East Texas culture has been preserved across the region in museums. You don’t have to leave the Pineywoods to experience the last of the Deep South. MYETX has compiled a list of East Texas Museums for you. Visit a museum in East Texas this year and get connected to East Texas culture.
Museum for East Texas Culture
400 Micheaux
Palestine, Texas
The Museum for East Texas Culture is the premier historic repository in Palestine. The museum offers historical venues and artifacts, multiple learning opportunities and hosts cultural events that both enhance and engage the community. READ MORE
East Texas Oil Museum
Hwy. 259 at Ross St.
Kilgore, Texas
The East Texas Oil Museum at Kilgore College is a tribute to the independent oil producers and wildcatters, to the men and women who dared to dream as they pursued the fruits of free enterprise. READ MORE
Atlanta Historical Museum
101 N. East Street
Atlanta, Texas
This museum features exhibits from the 1850s through the 20th century, and covers the development of the Atlanta area. Featured displays include railroad equipment, military artifacts and an exhibit about Bessie Coleman, the world’s first licensed black pilot. READ MORE
Texas Country Music Hall of Fame
300 W. Panola St.
Carthage, Texas
Honoring the best of Texas country music, inductees to this museum include Willie Nelson, Tex Ritter, Gene Autry and many more. An annual talent showcase searches out new music talent, and every Saturday has a Country and Gospel music hayride. Open Monday through Saturday. READ MORE
1891 Panola County Jail
211 N. Shelby St
Carthage, Texas
Built in a restored 1891 jail, this building houses the Panola Family History Center, a Law-Enforcement and Pioneer Museum, and an East Texas Oral History archive. Also on hand is a Veterans Memorial for American Armed Service men from 1776 to present day. Open Sundays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. READ MORE
Depot Museum and Children’s Discovery Center
541 North High St.
Crockett, Texas
The Depot Museum Complex features 11 historic structures including an 1843 log cabin, an outhouse, a dog trot home, a syrup mill and an oil derrick. The Children’s Discovery Center offers over 200 hands-on and interactive activities for children aged five to ten. Hours of operation are Monday-Friday 9am-5pm and Saturday 9am-1pm.
Flight of the Phoenix Aviation Museum
Hangar One
Gilmer, Texas
Covering over 6,000 sq. ft., this museum features exhibits of commercial and military aircraft, and highlight local area pilot who flew in the armed forces. Displays on hand include a recreation of the Piper Cub that flew Smokey the Bear to Washington D.C. and WWII-era training aircraft. READ MORE
Depot Museum and Children’s Discovery Museum
514 North High St.
Henderson, Texas
Built around a restored 1901 railroad depot, this museum features buildings and artefacts from the region dating back to the 1840s. A hands-on learning center will occupy children from ages 3 to 11. Open Monday through Saturday. READ MORE
Sam Houston Memorial Museum
Sam Houston Avenue and 19th St
Huntsville, Texas
A museum dedicated to the life of Sam Houston, first President of the Republic of Texas. The site features a recreation of several homes that Houston lived in, as well as exhibits and artifacts from his military and political careers. READ MORE
Texas Prison Museum
491 SH 75 North
Huntsville, Texas
The Texas Prison Museum offers an intriguing glimpse into the lives of the state’s least-loved citizens. The museum features numerous exhibits detailing the history of the Texas prison system, both from the point of view of the inmates as well as the men and women who worked within the prison walls. READ MORE
Jefferson Historical Museum
223 West Austin St.
Jefferson, Texas
Exhibits on display in this museum include Civil War artefacts, rare china, a gun and weapon collection and personal papers from Sam Houston. Step back in time to the early days of east Texas. Open daily from 9:30 to 5 except holidays. READ MORE
Scarlett O’Hardy’s Gone With the Wind Museum
408 Taylor Street
Jefferson, Texas
A shrine to the Pulitzer Prize winning novel and the Academy Award winning movie Gone With the Wind, this museum contains 1,700 sq. ft of displays. Reproduction of costumes, memorabilia and posters from the movie and collectables are all on hand. Open Thursday-Saturday 10am-5pm. READ MORE
The Longview Museum of Fine Arts
215 E. Tyler St.
Longview, Texas
Host to a permanent collection of approximately 300 pieces of art, including works from Pablo Picasso and Georges Rouault, The Longview Museum of Fine Arts also features a number of displays of local artists and travelling exhibits. A number of special events are held throughout the year, and art classes are available. READ MORE
Texas Forestry Museum
1905 Atkinson Dr.
Lufkin, Texas
The Texas Forestry Museum is one of the largest museums of its kind. Featured exhibits include a paper mill room, sawmill town exhibit, logging locomotive and depot, forest fire lookout tower, modern management practices and an urban wildscape trail. READ MORE
