Museum Of South Texas History

Museum Of South Texas History

The Museum of South Texas History is located in Edinburg, Texas. It features exhibits on the history of the Rio Grande Valley, as well as the rest of South Texas and North Eastern Mexican States Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, Tamaulipas.

The Museum, which opened in 1970 as the Hidalgo County Historical Museum, was originally housed in Hidalgo County’s Old Jail, a Texas National Landmark, dating back to 1910. The Museum has since expanded to include three buildings in the town square. Visitors are given an overview of regional history from prehistoric times through to the 20th century.

Collections include a giant prehistoricmosasaur and ice age mammoth, and follow to Coahuiltecan Indians, the Spanish exploration and colonization, the Mexican War, the U.S Civil War, the Steamboat era, and the Cattle Kingdom.

In November of 2007, the final installment to the exhibits was unveiled, River Crossroads. The final stop on the tour, River Crossroads takes the visitor through the prominence of the “Citrus Era,” the turmoil of the Mexican Revolution, and ends the journey with most recent area history.

The Margaret H. McAllen Memorial Archives house the Valley’s largest collection of historical photographs, plus documents and maps, available for research in the expanded quarters.

The Museum Store offers the largest selection of South Texas history books and memorabilia in the Rio Grande Valley.

Pioneer And Ranching Crafts Day Celebrates 30 Years

This was a great pioneer reenactment day! I guess theyve had some practice since this is their 30th year holding this event. There were lots of people in costume and rumor had it that Buffalo Bill was roaming around looking for photo ops.

Pioneer and ranching activity demonstrations were going on all over the facility. You could learn about spinning wool, basket weaving, wood carving, wood burning, making soap and candles, leather work and so much more. Several vendors expressed a sadness that many of these art forms are being lost. They are always encouraging folks, especially young folks, to get involved.

Spinning wool

Cro-hook demonstration

Have you ever made butter? I know I made it both in elementary school and as a Girl Scout. I also made it at home in my cooking heydays many years ago. Its a fun thing for kids to do so this was always one of the activities I shared with the kids in my horse camps. If youve never done it, you should give it a try. It is a very satisfying feeling. If you have kids or grand kids and theyve never made butter, let them make some in a mason jar.

It takes about one to one and a half hours to churn this much cream

The butter is light and creamy

Activities for Kids

Entertainment

There was almost always something happening on the performance stage. Music and dance entertained an enthusiastic crowd. Every now and then, the music inspired a couple in the audience to get up and dance.

Food and Drink

Edinburg: Museum Of South Texas History

Museum of South Texas History

Tom Lea, Unloading the First Cattle in North America, Vera Cruz,1521.

Tom Lea. Cattle on an Early Mexican Hacienda.

Theoriginal Texas cowboys were not American settlers, but Spanish. AsAmerican settlers moved onto the land in the early 1800s, Spanish practiceslike open-range ranching and branding continued in most places, and many longhornswere rounded up and driven up the cattle trails. The Museum of South Texas Historyfeatures expansive exhibits dedicated to the history of cattle ranching andcattle drives in South Texas beginning with Spanish settlement of the area.

Museum of South Texas History

• Hours: Tuesday – Saturday: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., Sunday, 1 – 5 p.m.
• Admission: Adults : $7, Seniors /Active Military/Student : $5, Children : $4
• 200 N Closner Blvd., Edinburg, TX

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What Is There To Do

The Museum Of South Texas lets you uncover the rich history of the Rio Grande Valley, situation between South Texas and Northeastern Mexico.

They will introduce you to things about the area that you had no idea about!

They have prehistoric plants that you can get up close to, and fascinating animal fossils. Can you guess what type of animal the fossil used to be?

You education and insight into this incredible history begins as soon as you walk into the lobby! Have a look at the building itself – the architecture – can you notice the Spanish Colonial style? The chandelier even contains many representations of Southern Texan animals and plants.

In the Rio Grande Legacy exhibition, the story of the region unfolds through state-of-the-art multimedia and unique artifacts, where you can encounter these ancient prehistoric fossils, ancient tools and even relics that were once used on the battlefield! When you look at them, imagine what the battle would have been like? How might they have used these weapons?

Kids can be completely immersed in the experience because sounds and music from the region will play as they walk around the items, including a replica bow of a steamboat and a film theater inside!

The River Crossroads exhibition sees you enter through a very cool replica train station, and here you learn about the century that completely transformed the region! They cover agriculture, wars, and town-building….things that really shaped the entire country that you know today!

List Of Museums In South Texas

The list of museums in South Texas encompasses museums defined for this context as institutions that collect and care for objects of cultural, artistic, scientific, or historical interest and make their collections or related exhibits available for public viewing. Museums that exist only in cyberspace are not included. Also included are non-profit art galleries and exhibit spaces.

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Living History Lessons At The Museum Of South Texas History

Even though south Texas has subtropical weather, that doesnt always mean sunny, blue skies. Such was the case last week when the event I had scheduled for Saturdays post was essentially rained out.* Fortunately, I had planned to attend the Pioneer and Ranching Crafts Day at Museum of South Texas History in Edinburg on Saturday. In contrast to last weeks weather, it was a near perfect day. I burned the midnight oil to get that story ready to publish on Sunday morning.

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Who We Are

For almost 40 years the Museum has chronicled the heritage of South Texas and Northeastern Mexico, preserving its rich history. The Museum has been a part of the community since 1967. It first opened its doors as the Hidalgo County Historical Museum in the old Hidalgo County jail.

In 2003 the Museum completed its expansion, including a 22,500 square foot wing that includes the Museum Store, Grand Lobby, and permanent exhibits. At the time of this expansion, the Museum changed to its present name to reflect its mission to represent the history of the entire region.

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