Texas Settlement Region: Museums

The Texas Maritime Museum at Rockport dedicated its new Lighthouse addition on July 14. The lighthouse-shaped addition expands the museum's exhibit space and provides handicap access to its second level. The Harold Phenix collection of Texas lighthouse paintings is on permanent display at the museum. Prints made from six of the paintings are available at the museum. These include Half Moon Reef, Sabine Bank, Bolivar Point, Port Isabel Lighthouse, Aransas Pass, and the Brazos River Lighthouse.

Brazoria County Historical Museum

Email:
Website: www.bchm.org
Hours: Mon. Fri. 9 a.m. 5 p.m.; Sat. 9 a.m. 3 p.m. Closed Sunday and major holidays.

The Brazoria County Historical Museum is housed in the 1897 Brazoria County Courthouse and is home for the permanent Austin Colony Exhibit, the first fully definitive exhibition ever mounted on the Colonial period of Texas history.

Sixty-eight panels provide visitors a clear and concise chronology, depicting the chain of events from the era of Spanish exploration through the events leading to the Texas war for independence from Mexico.

The exhibit includes replicas of lost weapons and tools from pre-historic times to 1826, artifacts of daily life; rare books and documents, letters from early colonists and a newly sculptured bust and oil painting of the father of Texas. Stephen F. Austin.

Visitors are introduced to the exhibit by a video, The Brazos River Letters, inspired by the letters of a young Austin Colony girl to her friends back home.

Visitors also have access to a computerized "Old 300" genealogical data base to deter if their ancestors were, perhaps, members of Austin's first colony.

Traveling exhibits are offered from time to time and the Adriance Research Center includes a print collection of more than 1,000 volumes on Brazoria County or related historical subjects. It also houses more than 3,000 historic photographs, hundred of family histories and an extensive genealogical collection. Likewise there is a oral history collection, files of clippings and articles, Brazoria County tax rolls form 1837 to 1910, and some early newspapers available to researchers on microfilm.

Matagorda County Museum

Fax:
Email:
Hours: Wed.-Sat. 1-5 p.m. Closed Sunday and major holidays.

Exhibits include items pertaining to the county's earliest history including, prehistoric fossils and seashells, a Karankawa exhibit with pottery, arrows, bones and a replica long bow.

The role of Stephen F. Austin and others is included in an exhibit on the county's early settlements that includes survey tools, a lithograph by Helmuth Holtz depicting the townsite of Matagorda.

The economic development of the county is interpreted with exhibits on local crops, cotton, sugar, corn and maize, and the ranching industry. Likewise there are exhibits linked to the sulfur, shrimp, commercial finfish, oyster, and crude oil industries.

Late 19th Century and early 20th Century lifestyle are interpreted through exhibits of early medicine and dentistry tools, late Victorian-era furniture and clothing accessories from the 1920's and '30s.

The photo are available for research from 1 to 4 p.m. on Thursdays. Genealogical materials include marriage records, probate wills, census records, miscellaneous book, and original marriage records from the county's Republic of Texas period.

This building was the fourth jail built on this block of land. It was built in 1896 and was used as the County Jail until 1982. The Romanesque Revival style of design suggests, to many people, a sort of Texas castle. The jailhouse is divided into two sections. On the left (or south), it was used as quarters for the Sheriff and his family. On the right is the jail proper. There are three stories of cells, with a small 4th floor that served as a gallows. This gallows was used but once, in 1901. Tours of the jail are available on Saturdays, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. No fee.

Exhibits include a vignette representing the office of Dr. Sophie Herzog, a collection of contraband knives made by prisoners at Clemons Prison, artifacts from the slave quarters of the Chenago Plantation, photos of early Brazoria homes, and oral histories.

Brazosport Nature Center and Planetarium
Center for the Arts and Sciences

Email:
Website: www.bcfas.org
Hours: Tues.-Sat. 10 a.m. 5 p.m., Sunday 2-5 p.m.; Nature trails dawn to dusk year long; Planetarium shows, most Tues. evenings Sept. July.

Brazosport Museum of Natural Science

Email:
Website: www.bcfas.org
Hours: Tues-Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sun. 2-5 p.m.

Brazosport Museum of Natural Science hosts school visits and occasionally provides school and public programs on seashells, archaeology, minerals, birds, and other topics dealing with the natural environment. Other programs at the museum can be scheduled upon teacher request. Kits are loaned to teachers to assist with instruction on fossils, shells, and rocks.