Museum of East Texas
503 North 2nd St.
Lufkin, Texas
Seven women had a dream in 1972- a dream to transform the burned out shell of the former St. Cyprian’s Episcopal Church into an arts and historical center for the children and families of East Texas. Housed in a historic 1905 church, the Museum contains an extensive collection of paintings and sculptures produced by East Texas artists as well as American, Latin American, and European masters. READ MORE
Marshall Texas & Pacific Railway Museum
800 N. Washington
Marshall, Texas
Built in a reconstructed railway depot, this museum covers the history of the region’s rail network. In addition to a restored caboose, a replica of a railroad agent’s office and equipment are on display. Model trains recreate the old Texas & Pacific route. READ MORE
Michelson Museum of Art
216 North Bolivar Street
Marshall, Texas
This museum highlights the work of Leo Michelson, and features over 1,000 of his paintings, drawings and sketches. Other collections in the museum feature a display of African masks, and a general collection of paintings, lithographs and sculptures. READ MORE
The Stone Fort Museum
Stephen F. Austin State University at Griffith Boulevard
Nacogdoches, Texas
The fort on the campus of SFASU started its life as a magnificent Spanish Colonial house. Built by Antonio Gil Y’Barbo sometime between 1788 and 1791 on the Camino Real, the house weathered four revolutionary actions, acquiring its nickname the “Old Stone Fort” along the way. READ MORE
USS Orleck Southeast Texas War Museum
400 Front St.
Orange, Texas
The USS Orleck is a Gearing class destroyer that saw action in three American wars. It now serves as a war memorial and museum and is being restored to its original conditions. Visitors can tour much of the ship and its decks. The ship is open to the public seven days a week. READ MORE
Stark Museum of Art
712 Green Ave.
Orange, Texas
A large collection of American West paintings, sculptures and decorative arts are on display in this museum, including a section devoted to Native American art. The museum also has a number of original works from James J. Audubon, renowned ornithologist and artist. READ MORE
Sam Bell Maxey House State Historic Site
812 South Church St.
Paris, Texas
This former home of Confederate General Samuel Bell Maxey has been restored and furnished to reflect the style of an 1860s Victorian home. The facility is open for tours Sunday through Saturday 9am to 4 pm. Admission fees are $3.00 adults, $2.00 students/seniors, group rates available. READ MORE
William and Elizabeth Hayden Museum of American Art
930 Cardinal Lane
Paris, Texas
The four galleries of this museum are geared towards art education. Exhibits include local works, American art covering American history, and a special focus on Louisianan and Native American art. Appointments are required for a viewing of the gallery.
The Museum of the Gulf Coast
701 4th St.
Port Arthur, Texas
See the history of the Gulf Coast in this 39,000 sq. ft. museum, which is anchored by a 125 foot long mural depicting the region from pre-historical times to modern day. Other exhibits include local artists, and a display of glass, crystal and porcelain artifacts from around the world. READ MORE
Heritage Center of Cherokee County
208 Henderson St.
Rusk, Texas
County-wide museum located in Rusk, county seat of Cherokee County. Collections include timber industry, military uniforms/history, New Birmingham ghost town, Rusk College,rural home life displays, photo collection documenting county history, largest arrowhead collection on display in East Texas, Caddo Indian artifacts. READ MORE
Mission Nuestra Senora de los Dolores de los Ais
701 S Broadway
San Augustine, Texas
Built in 1717, this is one of east Texas’s oldest Spanish missions. It now serves as a historical center with exhibits from Spanish colonial times, walking trails and an RV park. Open Tuesday through Saturday. READ MORE
Texarkana Museum of Regional History
219 N. State Line Avenue
Texarkana, Texas
The Texarkana Museum of Regional History tells the story of the city of Texarkana, situated on the Texas-Arkansas border. Exhibits cover local agriculture, World War II and famous citizens such as Scott Joplin, the father of ragtime music. It also contains the Wilbur Smith Research Library, with a collection of old photos, periodicals and historical documents. READ MORE
Tyler Rose Museum
420 Rose Park Dr.
Tyler, Texas
Tyler is known as the “Rose Capital of America”, and this museum covers the history of how that came to be. Exhibits include artifacts from the Tyler Rose Festival back to 1935, and a look at the rose industry and its continued growth in the area. Over 500 varieties of roses bloom in season in the Tyler Municipal Rose Garden. READ MORE
East Texas culture has been preserved across the region in museums. You don’t have to leave the Pineywoods to experience the last of the Deep South. MYETX has compiled a list of East Texas Museums for you. Visit a museum in East Texas this year and get connected to East Texas culture.
