Bay Area Museum facts for kids
| Established | 1901 |
|---|---|
| Location | Clear Lake Park |
| Type | Local history museum |
| Key holdings | Mementos of the U.S. space program |
| Founder | Maggie Plumb DeNike |
The Bay Area Museum is a cool place in Clear Lake Park, which is in Seabrook, Texas, USA. It's part of the Clear Lake area, near Houston. This museum shows off different exhibits that tell the story of the local area. It also keeps special items from the Lunar Rendezvous festival. This festival celebrates the region's connection to space exploration. This is because the Johnson Space Center is located nearby!
History of the Museum Building
The building that is now the Bay Area Museum has a long history! It was built in 1901 by the Webster Presbyterian Church in Webster, Texas. Their first church building was destroyed by a terrible storm called the 1900 Galveston hurricane. So, they built this new one.
In 1936, the church added more rooms. These included a stage, a meeting hall, and a kitchen. For many years, this was the only church in Webster. It was a very important place for many community events.
Later, the Webster Presbyterian Church built a newer, more modern church. The old building started to get old and worn out.
In 1979, a person named Maggie Plumb DeNike had a great idea. She was the founder of the Lunar Rendezvous festival. She worked with others to ask permission to move the old church building to Clear Lake Park. They bought the building from the church.
The building was moved about 6.5 miles (10.5 km) from its original spot. After a lot of hard work to fix it up, the museum officially opened on July 17, 1984. Sharon Dillard was the first president of the museum, serving from 1984 to 1986.
Inside the museum, you can find many interesting things. These include special items from the U.S. space program. Some of these were given by Lady Bird Johnson and other generous people.
How the Museum is Run
When the museum first started, it was managed by a President and a Board of Trustees. Today, the museum is run and taken care of by the Bay Area Museum Guild. This group has almost 200 members!
The Guild works hard to let everyone know about the museum. They want people to learn about its facilities, what it does, and what it needs.
Events and Programs
The old church sanctuary and the added rooms are available for small private events. These include things like weddings. The museum also hosts meetings and events for the Museum Guild.
The museum is also the home of the annual Lunar Rendezvous festival. This festival started in 1965. It has been celebrated at the museum since the museum opened in 1984. The festival is an important way for the museum to get money to keep running.
