Hobbs, New Mexico has plenty of fun things to do all year. Every season is a great time to try something new! Explore new museums, visit a casino (if you’re feeling lucky! ), or dine at one of the best restaurants in town! Whether you’ve lived in Hobbs your entire life, moved here recently, or are just passing through, you’ll find something fun for the whole family in our town!

Hobbs may not be as well-known as other American cities, but don’t be fooled. Hobbs is a modest, but lovely, up-and-coming tourist location worth visiting. Some of the interesting things to do and places to visit at this secret getaway will astound you.

 Things To Do In Hobbs NM

• Lea County Center for the Arts

Hobbs is home to the Lea County Center for the Arts, which is located at 122 West Broadway Street in the city’s downtown.

This arts centre not only hosts live music and dance performances, but also art shows and children’s art classes.

The Lea County Center for the Arts, a non-profit organisation, brings together all stakeholders in New Mexico’s art community under one roof.

During your visit to this arts centre, you can purchase amazing art pieces created by local artists from its gift shop.

These items include pieces from the Southern New Mexico Fiber Arts Trail, the region’s only one of its kind.

This extensive Arts Trail promotes arts-based tourism as well as the works of New Mexico’s rural artists.

• Western Heritage Museum and Lea County Cowboy Hall of Fame

This Hobbs cultural repository is located at 1 Thunderbird Circle on the campus of New Mexico Junior College.

The museum, which opened in January 2006, is known to visitors as the home of “Hobbspitality” and “Where oil, water, and cowboys DO mix!”

Its 26,000-square-foot structure houses artefacts from the historic Llano Estacado region.

This region, which includes eastern New Mexico and northwestern Texas, is known for having some of North America’s largest tablelands or mesas.

The museum aspires to be a regional leader in the preservation and exhibition of materials documenting Southeast New Mexico and West Texas’ Cowboy and Ranching Heritage.

To that end, the museum annually bestows its Cowboy Hall of Fame awards on Lea County residents who have excelled in rodeo or ranching.

• Hobbs Community Playhouse

The Hobbs Community Playhouse, located at 1700 North Grimes Street, hosts seasonal live performances.

In 2021, this community theatre celebrated its 84th anniversary, propelled by the ongoing dynamism of performers and producers under the auspices of the Community Players of Hobbs.

This tireless organisation, founded in the 1930s, hosts a Youth Performing Arts Workshop for students ages 9 to 18.

This project, as well as other similar endeavours of the Hobbs Community Players, enabled the Hobbs Community Playhouse to stage a variety of live plays each year.

These include comedy, drama, musical performances, and children’s shows, as well as seasonal specials such as a Haunted House during Halloween.

• University of the Southwest

Visit the University of the Southwest at 6610 Lovington Highway to learn more about the varied history of Hobbs’ Southwest region.

The Thelma A. Webber Southwest Heritage Room can be found at this private Christian university.

This museum houses an interesting collection of artefacts and rare books about prehistoric Indians and frontier life in the Southwest.

A glimpse into the past that the pioneers of the Southwest had to contend with could be enthralling for history buffs.

For example, in the early 18th century, the Comanche Indian tribe expanded into the Southwest and held it until their defeat in a fierce battle in the late 19th century.

• Zia Park Casino and Racetrack

Bring Lady Luck along on your trip to Hobbs, and see if she’ll join you at the gaming tables of Zia Park Casino, located at 3901 West Millen Drive.

You can play electronic table games, video poker machines, or one of the casino’s 750 slot machines here.

Members of the casino’s free players club can receive offers for a chance to win in one of the casino’s promotional games.

You may also visit the casino’s dual racetrack and bet on live or simulcast racing across the United States.

It’s also simple to transition from gaming to music, dancing, and dining at Zia Park, which has the greatest local DJs and live bands, as well as three high-end restaurants.

• Ocotillo Park Golf Course

Hobbs’ public golf course, Rockwind Community Links, located at 5001 Jack Gomez Boulevard off the Lovington Highway, is a popular destination for golfers.

It has a 27-hole layout that was named one of Golf Digest’s Top 10 New Golf Courses in 2015 and was later named one of GolfWeek’s Best Courses in 2017 and 2020.

If you play here, you can choose between the 18-hole championship course and Rockwind’s Lil’ Rock 9-hole par-three configuration.

In Rockwind, you may also work on your long and short game strokes and swings in a variety of practise venues.

This property also has a five-acre lake, as well as an open green space for special events, a walking track, many outdoor dining places, and picnic areas.

• Green Meadow Lake

Despite being landlocked, Hobbs has some excellent fishing at Meadow Lake, which is located off North Lovington Highway just north of Magnolia Drive.

Where there are patches of pavement near the water, you can conveniently fish straight along the lakeside.

Anglers’ treasures such Rainbow Trout, Channel Catfish, Bluegill, and Largemouth Bass are kept in the lake’s waters, which cover 11 acres.

