List of museums in East Texas facts for kids

This article was split from List of museums in Texas

The Texas & Pacific Depot's Railway Museum

The list of museums in Texas encompasses museums defined for this context as institutions (including nonprofit organizations, government entities, and private businesses) 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 (i.e., virtual museums) are not included. Also included are non-profit art galleries and exhibit spaces.

East Texas

East Texas is a region in the U.S. state of Texas, that borders the entire Louisiana state line on the east, Arkansas on the northeast near Texarkana, and Oklahoma on the north. It includes all or parts of 49 counties and contains the regions known as the Texas Piney Woods, and Deep East Texas.

Counties included are Anderson, Angelina, Bowie, Camp, Cass, Cherokee, Delta, Franklin, Gregg, Hardin, Harrison, Henderson, Hopkins, Houston, Jasper, Jefferson, Lamar, Marion, Morris, Nacogdoches, Newton, Orange, Panola, Polk, Rains, Red River, Rusk, Sabine, San Augustine, San Jacinto, Shelby, Smith, Titus, Trinity, Tyler, Upshur, Van Zandt, and Wood County, Texas.

Museums

East Texas museums
Museum name	Image	City	County	Type	Summary/Refs
A.C. McMillan African American Museum		Emory	Rains	African America	Area and national African American history, contributions and culture, include the Buffalo Soldiers, Negro Leagues, Rosenwald schools, Jim Crow era, slavery
Alamo Mission Museum of Franklin County		Mount Vernon	Franklin	Local history	Texas history, features a replica of the Alamo Mission
Allan Shivers Library and Museum		Woodville	Tyler	Biographical	Mementos of Governor Allan Shivers
American Freedom Museum		Bullard	Cherokee	Military
Art Museum of Southeast Texas		Beaumont	Jefferson	Art	Emphasis on American and contemporary folk art and craft
Atlanta Historical Museum		Atlanta	Cass	Local history	Exhibits include railroads, commerce, cotton, military, transportation
Babe Didrikson Zaharias Museum		Beaumont	Jefferson	Biographical	Website, Dedicated to famous female athlete, Babe Didrikson Zaharias. Included is a collection of the Babe's trophies and other artifacts.
Batson Oil Patch Museum		Kountze	Hardin	Industry	Open by appointment, oil drilling photos, models, equipment
Beaumont Art League		Beaumont	Jefferson	Art	Art exhibits in the Brown Gallery and Scurlock Gallery
Beaumont Children's Museum		Beaumont	Jefferson	Children's	Website New, temporary location opening Summer, 2015 in the Beaumont Civic Center
Beaumont Police Department Museum		Beaumont	Jefferson	Law enforcement	Open by appointment
Bertha Terry Cornwell Museum of Sour Lake History		Sour Lake	Hardin	Local history
Blackwell House Museum		Canton	Van Zandt	Historic house	Open by appointment, restored late 19th-century house
Brookshire's World of Wildlife Museum and Country Store		Tyler	Smith	Natural history	Operated by Brookshire Grocery Company, features wildlife dioramas and period country store displays
The Brown Estate		Orange	Orange	Historic house	A 20,000 sq ft home built in the style of the Linden Mansion in Natchez, MS surrounded by grounds totaling 88 acres . Open for tours on request. The estate is currently owned by Lamar State College–Orange
Caddo Mounds State Historic Site		Alto	Cherokee	Archaeology	397-acre site, archaeological site used by peoples of the Caddoan Mississippian culture, museum of findings and culture
Calaboose Museum		Kirbyville	Jasper	Local history	Located in a historic jail
Camp Ford		Tyler	Smith	Military	Site of the largest Confederate prisoner camp west of the Mississippi River, official archeological site, historical reconstruction of the Lt. Col J.B. Leake cabin, operated by the Smith County Historical Society
Carnegie History Center		Tyler	Smith	Local history	Operated by the Smith County Historical Society
Center for Earth & Space Science Education		Tyler	Smith	Science	Part of Tyler Junior College, planetarium, exhibits about space
Chambers House		Beaumont	Jefferson	Historic house	Website Operated by the Beaumont Heritage Society, restored for the period 1920 – 1945
Clifton Steamboat Museum		Beaumont	Jefferson	Multiple	Website Limited hours: Open Mondays from 8:30am to 11:30am or on appointment. Various displays covering the Steamboat era, Military including wars fought in Southeast Texas and Louisiana, Art, and Boy Scouts
Colmesneil House		Colmesneil	Tyler	Local history