Brazosport Art League
Thelma Martin Members Gallery

Email:
Website: www.bcfas.org
Hours: Tues.-Sat. 10 a.m. 5 p.m. Sun. 2 5 p.m.

Antique Tool Museum

Email:
Website: www.columbustexas.org
Hours: Tours by appointment and during Magnolia Homes Tour (3rd Weekend in May)

The Antique Tool Museum is located behind the Alley Log Cabin. On display are various old tools primarily used in farming and ranching including blacksmith implements, oxen yokes, corn shellers, a wooden planter, wooden dolly, carpenter tools, wheelwright shavers, plows, a German immigrants trunk, and a display of barbed wire.

Dilue Rose Harris House Museum

Email:
Website: www.columbustexas.org
Hours: Tours by appointment and during Magnolia Homes Tour (3rd Weekend in May)

The Dilue Rose Harris House is constructed of "tabby," a mixture of gravel, sand, and lime mixed with water and poured into large block forms and fitted together to create 12-14 walls that were coated with plaster. The house retains its original pine woodwork, floors, ceilings and cedar thresholds. Door frames in the basement are also cedar to discourage termites. All of the four panel doors are original and have doorknobs of stoneware with a Rockingham (mottled brown) glaze. The museum is furnished with Early Victoria walnut and Texas pine pieces, some from families of the Columbus area including a walnut plantation-type desk made for Dr. Pleasant by slaves on his farm at Stafford's Point.

"Lura" Keith Traylor House Museum
808 Live Oak Street

Email:
Website: www.columbustexas.org
Hours: Tours by appointment and during Magnolia Homes Tour (3rd Weekend in May)

This home, constructed in 1873 and described as a "valentine," is reminiscent of the French provincial farmhouse style, perhaps because the builder, John Wilbur Keith moved to Columbus from Beaumont near the Texas-Louisiana border. It was there that he met his bride-to-be, Haseltine Vanderville Long. The romantic effect of the house proved itself when James Long Keith Sr., who was born in the house, returned to Columbus for visits and fell in love with Clara Traylor, eldest of Charles Traylor's daughters, also born in the house. They were married November 25, 1896, in the very bedroom of the house where both had been born.

Tate-Senftnberg-Brandon House Museum
616 Walnut Street

Email:
Website: www.columbustexas.org
Hours: Tours by appointment and during Magnolia Homes Tour (3rd Weekend in May)

Originally a four-room cottage built in 1869 in the Greek Revival style, the home includes four fireplaces with closets built into the chimney walls. The house was later expanded into a large Victoria style home with double porches, gingerbread trim, red heart pine wainscoting, and stained glass panels in the front doors. Artifacts from after 1895 when the Brandons owned the home include Mrs. Brandon's wedding dress, and a set of furniture bought by the Brandons when they married that was used for the remainder of their life. House is filled with furniture from early Columbus families including the walnut office desk of Dr. John Byars, bookcase desk and parlor chairs of the Julius Sandmeyer family, firehouse Windsor chairs from the Alleytown, Texas, depot, and a walnut whatnot shelf from the Steiner family. Upstairs is an extensive doll furniture collection, the Eastlake Victorian bed of Marcus Townsend, a local lawyer who served in the Texas Legislature and introduced the legislation to purchase the Alamo.

United Daughters of the Confederacy
Courthouse Square

Email:
Website: www.columbustexas.org
Hours: Mon. and Thurs. 10 a.m. 3 p.m., Fri. 10 a.m. 4 p.m., and Sat. 10 a.m. 2 p.m. Closed Tues-Wed-Sun.

Cuero Heritage Museum

Email:
Website: www.cuero.org
Hours: Mon.-Fri. 9 a.m.-12 p.m., 1-5 p.m. Closed weekends.

The DeWitt County Historical Museum

Hours: Sun. 2-5 p.m.; Thurs. 9 a.m.-4 p.m.; Fri. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Closed during noon hour). Open daily during April except Easter for Wildflower Month.

The museum is housed in the historic Bates-Sheppard Home. The house became a recorded Texas Historic Landmark (RTHL) in 1978 and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988. Furnished in period style and displaying fashions of the era, the museum also exhibits portraits of Governors Murrah and Stockdale. A revolving exhibit is also featured. Local Texas history books and pamphlets are offered for sale. The museum houses a photo archive (not available to the public) and a repository of genealogical information available upon request.

