What do a great white shark, a WWII aircraft cockpit, thousands of antique electrical insulators, a mastodon skull, and more than 12,500 acres of protected New Mexico land have in common? You can discover them all at the Bolack Museums and B Square Ranch in Farmington.
Located on the historic B Square Ranch along the San Juan River, the Bolack Museums offer two remarkably different experiences shaped by the passions of Tom Bolack and his son Tommy Bolack. Tom Bolack’s Museum of Fish and Wildlife takes visitors around the world through an extensive collection of wildlife specimens, while Tommy Bolack’s Electromechanical Museum explores the machines, inventions, and technology that helped shape the American Southwest. Beyond the museums, the ranch itself tells another important story about agriculture, wildlife, and conservation.
Today, the Bolack Museum Foundation preserves and shares the wonders of these museums through educational programs and exhibits. Together, the museums and B Square Ranch make this one of Farmington’s most fascinating places to explore.
Through our museums, conservation programs, and hands-on learning opportunities, we inspire visitors of all ages to understand and appreciate the interconnectedness of wildlife and human innovation, inspiring the next generation of environmental stewards.
A Family Legacy
The story of the Bolack Museums begins with Tom Bolack, an ambitious entrepreneur who came to northwest New Mexico in the late 1940s and built a successful career in the oil industry. Over time, his interests expanded far beyond oil. He developed B Square Ranch into a working property where agriculture, ranching, wildlife management, and conservation could exist side by side.
Tom was also an avid hunter and traveler, and his wildlife collection eventually outgrew his home. What began as personal trophies displayed around his house became a museum that welcomed school groups and other guests. By the early 1960s, students were visiting the ranch to see the growing collection.
Tom’s son, Tommy, developed a very different passion. An electrical engineer by training, Tommy began collecting glass insulators as a young boy. That childhood collection grew over the decades into an enormous assortment of technological artifacts. Today, Tommy Bolack’s Electromechanical Museum occupies more than 3.5 acres and contains everything from early electrical equipment and communications technology to vehicles, military equipment, agricultural machinery, and oil field artifacts.
The two collections reflect the personalities and interests of a father and son, but they share one important idea: preserving things worth remembering and giving people the opportunity to learn from them.
A World of Wildlife and Technology
Stepping into Bolack’s Museum of Fish and Wildlife feels like taking a journey across the globe. More than 2,500 specimens are displayed in naturalistic settings organized by geographic region, allowing guests to see wildlife from North America, Africa, Asia, Australia, the Arctic, and the world’s oceans.
The scale of some of the animals is particularly striking. The African galleries include some of the continent’s most recognizable wildlife, while the marine room creates the feeling of being underwater, with sharks and other ocean species surrounding visitors. A great white shark is among the room’s most memorable sights.
The museum also includes prehistoric specimens, including dinosaur fossils and a mastodon skull, connecting today’s wildlife with a much older natural history.
Across the ranch, Bolack’s Electromechanical Museum offers a completely different kind of exploration. The collection follows the evolution of technology through thousands of objects. Visitors can see antique telephones, electrical equipment, generators, switchboards, vintage computers, automobiles, trains, military equipment, and oil field machinery.
Among the most unusual exhibits are a full-size vintage train, a WWII-era Corsair cockpit, a Boeing KC-97 cockpit, and an M18 Hellcat Tank Destroyer. There are also Model T Fords, arcade games, early recording equipment, and an enormous collection of electrical insulators that began with Tommy’s childhood fascination.
Together, the collections offer a fascinating look at wildlife, technology, machinery, inventions, and history, with something unexpected around nearly every corner.
Conservation Beyond the Museums
The story doesn’t end inside the museum buildings. B Square Ranch is an important part of the Bolack legacy and the work of the Bolack Museum Foundation.
The ranch encompasses more than 12,500 acres along the San Juan River, including river frontage, lakes, and bosque habitat. The property supports a variety of wildlife and has historically provided important habitat for migratory birds traveling the Central Flyway.
Today, conservation easements with the New Mexico Land Conservancy provide permanent protection for the land. The property will not be subdivided or commercially developed, helping preserve its habitat for future generations.
The ranch continues to demonstrate how agriculture and wildlife management can work together. Cattle, crops, and other agricultural activities remain part of the working property while wildlife habitat is carefully managed.
For visitors, this adds another dimension to the Bolack Museums experience. Beyond exploring remarkable collections, guests can learn about a working ranch where agriculture, wildlife, and conservation have shared the landscape for generations.
Plan Your Visit
The Bolack Museums are located at B Square Ranch, 3901 Bloomfield Highway in Farmington, just east of the city near the San Juan River. The museums are open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mountain Time and are closed Sundays and certain holidays.
Admission is free, but appointments are preferred. Guided tours are the best way to experience the museums, so reservations are recommended before arriving.
Plan to spend at least two to three hours exploring both museums. The Fish and Wildlife Museum generally takes one to two hours, while the Electromechanical Museum can take two to three hours depending on how deeply you explore the collections.
Both museums are accessible, with the exception of the Africa exhibit on the second level of the Fish and Wildlife Museum. Free parking is available on site, including accessible parking at the front of the Fish and Wildlife Museum.
Photography is welcome, so bring your camera, but remember that the collections are delicate. Visitors are asked not to touch or climb on exhibits, and children must remain supervised.
An Experience You Won’t Soon Forget
The Bolack Museums and B Square Ranch bring together wildlife, technology, history, agriculture, and conservation in a way that is distinctly Farmington. With two museums, thousands of artifacts, and a remarkable family legacy to explore, there is plenty to discover.
Whether you’re fascinated by wildlife, vintage machinery, local history, or simply enjoy finding attractions you won’t see everywhere else, make time for the Bolack Museums during your visit to Farmington.
Call (505) 325-4275 or visit the Bolack Museum Foundation website to learn more and plan your visit.