Episode 7: NRA Whittington Center

The Nada Grande boys recently visited the NRA Whittington Center located in Northeast New Mexico near Raton. If you haven’t been to this incredible destination, you are absolutely missing out! It is

We were lucky enough to meet up with the NRA Whittington Center’s Executive Director, Josh Adams who gave us a rundown on the programs and facilities available to members and public alike. The Whittington Center was formed in 1973 as a 501.c.3 non profit and is the special contribution fund of the National Rifle Association.  There are 18 different ranges to accommodate all the various shooting disciplines (rifle, shotgun, pistol, archery). The shotgun facilities have 17 trap fields, 5 stands, sporting clays, and skeet. In Josh’s words this place is like a “2nd amendment theme park” which is a place that Nada Grande Outdoors is absolutely in support of. The Whittington Center receives between 115-120,000 visitors each year, of which only about 10% are competitive shooters.  In addition to the shooting ranges, the Whittington Center encompasses approximately 33,300 acres and also has guided hunts for pronghorn, deer, elk, bear, cougar, and turkey. The facility has a variety of lodging from RV campgrounds with full hook-ups to group type housing and exclusive Founder’s cabins for a family type environment.

We also had the opportunity to take a tour of the museum, library and ranges with Robby Roberts. Robby is the Curator of Collections for the Whittington Center and is a wealth of knowledge on firearms history. Robby’s goal with the museum is to tell the history of the southwest through firearms. The NRA Whittington Center is in a unique position to tell the history of the southwest with the Santa Fe trail running through the property.

It is one of the few places that the general public can walk on the history route as most of the rest of the trail runs across private property. The Whittington Center is surrounded  locations that have added to the spectacular stories told by Mr. Roberts and shown in the museum. Cimarron, NM is a 30 minute drive to the south on highway 64/87 and boasts a rich history of the wild and wooly west. Evidence of that can be seen and experienced at the Express St. James Hotel in Cimarron where you can stay in a room that is as it was during the old west. The hotel experience is not complete without a visit to the bar room where the bullet holes from raucous and rowdy cowboys still adorn the ceiling. Their guest registry reads like a history book with names like Wyatt Earp, Annie Oakley, and Buffalo Bill Cody. One of the displays in the museum is dedicated to the history of that famous hotel. This was a memorable trip for the Nada Grande Boys and we will definitely be back soon! For more information on the NRA Whittington Center visit www.nrawc.org or call (575) 445-3615. They advise that you call ahead to make reservations or book a range, especially during the summer as it is their busiest time of year. Enjoy a little bit of our journey: Video at the NRA Whittington Center

Listen to what Josh, Robby and our other guests had to say about the NRA Whittington Center and weapon selection on the Nada Grande Outdoor podcast, episode 7. Follow us on your favorite social media app!

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