An authentic log cabin is located on the museum grounds. Built circa 1865 the cabin was donated to the museum in 1968. The reconstructed structure is built of cypress logs and consists of two rooms connected by a "dog trot."One room features a pioneer bedroom; the other room displays artifacts such as old tools and weapons.

Danevang Cultural Center
State Highway 71 at CR 426
(About 12 miles south of El Campo)
P.O. Box 386

Elsie Christensen at or
Irvin Wind at
Hours: Sun. 1-4 p.m. or by appointment for groups

Prairie Edge Museum
408 E. Main Street

Hours: Mon.Fri. 8:30 a.m.12:30 p.m.; Sat.Sun. 2-5 p.m.

Features exhibits dedicated to the collection and preservation of natural history and cultural traditions in Colorado County.

Texana Museum and Library
403 N. Wells

Hours: Tues.-Fri. 1-5 p.m.; special tours by appointment

An exhibit of musical instruments dating from 150 to 300 years old is on display as well as a Country store with Jackson County artifacts and miniature reproductions of buildings. Photo archive, documents and genealogical information are available upon request.

Otto Lawrence Children's Museum
Behind Texana Museum, Corner of Cypress & Ed Linn

Hours: By appointment only.

The museum features hands-on displays of vintage clothing for dress-up and games (handmade). Also on display are an old country schoolroom, store and post office. The facility is housed in the old Jackson county jail.

Egypt Plantation Museum
P.O. Box 219

Email:
Website: www.egypttexas.org
Hours: Open by appointment 10 a.m. 4 p.m. Except major holidays

El Campo Museum of Natural Science
P.O. Box 23

Fax:
Email:
Website:
Hours: Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m.-Noon; 1-5 p.m.; Sat. 1-5 p.m.

Private collection of big game trophies. Collection includes dioramas depicting trophies in their native habitats. There is also a collection of seashells on display.

Fayetteville Area Museum
217 N. Washington
P.O. Box 488

Hours: Fri. 2-4 p.m.; Sat. 10 a.m. Noon, 2-4 p.m.; Sun. 2-4 p.m.

Quaint museum with German-Czech heritage, feature miscellanea from Baca Band memorabilia to early kitchen and drug store items.

[View Larger Image from E.A. Arnim Museum Exhibit]

E.A. Arnim Archives and Museum
101 E. North Main

Hours: Mon.-Thurs. 9 a.m. to 4 pm.; Fri. 9 a.m.-Noon, weekends by appointment.

The museum is a wealth of historic information from the area including antique furniture, household items, clothing, china, glassware and some historical documents. There is also a livery stable with wagons, buggies, vintage tack and farm implements. The Chamber of Commerce is housed in the museum at 101 E. North Main.

Fulton Mansion State Historic Structure

Fax:
E-mail:
Website: www.tpwd.state.tx.us/park/fulton/fulton.htm
Hours: Wed.-Sun., Tours start on the hour from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The historic Fulton family home features late 19th century decorative arts Fulton family specific as well as general; seasonal and holiday exhibits Fulton family specific as well as general. Revolving exhibits focus on late 19th century social customs, activities and lifestyles, seasonal and holiday displays. Photo archive and genealogical information available upon request.

Birthplace of General Ignacio Zaragoza
U.S. Highway 183 (1.5 miles South of Goliad)
Across street from Presidio La Bahia
Goliad, Texas

Fax:
Hours: Fri.-Sat. 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m.;Sun. 1 p.m.-4:30 p.m.

Market House Museum
205 S. Market Street
P.O. Box 8 (GCHC)

Hours: Weds. Sat. 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

The museum features a variety of exhibits on farming, ranching, local occupations (doctors, lawyers, dentists, firemen). Displays of early Texas life include Indian artifacts and tools, some military memorabilia from the Texas Revolution, World War I and II uniforms and artifacts. Local life of the 1900's is represented by displays of fashion, schools, children's toys, photos and furniture. Photo archives and genealogical information available upon request.

Mission Espiritu Santo De Zuniga
Goliad State Historical Park
108 Park Road 6

Fax:
Email: Hours: Daily, 8 a.m.-Noon, 1-5 p.m.

Housed in a restored mission chapel, the museum exhibits artifacts found on site. The workshop/majordomo's office has exhibits of items used during the mission period. A nature trail gives visitors the chance to explore native plants, trees and wildlife of the region.

Presidio La Bahia
U.S. Hwy. 183, 1.5 miles South of Goliad
P.O. Box 57

Fax:
Website: www.presidiolabahia.org
Hours: Daily, 9 a.m.-4:45 p.m.