The city’s Green Meadow Park is in charge of the lakeshore’s tree-lined stretch, which is perfect for a family outing.

Pavilions, a BBQ grill, picnic tables, a playground, and restrooms are among the park’s amenities.

• Harry McAdams State Park

Visiting Hobbs in an RV is perfect since you may camp at the Harry McAdams State Park at 5300 Jack Gomez Boulevard for very low rental rates.

All 15 of the park’s sites have full hookups, and tent camping is permitted. This park is maintained by the city, and campers can enjoy the lush vistas of grass and trees in the region.

Hiking the walk around the surrounding links of the Ocotillo Park Golf Course is also an option for campers.

Local fauna such as jackrabbits and roadrunners can make walks in this area more interesting.

Near this campsite, there are also some fishing chances.

• SSA Hobbs HQ

Soaring in engineless gliders is becoming more popular in the United States, thanks to the Soaring Society of America (SSA), based in Hobbs.

If you go to the SSA facility at 5425 Jack Gomez Boulevard, you’re likely to notice some gliders parked on the expansive grounds.

The SSA has been at the forefront of promoting soaring or gliding as a sport and conducting technology research and development for flight training and safety since 1932.

The SSA also hosts conventions, sponsors and supervises soaring competitions, and checks member badge claims.

If learning to fly is on your bucket list, stop by the SSA HQ during your Hobbs visit and ask about the organization’s learn-to-fly programmes.

• Cattle Baron

Break up the routine of fast-food dining with a delectable dinner at the Cattle Baron in Hobbs, located at 1931 Grimes Street.

Diners usually give this restaurant five stars, citing cleanliness, decent service, and cuisine served quickly and in sufficient quantity.

Cattle Baron’s menu has a lot to offer, starting with its signature steaks and seafood chef masterpieces.

Cattle Baron is a New Mexico-based restaurant business that first opened in Portales, just north of Hobbs, in 1976.

Cattle Baron Restaurants also has locations in Las Cruces, Roswell, and Ruidoso, New Mexico, as well as Lubbock, Midland, and El Paso, Texas.

• Aquatics Space of CORE :

Things To Do In Hobbs NM

The Hobbs Center of Recreational Excellence (CORE) is located at 4827 North Lovington Highway.

SPLASH, an aquatics recreational place with two 40-foot tall water slides, is one of CORE’s services.

The water amenities at this centre include interactive play activities for children as well as many leisure options for adults, including a huge spa and a lazy river with challenging currents.

CORE also offers instructional sports programmes, such as swimming lessons for children, in addition to its recreational activities.

Adults can also get instruction in a variety of activities like basketball, indoor soccer, flag football, and racquetball at the centre.

• Veterans Memorial Complex :

Things To Do In Hobbs NM

Hobbs has a variety of sporting events, with the city trying for attracting major leagues to its Veterans Memorial Complex at 2501 East Sanger Street.

There are 13 sports fields in this facility, including a young football/soccer pitch and 12 baseball/softball grounds.

All of these fields were adopted as the home arenas of the local youth baseball and softball teams, and the city paid $5.2 million to build 12 acres of artificial grass in all of them.

The centre has already hosted significant youth baseball and softball events with up to 70 teams in attendance.

The Veterans Memorial Complex is now an all-weather sports attraction, so expect more of these events in the future.

• Dine at Turner Street’s Restaurant Row :

Things To Do In Hobbs NM

The restaurant row along North Turner Street, beginning at its intersection with North Grimes Street, can accommodate the entire eating experience in Hobbs.

Maria Bonita Mexican Grill, known for its traditional Mexican home cooking, is one of the restaurants in this North Turner neighbourhood that receives excellent reviews.

The Pizza Hut franchise Wing Street, which serves great boneless wings and excellent service, is another star-earner in North Turner.

Rancher Steak House & Buffet, located at 2022 North Turner Street, offers excellent home cuisine and pleasant service.

Buffet Time at 1801 North Turner Street has an amazing Chinese food choices with a festive vibe even on regular days.

Carnivals, located at 1937 North Turner Street, has a Sno-Cone Stand with shaved ice to satisfy your sweet need.

• Lea County Seat Lovington : Things To Do In Hobbs NM

A visit to Hobbs might be enhanced by a side drive to Lovington, the county seat of Lea County.

The Lea County Museum is located at 103 Love Street in Lovington, about 20 miles north of Hobbs.

This museum houses a variety of exhibits and collections related to Lea County and the Southwest region as a whole.

While in Lovington, stop at Chaparral Park, located at 1001 South Commercial Street, for some leisure.

A lake, basketball and volleyball courts, an amphitheatre, a jogging trail, and an RV camp are all available in this park.

Conclusion

Hobbs is better known throughout the United States as a major role in the Southwest’s vast oil industry.

Nonetheless, it has more than enough attractions to solidify its position as a significant vacation destination.

If you want to discover more of New Mexico’s hidden gems, keep Hobbs in mind.

So this was our list of the Best Things To Do In Hobbs NM, hope you liked it.