Cotton Belt Depot Train Museum		Tyler	Smith	Railroad	Built in 1905, Bragg Model Train Collection on permanent display
Depot Museum (Henderson, Texas)		Henderson	Rusk	Open air	Includes East Texas history, folk crafts and 12 historic buildings on five acres
Dewberry Plantation		Tyler	Smith	Historic house	1854 plantation home
Dishman Art Museum		Beaumont	Jefferson	Art	Part of Lamar University, includes contemporary art exhibits, 19th-century paintings and porcelains and objets d'art
Discovery Place Children's Museum		Texarkana	Bowie	Children's
Discovery Science Place		Tyler	Smith	Science	Hands-on science exhibits
Draughon-Moore House		Texarkana	Bowie	Historic house	1885 Italianate Victorian home in a club shape with Edwardian furnishings, NRHP Bowie County, known locally as the Ace of Clubs House
Durst-Taylor House		Nacogdoches	Nacogdoches	Historic house	Mid-19th century period house
Dutch Windmill Museum		Nederland	Jefferson	Local history	Replica of a Dutch windmill with local history and Dutch heritage displays and Tex Ritter artifacts
East Texas Arboretum		Athens	Henderson	Local history	Arboretum with over 2 miles of trails, Wofford House Museum, a pioneer period house
East Texas Oil Museum		Kilgore	Gregg	Industry	Includes re-creation of oil discovery and production in the early 1930s, period boomtown displays, part of Kilgore College
East Texas Regional Art Center		Jasper	Jasper	Art	Operated by the East Texas Art League
Eddie Connor Case Museum		Daingerfield	Morris	Local history
Edison Museum		Beaumont	Jefferson	Biographical	Artifacts and interactive exhibits about Thomas Edison and his inventions
Enloe Museum		Enloe	Delta	Local history	Also known as the Clara Foster Slough Museum, displays include area fossils
Epperson-McNutt House		Jefferson	Marion	Historic house	aka House of the Seasons, listed on NRHP in Marion County, 1870s period Greek Revival house
Ezekiel Cullen House		San Augustine	San Augustine	Historic house	Mid 19th-century house, operated by the Daughters of the Republic of Texas
Fire Museum of Texas		Beaumont	Jefferson	Firefighting	Includes interactive fire safety exhibits and a collection of antique fire equipment
Fire Station Museum		Mount Vernon	Franklin	Local history	Includes local, cultural and natural history artifacts
First Presbyterian Church		Orange	Orange	Architectural Style	Built in classic Greek Revival style, it has the only opalescent dome in the United States It was the public building west of the Mississippi River to have air-conditioning. Open for tours by appointment from September to May.
Flight of the Phoenix Aviation Museum		Gilmer	Upshur	Aviation	Aircraft and equipment of the armed forces, dedicated to honoring veterans, nurturing patriotism, preserving heritage
Gaston Museum		Joinerville	Rusk	Local history	Life in the East Texas Oil Field from the 1930s through 1960s
Gladewater Museum		Gladewater	Gregg	Local history	The museum displays tell the story of Gladewater and the surrounding areas from the early settlement days through the 1930s and beyond.
Goodman-LeGrand House		Tyler	Smith	Historic house	19th-century house with original family furnishings including antique furniture and musical instruments, fine silver and crystal, Limoges china, original clothing
Gregg County Historical Museum		Longview	Gregg	Local history	Located in the Everett Building
Harrison County Historical Museum		Marshall	Harrison	Local history	Located in the old courthouse, county history and culture
Henderson County Historical Museum		Athens	Henderson	Local history
Heritage Center of Cherokee County		Rusk	Cherokee	Local history
Heritage House Museum of Orange County		Orange	Orange	Historic house	Early 20th-century period upper middle class house
Heritage Park Museum of East Texas		Edgewood	Van Zandt	Open air	Includes 20 authentically restored and furnished structures representing rural life in East Texas from the 1800s to the 1920s
Heritage Village		Woodville	Tyler	Open air	Buildings reflect pioneer life from the 19th century to the early 20th century
Historic Aviation Memorial Museum		Tyler	Smith	Aviation	20th century aviation memorabilia and aircraft
Historic Upshur Museum		Gilmer	Upshur	Local history	Area prehistory, settlers, agriculture, Civil War
History Center, TheThe History Center		Diboll	Angelina	Local history	Photographs, archives, oral history,
Hopkins County Museum and Heritage Park		Sulphur Springs	Hopkins	Open air	Includes local history museum and park with over 11 relocated historic houses, shops and mills