The museum exhibits artifacts of the Texas History of Presidio La Bahia. Limited genealogical information is available upon request.

Eggleston House
St. Louis Street

(Chamber of Commerce)
Hours: Tues.-Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sun. 1-5 p.m. or by appointment

The Eggleston House was built in 1845 by Horace Eggleston with the help of friends, slave labor and the knowledge of Jesse K. Davis, a fellow member of the Austin Colony. The logs for the dog trot cabin were placed on one end in a pit and whip-sawed to square them off. Dove-tailed corners made the home almost airtight. The lumber of the floors and the facings for the doors were also whip-sawed to size and shape. The cabin is furnished as it would have been between 1840 and 1850.

Gonzales Memorial Museum
414 Smith Street

Website: www.cityofgonzales.org
Hours: Tues.- Sat. 10 a.m. to noon; 1-5 p.m.; Sun. 1-5 p.m.

Dedicated to the "Immortal 32" who rode to the Alamo from Gonzales, the museum features the "Come and Take It" cannon and the constitution of Gonzales dated 1831, Other documents and memorabilia from Gonzales' founders are also on display.

J.B. Wells Home
829 Mitchell St.

Website: www.cityofgonzales.org
Hours: By appointment, open on most on most Saturday mornings.

Old Jail Museum
414 St. Lawrence Street

Website: www.gonzalestexas.com
Hours: Mon.-Fri. 8 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sat. 9 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sun. 1-5 p.m.

Built in 1887, the museum was closed as jail in 1975 and now serves as a museum of Gonzales. County law and order. Featured are a gallows, dungeon and death cells all as it was early in the 20th century.

Pioneer Village Living History Center
N. Hwy 183

Website: www.gonzalestexas.com
Hours: Open by appointment. Call Mildred Reeves .

A collection of 19th century buildings on 12-acres on the East side of Gonzales ranging from an 1830's era slit-log house to an 1892 Greek Revival home. Other structures include a working blacksmith shop and broom factory. The St. Andrews house, which was used as slaves' quarters in early Gonzales, serves as the office headquarters and souvenir shop. Special events throughout the year include costumed re-enactors, most notably during the October "Come and Take It" Celebration. Admission is $2.50 adults/ $1 for children 6-11. Senior Citizen and Texas Travel Passport discounts are available. Group tours available Tuesday through Saturday.

Lavaca Historical Museum
413 N. Main

Hours: Mon.-Fri. 9 a.m.-1 p.m. or by appointment.

Includes artifacts, photos, and household furnishing focusing on county area history, an Old Timer's Baseball Hall of Fame, a restored carriage house and an outhouse.

A restored Republic of Texas Post Office can be seen at Ernst Memorial Park. Always open for self-guided tours.

Industry Methodist Church
Main Street off of Hwy 159

Hours: Still conducts Fifth Sunday Services

Lindemann Antiquities

Hours: Last Friday of the month 10 a.m.-3 p.m. or by appointment

Lindemann Olde Store displays original items from 116 years of business in Industry including original store fixtures, and artifacts (shoes, millinery, men and ladies' fashions, jewelry, pottery, patent medicine, general household items, grocery products, farm and animal products). A quilt collection and other memorabilia are on display at the Kautz Kottage, 2251 Main Street, built in 1924. The Lindemann Haus, built in 1899 at 2229 Main Street is being restored.

Veterans Memorial Museum
6206 George Bush Drive

Hours: Mon., Weds, and Fri., 10 a.m.- 4 p.m.; Sat. and Sun. noon5 p.m.

Sometimes called the "G.I. Joe Museum", this museum at the VFW Park includes exhibits on every foreign conflict involving the United States.

Vintage Aircraft Museum
170 Pershing Lane

Fax:
Email:
Website: www.vintageaviation.org
Hours: Tours by appointment. New museum building open late Summer 2003.

Kreische Brewery Museum and Historic Site

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Hours: Daily, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. (closed Christmas) Tours: Sat. and Sun. 2 and 3:30 p.m. or by appointment

Located on the site of one of the first breweries in Texas, this museum contains a replica of the old Kreische family brewery and includes such original items as perforated metal flooring, bungs, and spigots used in making beer. The museum also contains a visual exhibit outlining the brewing process and pictures of the old brewery and the Kreische family.

Exhibits include jail memorabilia and history of Fayette County sheriffs, Fayette County family histories, and a display of native American tools and weapons. A video on the Painted Churches of Fayette County is available for purchase.

