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museum of the big bend
Dana Jones
CONTINUES TO “TELL
THE STORY”
t
Museum exhibits trace Big Bend history
he Museum of the Big Bend was founded
in 1925. Soon after, Museum founder
Victor Smith designed an 18,000-squarefoot, native-rock building to be its home.
The building was constructed on the Sul Ross
University campus during the 1936 Texas
Centennial, and the Museum resided there for a
number of years before experiencing several location
changes.
In the early 2000s, after a $4.4 million fundraising
campaign, the 1936 rock building was renovated and
new permanent exhibits were installed. In 2007, the
Museum of the Big Bend was able to return to its
original home. Today the Museum’s education
program offers a diverse format of art, history and
cultural topics for children and adults.
Many of the Museum’s exhibits include artifacts
and displays that trace the natural history, human
history and confluence of cultures of the Big Bend
region. The historic Marty and Yana Davis Map
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Collection includes maps dating from as early as
1548. Since 1987, the Museum has hosted the
annual Trappings of Texas Western Art and Cowboy
Gear Exhibit and Sale. Proceeds from this event
support future Trappings events, Museum exhibits
and educational programs.
The Museum has been honored for excellence by
major organizations, including Preservation Texas,
Humanities Texas and the Texas Historical
Commission. Museum publications have won a
number of prestigious Wilder awards for design
excellence.
For ninety years, the Museum of the Big Bend has
continued to “tell the story” of the Davis Mountains
and Big Bend region through its exhibits, speaker
series, adult workshops and children’s programs.
Open Tuesday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sundays
1-5 p.m. Admission is free. Donations are welcome.
Parking is available. For more information, call (432)
837-8730 or visit museumofthebigbend.com. aT