorized on June 30, 1966. It was established as a

unit on February 4, 1974, and was administratively listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

the same day.

Admission and hours

Fees and permits required to use the theater. Fees for picnic facilities for groups of 50 or more. Park grounds, 5 a.m. - 10 p.m. daily. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. Visitors center and galleries open 10 a.m. - 5 p.m . Administration office open 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

References

External links

* Official NPS website
Chamizal National Memorial

Footage of the Chamizal National Memorial from ''Tapestry'' (1974)
on the

Texas Archive of the Moving Image The Texas Archive of the Moving Image (TAMI) is an independent 501(c)(3) organization founded in 2002 by film archivist and University of Texas at Austin professor Caroline Frick, PhD. TAMI's mission is to preserve, study, and exhibit Texas film h ...

{{authority control Geography of El Paso, Texas History museums in Texas Monuments and memorials in Texas Mexico–United States border Museums in El Paso, Texas National Memorials of the United States National Register of Historic Places in El Paso County, Texas Peace parks Protected areas established in 1974 Protected areas of El Paso County, Texas National Park Service areas in Texas 1974 establishments in Texas Monuments and memorials on the National Register of Historic Places in Texas