Texas Czech Heritage and Cultural Center
State Hwy 77

or
Email:
Website: www.czechtexas.org
Hours: Mon.-Fri. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Self-guided walking trail that features 10 thatched-hut interpretative kiosks telling the history of the immigrants from Bohemia, Moravia and parts of Silesia who chose to settle in Texas during the 1850s. A ground breaking ceremony was held in April for an Amphitheater and construction is now underway. The Kalich Home, a circa 1900s farmhouse, has been moved from Freyburg for restoration. A new metal roof has been installed, windows and doors have been replaced, and a porch has been added. This structure will become the Center's office during the first quarter of 2001.

Fayette Heritage Museum and Archives

Email:
Website: http://lagrange.fais.net/museum/
Hours: Closed Monday; Tue.-Thurs. 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Fri. 1-5 p.m.; Sat. 10 a.m.-1 p.m.; Sun. 1 p.m.-5 p.m.

The Fayette Heritage Museum and Archives' mission is to interpret the history of Fayette County through the preservation and care of artifacts for use in displays, education, public service and research. The Museum Archives house an extensive collection of local history materials including genealogical information. Changing exhibits focus on different aspects of Fayette County history. From census records, cemetery indexes and marriage indexes to newspapers dating back to 1844, the Museum Archives offers a wealth of information to its visitors.

This museum is the former home of Nathaniel Faison, a veteran of the Mier Expedition. The home has been authentically restored and includes furnishings from the Victoria era such as the Knabe piano brought from the East Coast and a pharmaceutical display case.

Lake Jackson Historical Museum

E-mail:
Web site: lakejacksonmuseum.org
Hours: Tues. thru Sat. 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sun. 1-5 p.m. Closed Mondays and major holidays.

Four eras are depicted: Prehistoric and Native American, Plantation life, petrochemical industry; birth and growth of modern day Lake Jackson. Exhibits include the Windeck Eagle, forerunner to the stealth technology airplanes, a aircraft simulator, a 1940s living room complete with a working radio playing 1940's radio shows, and historic photographs.

Sea Center Texas

Website: www.tpwd.state.tx.us/fish Hours: Tues.-Fri. 9 a.m.4 p.m.; Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sun. 1-4 p.m.

Brazos Valley Railroad Museum

Lake Jackson

Email:
Hours: Sat. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. and by appointment.

Abner Jackson Plantation Site
FM 2004
Near Lake Jackson

Email:
Website: www.lakejacksonmuseum.org

Displays include an exhibit on the Nordheim brass band, antique furniture and miscellaneous pieces such as a camels tooth, etc.

Palacios Area Historical Association Museum

or
Hours: Open Fridays 10am - 4pm, Saturday 10am - 4pm, Sunday 2pm - 4pm, Special tours by appointment -

Calhoun County Museum

E-mail:
Website: calhouncountymuseum.tripod.com
Hours: Tues.-Wed., 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Thur.-Fri. 10:30 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sat. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

A lens from the Matagorda Island Lighthouse built in 1852 is one of the exhibits at the Calhoun County Museum. This lens is a Third Order Fresnel Lens on loan from the U.S. Coastguard. The keystone of it's collection is the exhibit of artifacts from La Salle's ship, La Belle. Also on display is a diorama depicting the seaport of Indianola prior to the 1875 and 1886 storms which caused her demise, as well as many other items donated by Calhoun County residents.

Refugio County Museum

Fax:
Hours: Tues.Fri. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sat. 1 to 5 p.m.

A wide range of exhibits include an Irish immigrants study, bit and spur collection, oil field objects, mission bell and study, a replica of Refugio (1920s), newspapers dating from late 1800s and a vintage Model T Ford (1925). The museum is housed in a historic home built in 1876. Photo archives and genealogical information are available upon request.

Fort Bend Museum

E-mail:
Website: fortbendmuseum.org
Hours: Tues. Fri. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sat. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sun. 1 to 5 p.m. Closed on Monday.

Museum offers a variety of family learning experiences that include Gallery Tours, school programs, classes and special events. Two historic house museums, including the Long-Smith Cottage owned by Jane Long, are available for tours as part of museum visits. Walking tour maps and information about the adjacent Richmond Historic District also available. The museum has a photo archive that is accessible.

George Ranch Historical Park

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Fax:
E-mail:
Website: www.georgeranch.org
Hours: Tues.-Sat., 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

A 480-acre living history park set in the middle of a 23,00-acre ranching historic site settled in 1824. Visitors experience hands-on activities of more than a century of rural Texas history. Includes Austin Colony log cabin farm of the 1830s, an African-American sharecroppers farm of the 1890s and working ranches of the 1890s and 1930s.