Houston County Museum		Crockett	Houston	Local history	Located in the 1909 railroad depot
Howard Dickinson House		Henderson	Rusk	Historic house
Howard House Museum		Palestine	Anderson	Historic house	19th-century period house, open for events and by appointment
Ice House Museum		Silsbee	Hardin	Art	Includes two galleries
Jasper County Historical Museum		Jasper	Jasper	Local history
Jefferson Historical Museum		Jefferson	Marion	Local history	Exhibits include period furniture and decorative arts, Civil War artifacts, weapons, country store items, farm tools, pioneer doctor's instruments, art
Jim Hogg Memorial Park		Rusk	Cherokee	Biographical	City park with replica birthplace house and museum of Governor James Stephen Hogg
John Jay French House		Beaumont	Jefferson	Historic house	Website Operated by the Beaumont Heritage Society, includes 1845 period house, blacksmith shop, tannery, privy and smokehouse
Johnson's Rock Shop and Museum		Livingston	Polk	Geology	Shop and museum with rocks, crystals and fossils
Kirby-Hill House		Kountze	Hardin	Historic house	Open for events and by appointment, early 20th-century house
La Maison Acadienne		Nederland	Jefferson	Local history	Replica of early Acadian homes in South Louisiana, with local French heritage displays
La Maison Beausoleil		Port Neches	Jefferson	Historic house	1810 Cajun architectural style home
Lafayette Street Vintage Vehicles Car Museum		Jefferson	Marion	Automobile	Vintage and antique cars from the 1920s through the 1950s
Lamar County Historical Museum		Paris	Lamar	Local history	Operated by the Lamar County Historical Society
Lennox House		Clarksville	Red River	Historic house	Operated by the Red River County Historical Society
Literary Museum		Gilmer	Upshur	Literary	Memorabilia pertaining to American Presidents, British royalty, American and British authors and characters
Longview Museum of Fine Arts		Longview	Gregg	Art	Focus is contemporary regional art
Majors-Parchman Farmstead		Mount Vernon	Franklin	Historic house	1883 Victorian farmhouse with original outbuildings, a small barn, smokehouse, chicken coop, also called the Parchman House Living Center
Marshall Visual Art Center		Marshall	Harrison	Art	Municipal visual art center
McFaddin-Ward House		Beaumont	Jefferson	Historic house	Beaux-Arts mansion with over 75 years of furnishings
Michelson Museum of Art		Marshall	Harrison	Art	Work of Russian-American artist Leo Michelson, also early 20th century American art, African masks and Chinese Opera puppets
Millard's Crossing Historic Village		Nacogdoches	Nacogdoches	Open air	19th and early 20th-century village on 37 acres
Mineola Historical Museum		Mineola	Wood	Local history	Located in a historic former post office
Mineola Railroad Museum		Mineola	Wood	Railroad	Located in the restored Texas & Pacific railroad station
Miss Jane Library & Museum		Beckville	Panola	Local history
Mission Dolores State Historic Site		San Augustine	San Augustine	Religious	Visitor center, museum and campground with artifacts from the Mission Nuestra Senora de los Dolores de los Ais, one of the Spanish missions in Texas
Monroe-Crook House		Crockett	Houston	Historic house
Mount Vernon Railroad Depot		Mount Vernon	Franklin	Multiple	Museum includes working telegraph and railroad exhibits, model train exhibit, 1902 Studebaker covered wagon; property includes 1880-built log cabin, a syrup press and mill and a blacksmith shop
Monte Verdi Plantation		Cushing	Rusk	Historic house	19th-century plantation
Museum for East Texas Culture		Palestine	Anderson	Local history	Exhibits include settlers and early area history, African American history, firefighting, railroads, historic schoolroom
Museum of East Texas		Lufkin	Angelina	Multiple	Local history and art
Museum of Measurement and Time		Jefferson	Marion	Horology	Displays clocks, land surveying and measuring devices
Museum of Regional History		Texarkana	Bowie	Local history	Exhibits include pre-history, Spanish and French explorers, agriculture, early industry, civil rights, World War II and local music figures
Museum of the Gulf Coast		Port Arthur	Jefferson	Multiple	Heritage of the Gulf Coast including history, natural history, fine and decorative art and popular culture
Nacogdoches Fire Department Museum		Nacogdoches	Nacogdoches	Firefighting	Open by appointment
Nacogdoches Railroad Depot Museum		Nacogdoches	Nacogdoches	Railroad
Naranjo Museum of Natural History		Lufkin	Angelina	Natural history	Dinosaurs and fossils, artifacts of ancient cultures
