Cleburne This is Texas 57
before Thanksgiving , offer not only the amenities of the museum , but also Civil War re-enactments , Old West gunfights , local historians , live music and more .
Layland Museum / Lowell Smith Sr . History Center
Layland Museum , 201 . N . Caddo St ., provides the crown jewel in the city ’ s evolving plans to create a museum and cultural district .
Built in 1905 and housed in the historic Carnegie Building , the site originally housed the Cleburne Public Library , which is now at 302 W . Henderson St .
A 1963 gift from the family of William J . Layland , which consisted of almost 500 ethnographic items , led to creation of the Layland Museum . Since then , numerous donations and acquisitions have substantially increased the museum ’ s collection .
The museum ’ s mission is to celebrate and preserve home and family life as well as the history of Cleburne and the region .
The Layland is housed in one of the few extant Carnegie buildings and worth a visit for the architecture as much as the exhibits .
“ We ’ re also one of the few home and life museums in the region and we house many important artifacts and a wealth of research material covering local and area history that you won ’ t be able to find elsewhere .
“ We rotate exhibits on a regular basis to keep things fresh . We also have something for all ages through our year round activities and programs .”
The Layland also offers a variety of programs and activities throughout the year and changing exhibits throughout the year .
Museum hours are 10 a . m . to 5 p . m . Tuesdays through Fridays and 10 a . m . to 4 p . m . Saturdays . For information , call 817-556-8840 or visit laylandmuseum . com .
The adjacent Lowell Smith Sr . History Center has helped to greatly advance the Layland Museum ’ s mission .
Built in 1914 , the Smith History Center ’ s building previously housed grocery stores and automobile dealerships . Classic automobiles , gas pumps and other memorabilia now fill the Smith History Center ’ s front window display , a nod toward the building ’ s former life .
Although it ’ s neither a museum itself nor a replacement for Layland , the Smith History Center supports and complements the museum .
The center serves multiple functions with the majority of space dedicated to archival storage . While off-limits to the public , that area allows the Layland to better preserve artifacts and provides much needed storage space . The archives also make it easier to change exhibits in the Layland .
The Smith History Center also includes the Gillespie Library , a reference library , which is available by appointment , and a fully stocked kitchen , known as the Armadillo Room . The Armadillo Room features space for the center ’ s ongoing cultural cooking and demonstration classes .
The space also doubles as a room for lectures and educational programs .
The Layland likewise offers a variety of activities and programs throughout the year for all ages . Two popular favorites include summer programs for children and the museum ’ s concert-in-thepark series held in Hulen Park .