Anza Borrego Desert Natural History Association

It’s worth stopping in this sleepy shop. We picked up some little fun items for geocaching, a book on the desert, and some local artist postcards. The owner is an old-​timer and she will let you purchase postcard stamps from her so you can walk right around the corner and drop them in the post box. For the kids, ask for the ABDNH junior book and let them work through it and earn a naturalist badge. Great for active learning and inspiring interest in the Anza Borrego!

Stopped here last month right after enjoying the annual Circle of Art festival. The cute Anza-​Borrego Natural History Association (ABNHA) building is located just steps from Christmas Circle, the heart of the small town of Borrego Springs.
It’s sad that the aspect of my experience at the ABNHA I recall most readily is an unpleasant interaction with an employee. Wish I’d had the friendly experience the previous reviewers had.
At the cash register, ready to purchase a handful of postcards, I noticed a single paper cup containing a bunch of chocolate rocks. Yay, free samples! I tipped a few rocks into my hand, offered some to my husband, and set the cup back down where I found it. The employee who had walked up to the cash register to take care of my transaction then looked at me with no expression and told me to take the whole cup. In that moment I didn’t know what to make of what she’d said. I recall laughing uncomfortably and saying something like «No thanks, that’s OK, but I don’t need all those chocolates.» She looked at me blankly again and sternly said that because I had touched the cup they couldn’t «use» the samples anymore; I had to take the whole cup. OK then, down the hatch went the rest of the chocolates and into my purse went the empty cup. Geez, ma’am, it’s not like I’m a nose-​picking kid who touched and contaminated all the samples! Perhaps you could post a sign, something along the lines of «Please enjoy a cup of chocolates,» and put a little garbage can nearby so your intentions are clearer.
Argh. I’m annoyed I just wrote a sizable paragraph about, essentially, a misunderstanding of free samples. Clearly a month later the situation still has an effect on me.
Chocolate samples and disgruntled employee aside, ABNHA is a nice little gift-​shop-​meets-​mini-​museum that you should consider checking out when visiting Borrego Springs.

Really nice little store in the downtown part of Borrego Springs. Full of books about Anza Borrego Desert State Park, as well as the surrounding areas, about history, flora, fauna, people, maps, pretty much anything you want to know about Borrego. Lots of little knick knacks, t-​shirts, jewelry, post cards, toys, even candy and chocolates. You’ll spend a lot of time here perusing the wares. The attendant also seemed very friendly.

Absolutely charming shop! You MUST stop here if you’re visiting or passing through Borrego Springs.
Adorable, well appointed bookstore filled with local historical information. Books, pamphlets, cards and trinkets about everything desert. I loved the store contents and could stand in there for hours just browsing.
The clerk was delightful! I bought a book that I wanted shipped and she took care of everything with a smile. She even looked up the zip code because I didn’t have it. Quite a kind and gentle woman, friendly and full of information. Not pushy, at all! If I had a question (and I had a few) she had complete, succinct answers.
Definitely worth visiting. Just a few short steps from the ever-​popular Carlee’s in town, don’t miss this «Desert Gem»!