New London Museum		New London	Rusk	Local history	History and artifacts of the New London School explosion
Newton County Historical Center and Museum		Newton	Newton	Local history
Northeast Texas Rural Heritage Center and Museum		Pittsburg	Camp	Multiple	Two sites with one admission, the Farmstead, a turn-of-the-20th-century farmhouse and farm, and the Cotton Belt Depot with local railroad, cultural, agricultural history and transportation exhibits
Old Jail Arts Center		Mount Vernon	Franklin	Art	Operated by the Franklin County Arts Alliance
Old Jail Library		Carthage	Panola	Multiple	Historic county jail, includes the Old Jail Museum on the 2nd floor, and the Soape Family Museum with displays of local history
Old Mill Pond Museum		Lindale	Smith	History	Also called Parrot Park Agricultural and Heritage Museum, includes historic farm tools and equipment, a pharmacy display, household items, several historic buildings
Old Stone Fort Museum		Nacogdoches	Nacogdoches	Local history	Part of Stephen F. Austin State University, located in a replica late 18th-century building that was a trading post, private home, church, jail and saloon
Old University Building		Nacogdoches	Nacogdoches	Education	Operated by the Nacogdoches Federation of Women's Clubs, exhibits on l9th century education, Confederate Hospital, and community events held in the building
Orangefield Cormier Museum		Orange	Orange	Local history	Representations of 1920s small town life, including a jail, bank, saloon, boarding house, post office, dentist office, school, general store and a soda fountain
Panola County Heritage Museum		Carthage	Panola	Local history
Patricia Huffman Smith NASA “Remembering Columbia” Museum		Hemphill	Sabine	Science	History of the Space Shuttle program
Patterson Museum		Cooper	Delta	Local history
Pelt Farm		Kountze	Hardin	Multiple	Includes folk art painting and other items of rural interest
Plaza Museum		Canton	Van Zandt	Local history	Includes a collection of bells and Native American artifacts
Polk County Memorial Museum		Livingston	Polk	Local history	Exhibits include prehistory, Native Americans, pioneers, industry, agriculture, businesses, culture
Pompeiian Villa		Port Arthur	Jefferson	Historic house	Operated by the Museum of the Gulf Coast, early 20th-century house reminiscent of villas in ancient Pompeii, furnished with 19th century furniture, chandeliers, and fine art
Powell Hotel Museum		Newton	Newton	Local history	Includes history of building as the W.H.Ford Male and Female College and later the Powell Hotel
R. D. Moses Texas & Pacific Model Railroad		Jefferson	Marion	Railroad	Located in the depot building behind the Jefferson Museum, 1950s period HO model train layout of the Texas & Pacific Railroad in West Texas
R. G. LeTourneau Memorial Museum		Longview	Gregg	Industry	Located on the campus of LeTourneau University, displays and archives of R. G. LeTourneau and his work developing earthmoving equipment
Rangerette Showcase and Museum		Kilgore	Gregg	Sports	Part of Kilgore College, memorabilia of the Kilgore College Rangerettes
Red River County Old Jail Museum		Clarksville	Red River	Local history	Planned museum by the Red River County Historical Society
Regional Arts Center		Texarkana	Bowie	Art	Operated by the Texarkana Regional Arts & Humanities Council in the former county courthouse
Rose Hill Manor		Port Arthur	Jefferson	Historic house	Listed on the National Register of Historical Places (#79002986) Early 20th-century (1906) colonial style mansion owned by the city of Port Arthur. Former home of Port Arthur mayor, Rome H. Woodworth. Tours on request 409-985-7292
Sabine County Jail Museum and Vergie Speights Memorial Library		Hemphill	Sabine	Local history	Operated by the Sabine County Historical Society, includes exhibits of Sabine County history, tours of jail cell and gallows
Salt Palace		Grand Saline	Van Zandt	Historic house	House made from solid salt rocks donated by Morton Salt, exhibits include local salt industry and local history
Sam Bell Maxey House State Historic Site		Paris	Lamar	Historic house	19th-century Victorian home of Senator Samuel B. Maxey
Samuel Walker Houston Museum and Cultural Center		Tyler	Smith	African American	Area life for African American after the Civil War, including Samuel Walker Houston
San Jacinto County Old Jail Museum		Coldspring	San Jacinto	Local history	Operated by the San Jacinto County Heritage Society, tours of the historic jail and exhibits of local history
