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All the United States New Mexico Fox Cave

Fox Cave

This 1950s-era nostalgic roadside New Mexico attraction consists of a quirky curio store and museum embedded into the face of a cave.

Ruidoso Downs, New Mexico

Added By
Ian Lefkowitz
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The entrance to Fox Cave.   ianlefk / Atlas Obscura User
One of many oversized “art objects” outside   artstuffbylori / Atlas Obscura User
The updated facade 7/17/24   artstuffbylori / Atlas Obscura User
Fox Cave welcomes all visitors.   ianlefk / Atlas Obscura User
Fox Cave as it appeared in the 1950s   Tiffanyduke
Fox Cave offers gems on display, for sale, and sometimes gemstone mining.   ianlefk / Atlas Obscura User
Colorful signage   artstuffbylori / Atlas Obscura User
Fox Cave’s quirky aesthetic involves aliens, cowboy hats, and turquoise.   ianlefk / Atlas Obscura User
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About

Open since the 1950s, this unique gift shop and roadside attraction is carved into the side of a cave.

Originally, this area was a natural feature, locally known as the Ice Cave, carved from the nearby Rio Ruidoso. The land was used by the Mescalero Apache nation and may have been a sanctuary for Geronimo, the legendary Apache leader. Later, it was purportedly used by Billy the Kid as a hideout. These facts are likely "history-ish," but Billy the Kid did live along the trail that now bears his name, and famously escaped from the nearby Lincoln County Courthouse.

In the early 1950s, the store’s unique structure was built, and in 1954, it was sold to George Fuchs, along with his wife Mildred. Fuchs renamed Ice Cave the Fox Cave, pronounced like his last name. The store was a popular roadside stop along Highway 70 through the 1950s, but its legacy faded over time.

The site had been long abandoned when Arnold Duke, a gemologist and proprietor of the nearby Ruidoso River Museum, purchased it in 2010. Putting some care into its rehabilitation, the site has reopened as a mid-century style tourist trap, although one with an unusually strong gem collection. The place is replete with aliens, dinosaurs, relics of the Old West, and all sorts of curios to browse or purchase, all while standing within the cave’s walls.

Related Tags

Caves Stores Collections History & Culture Roadside Attractions

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Added By

ianlefk

Edited By

artstuffbylori

  • artstuffbylori

Published

September 12, 2023

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Sources
  • https://www.newmexico.org/blog/post/a-hole-in-the-wall-literally-a-stop-at-fox-cave/
  • https://www.kenfuchs42.net/kfww_george_fuchs_4b.html
  • https://innsbrookruidoso.com/fox-cave-gem-mine-in-ruidoso-new-mexico/
  • https://www.visitruidoso.com/fox-cave/
Fox Cave
26897 US-70
Ruidoso Downs, New Mexico, 88346
United States
33.376333, -105.516779
Get Directions

Nearby Places

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Lincoln, New Mexico

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Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of New Mexico

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Lincoln County Courthouse

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Explore the Destination Guide

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New Mexico

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