Downtown El Paso

  • Spotlight
  • About
  • Contact
  • March 3, 2021

Las Plazas

Las Plazas

Plazas have played a role in the origination and development of El Paso dating back to its earliest days when Pioneer Plaza was considered the center of town. Today, our downtown plazas continue to play a key role in the growth of our downtown serving as casual lunch spots for downtown employees to the home of major community events and traditions.

The Las Plazas district is the city’s nucleus of art and recreation in Downtown El Paso. Museums, entertainment venues, and Southwest University Park draw massive amounts of people searching for entertainment and leisure. Multiple plazas encompass the area, such as Arts Festival Plaza, the Convention Center Plaza, the heart of Downtown itself San Jacinto Plaza and Pioneer Plaza on which the historic Plaza Theatre resides.

The Plaza Theatre opened in 1930, being the first public theatre in the United States with air-conditioning. After changing ownership once in 1973, the theatre was donated to the City of El Paso in 1990. This lead to a renovation and subsequent reopening in 2006.

San Jacinto Plaza, situated in the heart of Downtown was acquired by the City in 1881 and officially named after the battle Texas fought for its independence in 1903. Once home to as many as seven live alligators (Lagartos), a commissioned sculpture of the alligators now stands as an homage to the reptiles. The park is sometimes fondly referred to as “La Plaza de los Lagartos.”

La Plazas is also home to Southwest University Park and the El Paso Chihuahuas baseball team, the historic Anson Mills building, the EL Paso Museum of Art and History, and the Convention Center.

Las Plazas

Downtown El Paso Districts

  • Main Districts Page
  • El Centro
  • Union Plaza
  • Las Plazas
  • Office District
  • Government District
DMD District Map (Click to Enlarge)

Contact Us

201 E. Main St.
1st Floor
Suite 107
(915) 400-2294

DMD Information

  • Annual Report
  • Budget
  • Board of Directors
  • Façade Grant Program Report
  • Meetings & Agendas
  • Committee Meetings
  • Statistics and Demographics
  • Survey Census Report
  • Special Events Report
  • DMD Stakeholders Newsletter
  • DMD Stakeholders Newsletter (Spanish)

Upcoming Events

  • View the Calendar

Contact Us

DowntownElPaso.com is hosted by the El Paso Downtown Management District (DMD)

201 E. Main St.
1st Floor • Suite 107
(915) 400-2294

About DMD

The El Paso Downtown Management District (DMD) seeks to make Downtown El Paso the center of commercial, civic and cultural activity. [READ MORE...]

Special Event Permitting

Learn More

© 2021 · Downtown Management District · Website design