Scarlett O'Hardy's Gone With the Wind Museum		Jefferson	Marion	Media	Artifacts and memorabilia about the Gone With the Wind novel and film
SFA Art Galleries		Nacogdoches	Nacogdoches	Art	Three galleries at Stephen F. Austin State University
Shelby County Historical Society Museum		Center	Shelby	Local history
Singleton’s Virginia Cross		Jefferson	Marion	Historic house	Mid 19th-century Greek Revival home
Southwest Dairy Museum		Sulphur Springs	Hopkins	Agriculture	Dairy farming and dairy products
Spindletop-Gladys City Boomtown Museum		Beaumont	Jefferson	Industry	Part of Lamar University, restored oil boomtown village that show the effects of the Spindletop oil well on the local community
Stark Museum of Art		Orange	Orange	Art	Focus on American Western and Native American art and artifacts
Stark House, W.H.W.H. Stark House		Orange	Orange	Historic house	1920s period house, NRHP
Starr Family Home State Historic Site		Marshall	Harrison	Historic house	Late 19th-century house and historic buildings, reflects 150 years and four generations of one of the most influential political families in the periods of the Republic of Texas and early statehood
Stephen F. Austin State University Galleries		Nacogdoches	Nacogdoches	Art	Griffin Gallery in the Griffiths Fine Arts Building, Ledbetter Gallery and Reavley Gallery in the Cole Art Center, School of Art Gallery in the Lower Art Building
Sterne-Hoya House Museum and Library		Nacogdoches	Nacogdoches	Historic house	Mid 19th-century house associated with Davy Crockett and Sam Houston
T. C. Lindsey and Co. General Store		Jonesville	Harrison	History	Old-fashioned general store and part museum with antiques, rare automobiles, jukeboxes and other memorabilia
Texas and Pacific Railway Museum		Marshall	Harrison	Railroad	Includes a steam locomotive, exhibits on early passenger trains, the large-scale manufacturing functions at the shops, a model train and pull whistle
Texas Artist Museum		Port Arthur	Jefferson	Art	Non-profit art gallery for area artists
Texas Country Music Hall of Fame		Carthage	Panola	Music	Texas country music singers, songwriters, disc jockeys, and others including Tex Ritter
Texas Energy Museum		Beaumont	Jefferson	Industry	Texas oil industry and oil discovery science
Texas Forestry Museum		Lufkin	Angelina	Multiple	Area logging industry, the CCC, the United States Forest Service and forests
Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center		Athens	Henderson	Natural history	Fish hatchery, aquaria, exhibits, Texas Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame museum
Trinity County Museum		Groveton	Trinity	Local history
Tyler Museum of Art		Tyler	Smith	Art	Collection includes works by Terry Allen, David Bates, Vernon Fisher, Melissa Miller, James Surls, other contemporary Texas artists, Mexican folk art
Tyler Rose Museum		Tyler	Smith	Entertainment	History and memorabilia of the Texas Rose Festival
Van Area Oil & Historical Museum		Van	Van Zandt	Local history	Exhibits include truck farming, cotton farming, oil boom history
Van Zandt County Veterans Memorial Museum and Visitors Center		Canton	Van Zandt	Military	Memorial park with aircraft, museum and visitor's center
Vanishing Texana Museum		Jacksonville	Cherokee	Historical	Located at 302 S. Bolton, the museum houses local artifacts from pre-historic thru 1980s. Free admission Saturdays 1:00 - 5:00. Private tours and catered events available.
Whitaker-McClendon House		Tyler	Smith	Historic house	Eastlake Bracketed Victorian period estate, also known as the Bonner-Whitaker-McClendon House, NRHP Smith County, living history tours
White Haven		Port Arthur	Jefferson	Historic house	Early 20th-century (1905) Originally built as a New England colonial style home, but later changed to Southern Greek Revival. Located on the shores of Lake Sabine owned by the Daughters of the American Revolution and maintained by Lamar State College–Port Arthur. The home has several collections. Free tours are available on request 409-984- 6101
Williams House Museum		De Kalb	Bowie	Local history
Wills Point Depot Museum		Wills Point	Van Zandt	Local history	Open by appointment, artifacts from area businesses, institutions, households, agricultural and railroad industries
Vuylsteke Dutch Home		Port Arthur	Jefferson	Historic house	Early 20th-century (1905) Dutch colonial home owned by Lamar State College–Port Arthur. The first Dutch consul in Port Arthur. Tours on request 409-984- 6101