Local Area Attractions
Portales and surrounding Roosevelt County has a lot to offer. From the world famous Blackwater Draw Site to the Yam Movie Palace, there is something for everyone.
Museums and Collections
- Blackwater Draw Museum – early Paleoindian artifacts of North America, US 70
- Blackwater Draw Site – excavation of Paleoindian artifacts, NM 467
- Dalley Windmill Collection – largest private collection in the US, Kilgore Street
- Miles Mineral Museum – minerals from around the world, ENMU campus
- Miles Anthropology Museum – Native American relics, ENMU campus
- Natural History Museum – live reptiles, insects and a caimen, ENMU campus
- Roosevelt County Historical Museum – relics of Roosevelt County, ENMU campus
Oasis State Park
A true oasis, Oasis State Park is set among cottonwood trees, shifting sand dunes, and a small fishing lake. 
Although fishing is the park’s main draw, there are also several hiking trails, a peaceful and shady campground and an abundance of birds, with over 80 species making their home at the park. (Look for great blue heron, quail and western sandpiper.) In addition to being stocked with trout in the winter, the pond is stocked with channel catfish in the summer.
The pond has several picnic tables, including two with shelters. RV camping facilities are available as well as wheel-chair access to the pond.
Land: 193 acres
Lake Surface: 3 acres
Gate Hours: 24 hours
Info: 575-356-5331
Located: 6.5 miles north of Portales on NM 467
The Yam Movie Palace
In 1932, the Yam Movie Palace opened at the site of the former Portola Theater on Main Street, taking its name from the major agricultural crop produced in Roosevelt County at that time, sweet potatoes. It drew its distinction as an Art Deco building through its setbacks and stepped treatments that emphasized the geometric form of the building.
The application of Art Deco architectural design to movie palaces during the Depression represented confidence that consumer spending could be encouraged in a time when Americans were suffering economically. These theaters were an affirmation of life and prosperity and ignited the hope of the American people.
Because Art Deco movie palaces are fading from the image of towns and cities across America at an alarming rate, the City of Portales and Portales MainStreet, a non-profit organization, have been committed to the preservation and restoration of this historic landmark. Construction is currently underway to revive the Yam into a multi-purpose facility that can be used for years to come.
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