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Few things are more synonymous with vacation than taking pictures. It started with your dad slicking down your hair and forcing you to stand next to the cool statue, then it became your friend group retaking the selfie 15 times until everyone was mostly happy with how they looked. These days, you might find yourself slicking down your kid’s hair and taking 15 pictures until you’re mostly happy with how they look.
If you’re an amateur photographer planning a trip to El Paso, you’re probably already scouting out the best locations (and maybe even drafting some witty captions for Instagram). Consider your research at an end, because we’ve put together a list of the very best photo-ops in El Paso.
Okay, this one is low-hanging fruit, but sometimes the low-hanging fruit is also the ripest. You simply can’t leave El Paso before taking in the sights at the Scenic Drive Overlook. Along the side of a mountain, just off the winding road, is a small parking lot that leads to a park perched above the city. From here, you can see not only the entirety of El Paso splayed out in front of you, but also the Sierra de Juárez mountain range all the way in Mexico.
You may actually want to make two separate trips to the Scenic Drive Overlook, since the nighttime view is a different experience entirely. The illuminated city, sparkling with nightlife, looks as if it’s reflecting the starry sky above.
If you get one photo of yourself, your friends, or your family to remember El Paso by, there’s a strong case it should be at the Scenic Drive Overlook.
Nearly every city has its share of murals, but few are as integral to the individuality of the city’s culture as the Segundo Barrio Murals are to El Paso. In this historic neighborhood, where you’ll find some of the city’s most popular bakeries and cafes, you’ll also find the stories of the Chicano people who’ve called El Paso home, painted in eye-popping colors along the local infrastructure.
T.S. Eliot said that genuine poetry is communicated before it is understood, illustrating the mysterious and universal language of art. You could say the same for the Segundo Barrio Murals. While you can learn the history of El Paso’s people in a museum or in books, the murals communicate some essential part of it in an instant.
It’s not every day you stumble upon a four-story building shaped like a cloud. But when you do, you better make sure to get a photo with it. We’re talking, of course, of La Nube STEAM Discovery Center, one of the newer additions to El Paso’s attractions lineup and a must-visit for any family with kids.
As cool as a giant cloud on a city street is, it’s what’s on the inside that counts. In La Nube’s case, that’s a four-story climber, glow-in-the-dark cavern, music video recording studio, and paper airplane testing facility, just to name a few of its experiences. Each of these provides ample photo-ops for kids, especially if you’re looking to catch an authentic, spontaneous smile as opposed to the “say cheese” variety.
Much has been written about the link between religion and aesthetics—that the historic beauty of churches and religious iconography isn’t just a way to honor God, but a deeply ingrained necessity for attracting new followers to the faith. You see that no better than on the El Paso Mission Trail.
Each mission along the trail stands as an example of stark, minimalist, sun-dried architecture that, despite its seeming simplicity, looks like nothing else. On a cloudless day, with the deep blue sky as a backdrop, the missions stand out even more as little white havens.
Among the most notable missions on the trail are Ysleta and Socorro, which are the oldest working missions in the region.
We all know that taking pictures inside a theater is a big no-no. Nobody wants to see your blurry photo of the title card for The Odyssey, especially not the people sitting behind you while you’re taking it. However, taking pictures in the lobby of the theatre isn’t just okay, or even encouraged—it's darn-near mandatory when you’re at the Plaza Theatre in El Paso.
The Plaza Theatre was built in 1930 with Spanish Colonial Revival architecture. While you ogle every corner of the theatre, trying not to run into anyone, you’ll notice the hand-painted ceilings, mosaic floors, ornate chandeliers, and decorative railings. Every inch seems to be its own little dedication to the arts.
Once you’re seated, before the show even begins, you’ll be marveling at the Kendall Kidd Performance Hall itself, which is designed to look like you’re outdoors in a Spanish courtyard, the twinkling night sky above you. Get your pictures in before the show starts!
Bring Back Your New Favorite Photo from El Paso
With these five photogenic spots in El Paso, you’re sure to come home with a photo album for the ages. Make some space on the fridge, replace that dusty frame on your desk, and start building out the numbers on that group chat, because these photos are going to demand eyeballs.
But let’s not get ahead of ourselves! Before you frame the photos, you’ll need to take the photos, and before you take the photos, you’ll need to actually book your stay in El Paso. With this list of the best hotels in El Paso, that just might be the easiest part.