Texas Maritime Museum

Fax:
Email:
Website: www.texasmaritimemuseum.org
Hours: Tues.-Sat. 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sun. 1-4 p.m.

Themes of the museum feature the History and development of Texas seaports, maritime communities and maritime commerce along the Texas waterways; exploration and settlement history of the Texas Gulf Coast including the roles of Spanish and French exploration efforts; immigrant settlement in Texas; history and technology of offshore petroleum exploration, production and transportation; commercial and recreational fishing in Texas waters including shrimping and shellfishing. Past exhibits: GIWW Exhibit June 1999 and Captain Abdul's Pirate School (traveling exhibit) Sept. -Dec. 1999.

Rosenberg Railroad Museum

07

Fax:
Email:
Website: www.texasrailtrail.com/members.html
Hours: Tues.-Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sun. 1-5 p.m. Closed Monday.

Railroading! Exhibits at this museum will include a diorama depicting the history of Fort Bend County's railway lines plus an audio/video narrative, an agent/operator's bay window, the Rosenberg Tower, a Quebec 1879 Railcar and a Railroad Depot.

Henkel Square Museum Village and Shop

Email:
Website: http://www.texaspioneerarts.org/
Hours: Thurs. through Sun. Noon -5 p.m. or by appointment

Winedale Historical Center

Email:
Website: www.cah.utexas.edu
Hours: Mon.-Fri. 8 a.m. 5 p.m.; Sat. 10 a.m. 5 p.m.; Sunday Noon to 5 p.m. or by appointment.

International Festival Institute
Hwy 237 at Jaster Rd

Website:
Hours: By appointment. Docent-led tours only.

Contains the David W. Guion Archive and Americana Collection. Guion was the arranger of "Home Sweet Home." Decorative arts from Europe and Sweden are also on exhibit and tours of the Herb Garden can be arranged.

Round Top Area Historical Society Museum

Hours: Sat.-Sun. Noon3 p.m. or by appointment.

Structure was originally a blacksmith shop and then rebuilt in the 1940s. Exhibits include photos from glass plates by Recknagel (1890s-1920s), farming tools, a history of Round Top, black memorabilia from Connerville and the black school in Round Top. A Fayette County History book and other reference material is available for research.

J.J. Josey General Store Museum
San Felipe State Historic Site

or
Website: www.sfahpa.org
Hours: Sat. 9:30 a.m.5 p.m.; Sun 1-5 p.m.

Museum has a replica of the Stephen F. Austin cabin, including Stephen F. Austins desk (where colonial records were signed), ledgers, books, papers, and related period artifacts. The old store has period lighting fixtures, counters, and glass showcases filled with items that would be sold in the early days including buttons, bottles, nails, irons and bridle bits.

Navidad Valley Heritage Museum

Website: www.sfahpa.org
Hours: Open by appointment

Exhibits depict early days of this German/Czech Community including an 1853 fire cart, a 1903 stand pipe, an ice machine that used ammonia to freeze ice, baggage train cart from the Southern Pacific Railroad depot, arrow points from local farms, old radios, tools, and high top shoes from the Oscar Wolter Store dating from the 1900s, scrapbooks and clippings that contain genealogical information.

Stanzel Model Aircraft Museum

Email:
Website: www.stanzelmuseum.org
Hours: Mon., Weds., Fri. and Sat. 10:30 a.m. 4:30 p.m.; Sun. 1:30-4:30 p.m. Closed Tues. and Thurs.

Museum depicts lives of two brothers, Victor and Joe Stanzel, whose dreams of flying turned into a hobby and later a successful toy business. They obtained more than 20 patents including one for a single-line control devise that revolutionized model airplane flying. Exhibits include the original Tiger shark, the first single-line control model. Hands-on exhibits include learning how air pressure gives airplanes their lift, and another that shows how an engine works.

Daniel Haynes moved to Sealy in 1881 and entered the mattress business in 1885. His first patent was taken out in 1889. He sold his first factory and built this one in 1909 that includes the original machinery and equipment. Haynes is known for his construction and patent of the "Sealy Mattress".

