Pecos: Find Hotels, Discover History and Sports

When looking for a hotel in Pecos, it’s worth first deciding what brings you to the area: local history, baseball, rodeo or the local cantaloupe tradition each offer a different perspective on the city. Pecos developed into a transportation hub along important cattle and wagon routes. Today, a museum, a baseball complex and events at the West of the Pecos Rodeo are among the attractions that can help you plan your trip.

Local History at the Museum and Historic Sites

The West of the Pecos Museum is a historically recognized Texas landmark and has more than 50 rooms with interactive history galleries. It has more than 50 rooms with interactive history galleries. So visitors interested in the town’s history will find not just a single exhibition room, but an extensive range of galleries.

The history of the Orient Hotel can also be traced through different dates and parts of the building: the hotel’s saloon was built in 1896 from red sandstone from the Pecos Valley. R. S. Johnson, the owner, opened the Orient Hotel in 1907. The dates refer to different events—1896 to the construction of the saloon, and 1907 to the opening of the hotel.

Pecos’s development as a transportation hub along important cattle and wagon routes, including the Butterfield Overland Mail Route, is also part of the area’s history. Emigrants' Crossing was one of only three fords along a 60-mile stretch of the river. Thus, the historical accounts of the area focus on both transportation routes and specific building history.

Baseball and Rodeo as Reasons to Visit

Cyclone Ballparks is a modern outdoor baseball complex with five playing fields. It hosts youth and amateur tournaments, competitions and events with participants from West Texas, Arizona and New Mexico. For a trip centered on baseball, these details are a useful starting point: the complex has multiple fields and hosts a variety of event formats. If a tournament or competition is a deciding factor in your stay, check the dates before your trip.

The West of the Pecos Rodeo has a different event setup: all rodeo events take place at Buck Jackson Arena. If you’re traveling to Pecos for the rodeo, check the relevant event dates in advance. The baseball complex and rodeo arena are two distinct sporting attractions that you can consider separately when planning your trip.

Cantaloupes and the Annual Food Show

Pecos is known for its sweet cantaloupes. The annual Cantaloupe Food Show celebrates the Sweet Pecos Cantaloupe, which originated in Pecos and Reeves County. The event includes creative melon displays and recipes that are judged. If you’d like to combine your trip with the Food Show, check the event dates and current program in advance.

Public Art on the Pecos Boot Trail

The Pecos Boot Trail is a public art project by the Pecos Chamber. The participation process includes a guide; stamps are collected at the participating organizations or businesses. Following this process, a fully completed guide can be exchanged at the Pecos Chamber for a Pecos Proud prize. Since participation information may change, check before your visit whether the guide, stamps and prize are currently available. As an art project and stamp-collection activity, the trail differs from both the historical galleries and the sporting events in Pecos.

For a broader travel overview: Reeves County.