Texas Museums And Historic Attractions Offer Updated Exhibits

Even if you’ve been to the San Jacinto Museum, or ridden the Texas State Railroad before, you’ll find new artifacts and multimedia features.

By Marika FlattDecember 13, 2018 10:00 am,

Texas historical sights, museums and attractions are always adding updates to keep the experience fresh for new and returning visitors alike.

In East Texas, the historic Texas State Railroad takes riders on a four-hour rail journey through the Piney Woods. Now, travelers can also enjoy a new dimension to the ride – a soundtrack. The railroad’s soundtrack is coupled with narration about the train and the journey and features a selection of vintage railroad music and classic Western tunes.

The railroad worked for a year to put together the tunes, including everything from blues, rockabilly, and country classics alongside milepost high points and local railroad lore.

In South Texas, the San Jacinto Museum of History just opened a new exhibit, “Big Energy: A Texas Tale of People Powering Progress.” It explores how the opening of the Shell refinery in Deer Park nearly nine decades ago transformed the town, and how the growth of the petrochemical industry along the Houston Ship Channel continues to impact the region.

The exhibit is interactive, featuring lots of multimedia displays and interactive touchscreens. It was designed to be understandable for middle-schoolers but also entertaining for adults and all sorts of families. It’ll be on display throughout the next year.

Further inland is the Chisholm Trail Heritage Museum in Cuero. It’s holding a few fun events around the holidays. The Chisholm Trail Heritage Museum was first established in the year 2000 in an effort to connect modern Texans with the lives of their pioneering ancestors.

The museum’s board spent 14 years and almost $2.5 million to renovate and rehabilitate an historic two-story building. It opened in 2013 and tells the stories of the great cattle drives of the late 19th century.

You can learn more about these and other Texas destinations in the travel issue of Texas Lifestyle magazine.