Sealy Heritage Park/Santa Fe Park Museum
Main and Silliman Streets

or
Fax:
Hours: Open by appointment

Artifacts from the early days of Sealy and Austin County are displayed, some back to when the town was part of San Felipe de Austin, Colonial Capital of Texas. Exhibits include a collection of memorabilia from Huey Long, one of the original Ink Spots, including a guitar, personal photos and other items. The complex also includes the old Sealy jail, one of the original settler's prairie home and a railroad caboose.

Fiedler Museum at Texas Lutheran University
College of Arts and Humanities

Fax:
Hours: By appointment

Fiedler Museum in Langner Hall on the campus of Texas Lutheran University has a number of geological displays. The Fiedler Memorial Rock Garden just outside the Langner Hall displays rocks from across the state. It is open at all times and trail guides are available just outside the gate.

Los Nogales Museum
East Live Oak and South River Streets

Hours: By appointment

Los Nogales (Spanish for walnuts) was built in 1849 of adobe from dirt dug to form the cellar. After the Civil War, it was used by members of the Freedmen's Bureau and today serves as a museum. On display are Texas historical documents, photos and furniture, artifacts from early settlers of Seguin, photos, a cannon, an extensive collection of sad irons, period clothing, sewing machines, and gas light from the Kippenstein Opera House.

Sebastopol House State Historic Site
Texas Parks and Wildlife

Email:
Hours: Fri.-Sun. 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

Built in the early 1850s, this structure is also known as the Zorn Home. It is fronted by a traditional high-columned porch and is constructed of limecrete, an early form of concrete. It was recently restored by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to its mid-to-late 1870s- appearance with period furnishings. Exhibits recount original construction and restoration processes, plus a history of the house.

Edwin Wolters Memorial Museum

Hours: Mon.-Fri. 8 a.m.-5 p.m.; Second and fourth Sun. 2 p.m.-5 p.m., closed holidays. Guided tours available.

The Wolters Museum is housed in a historical house. Also located on the grounds is the Herder House. There are a wide variety of exhibits on display. A natural history display includes alligator jaws, various specie eggs, mineral and rock collection and an arrow head collection. A military exhibit from World War I and World War II includes armory, uniforms, and other war memorabilia. A ranching exhibit includes items used on trail drives. Also a display of farming implements from the early local history. A local photo archive and genealogical information -"The First 100 Years"- is available upon request.

Ehlers Cigar Factory and William Green Home

Hours: Mon.-Fri. 8 a.m. 5 p.m. Guided tours 1-4 p.m.. Mon., Fri., and Sat.

Louis Ehlers began making cigars in Round Top and Shelby, then opened his first cigar factory in Industry in 1881. After 13 years he relocated to Shiner, a town with railroad service. Exhibits include a tobacco shredder, cigar molds, boxes, labels, smoker's pipes, photos and other memorabilia from the Cigar Factory. The William Green Home located next to the factory is an example of a late 1800s pioneer home converted from a dog-trot cabin. Items on display include an immigrant trunk, wardrobes, clothing, stone fireplace, kitchen utensils, and other items that depict pioneer life in the 1800s. At Christmas, the home is decorated as it would have been by a pioneer family in the 1800s.

Museum of Southern History

Hours: Tues.-Fri. 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sat. and Sun. 1-4 p.m.

Museum exhibits include art, artifacts, displays from the mid-1800s including furnishings, dress, guns, medical history, Terry Texas Rangers, an original sharecropper's cabin.

Children's Discovery Museum

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Website: www.childrensdiscoverymuseum.com
Hours: Weds-Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sun., 1-5 p.m.

McNamara Historical Museum

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Website: www.victoriaregionalmuseum.com

Hours: Tues.-Sun. 1-5 p.m. Closed Monday. Museum opens September 2003.

The McNamara Historical Museum features an 1876 period house and interprets the life of a middle class Texas merchant family through household displays. In addition to furnishings, the house contains collections of Texana, documents, and artifacts from the Spanish, Mexican, and Texan periods.

Museum of the Coastal Bend
The Victoria College

Website: www.museumofthecoastalbend.org
Hours: Tues.-Sat. 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

The Museum of the Coastal Bend engages visitors in the intriguing story of the region Where Texas History Began. Permanent exhibitions include Early Peoples of the Texas Coastal Bend, featuring archaeological artifacts from up to 12,000 years ago, and a component of the seven-museum La Salle Odyssey Project, presenting the story of the first French settlement on Texas soil, Fort Saint Louis.

Fine arts museum housed in a Greco-Roman style hall that features the work of Royston Nave, a native Texan recognized in New York art circles in the 1920s. The museum contains contemporary art, sculptures and traveling exhibits.

