The Strange History Of The Billy The Kid Gift Shop In Mesilla

It sits right across from the Plaza in historic Old Mesilla, about 20 or 30 miles from El Paso's upper valley. It's been a gift shop forever but that wasn't always so ...

Today, visitors to Old Mesilla wander the sleepy little village, relax at the Plaza, visit the 173 year old San Albino church and relax. Some enjoy the amazing food at La Posta or sip a drink at El Patio.

Pretty much everybody wants a souvenir though and the Billy The Kid gift shop has plenty.

What Else Has The Gift Shop Been?

Businesses in and around the Plaza are, pretty much, all set up in very old buildings; each with a story ... or, stories ... to tell. Take La Posta for example - originally a stage coach stop on the Butterfield trail, it has been serving up food and drinks to hungry travelers for about 85 years and has been visited by the likes of Kit Carson, Douglas MacArthur, Pancho Villa and Billy The Kid.

Where Is The Billy The Kid Gift Shop?

Right across the narrow street from La Posta. The building dates back to at least the mid 1800's. In 1881, it was the county courthouse and the site of the trial in which Billy The Kid was sentenced to hang for murder. He escaped before the execution could be carried out.

The building still has its original, 18 inch thick adobe walls and is said to have once housed the New Mexico State Capital. There are plenty of stories about it being where the details of the Gadsden Purchase were worked out and, following the Civil War, it became the county courthouse and jail.

After that, it was a bar for a while ... see a pic here ... and following that, it became the gift shop it is to this day. Old Mesilla is calm, relaxing and totally worth the short drive from El Paso. Bonus points if you take Highway 28 and BONUS, bonus points if you do it on a motorcycle. It's a beautiful ride.