Sterling McCall Old Car Museum

Hours: Thurs.-Fri. 10 a.m.- 4 p.m.; Sat.-Sun. 10 a.m. 5 p.m.

Exhibits include Colorado County letters and documents dating from 1824-1858, military memorabilia (Civil War through Desert Storm), a collection of German/Czech religious items and other artifacts relating to the immigrant settlers in the area, and a collection of textiles, representative of the area between 1890-1970, a collection of city maps (1896-1940), an 1835 of Colorado County, periodicals, records, sheet music, and show calendars (1886-1986), oral histories of the area, a photo archive and repository for genealogy information.

Columbia Historical Museum

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Website: www.westcolmbia.org/museum.html
Hours: Wed.-Sat. 9 am to 2 p.m., or by appointment

West Columbia served as the First Capitol of the Republic in 1836. Exhibits include artifacts ranging as far back as the Texas Revolutionary Period. Numerous images of the building in which Sam Houston took the oath of office as the first president of Texas are on display.

Steamboat travel prevailed on the Brazos River in the early 1800's. Bells, paintings, photos, and papers give evidence of the trade and pleasure on once grand steamboats.

An entire room is dedicated to early East Columbia, originally named Marion, founded by Josiah H. Bell in 1926. Paintings and photographs of early homes and a diorama of the 1907 water front give hints of a bustling past.

In the Family Room, lighted display cabinets house items from the joys of childhood through the grief of death, all dealing with the time period from the earliest Victorian days to the mid-1930s

Standing cabinets house quilts dating back to the early 1800's. The economy of the area has depended on farms, ranches, and oil. Exhibits include articles from the West Columbia Oil Field and ranches, still vital businesses.

Varner-Hogg Plantation State Historical Park on 65 acres was donated to the state in 1957 by Miss Ima Hogg, daughter of the early-day governor, and was dedicated/opened on March 24, 1958, the 107th birthday of Governor James S. Hogg.

The completely furnished old plantation manor was the home of Governor James S. Hogg. It pictures colonial life in the early days of Texas (1835-50), established by Martin Varner, member of Stephen F. Austin's "Old Three Hundred." The park is located on Varner Creek, which was used to transport sugar to market from the sugar mill once located on the site. The first rum distillery in Texas was established in 1829 by Varner.

Activities include historical interpretation, picnicking, birdwatching, fishing within 6 miles and the Plantation Home Museum. Annual events include June Teenth Reunions, a Christmas Celebration on the first weekend in December with Christmas tours held throughout December. The interpretive barn (1920s) is open daily, and tours are given each Sunday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. free of charge.

Wharton County Museum

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Website: www.whartoncountymuseum.com
Hours: Mon.-Fri. 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m; Sat-Sun 1-5 p.m. Guided tours at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. during museum hours.

Archaeology exhibits date from the Prehistoric and Republic of Texas periods, including an 1822 inscribed powderhorn created by John C. Clark, exhibits on native son authors Horton Foote and Dan Rather; and two recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor for Valor, David Hutchins (WWII) and Roy Benavidez (Vietnam), and a trophy collection of world class wild animals. A soon to be open wing will be devoted to Texas Gulf Sulphur Co. and the town of Newgulf, site of the world's largest sulphur deposit.

The grounds also include the home of Dan Rather, award winning CBS news anchor, foreign correspondent, and author.

Yoakum Heritage Museum

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Hours: Tues., Thurs., Fri. 1-5 p.m.; Sun. 2-5 p.m.

Exhibits include a leather room featuring tooled leather saddles, belts, stirrups and more from local leather industry, railroad memorabilia from the Southern Pacific Line, bud vases carved from more than 100 varieties of wood, military artifacts from World War II, and a listing of Spanish American War Veterans and the Yoakum Room, which features information on the development of the City of Yoakum. A spectacular Christmas Tree Forest is created throughout the museum for entire month of December.

Yorktown Historical Museum

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Hours: Thurs. and Sun. 2:30-4:30 p.m. or by appointment

The early history and lifestyle of Texas are displayed in exhibits featuring early household items, furnishings, sewing and washing machines, clothes, antique farm machinery, saddles, planters, and tools. A 100 year old baby grand piano and other musical instruments, a radio and toys are included in the exhibits. Indian artifacts, arrowheads, archeological specimens (local - including a mastodon tooth) give the visitor a view of life before early settlement of the region. A pictorial view of early settlers, parades, homes, schools, organizations, churches is also available.