THE HOPPS MUSEUM

The history of Southwestern Adventist University lives at the Hopps Museum, located across the street from the Mizpah Gate.

From photographs of the University’ s founding fathers to the stories behind the museum’ s artifacts, the Hopps Museum’ s rare items on display help give this memorial to Keene its special flavor.

A donation from the Hopps family, the Hopps Museum was erected in honor of the founding families of Keene and Keene Industrial Academy, the school that began in 1893 and eventually became Southwestern Adventist University. It was built to resemble the“ Normal Building,” a building on the Southwestern campus where potential teachers were trained from 1912 to the 1950s. It stands on the site where the Hopps family owned and operated a store for many years. Construction of the museum was completed in 1998.

— Michael Ulrich list will include 200 items per page.

The Museum offers the unique and rewarding opportunity to quarry in an extremely rich bone bed, where the remains of several upper Cretaceous dinosaurs are being found. The project provides an exciting experience in the quarrying techniques and the joy of discovery for all participants.

Museum hours

The museum is closed Saturday and Sunday. It is open from 9 a. m. until 5 p. m. Monday through Thursday; and 9 a. m. until 4 p. m. Friday.

THE THOMSEN OBSERVATORY

Open to the public the first and third Friday nights each month, Southwestern Adventist University’ s Thomsen Observatory has been a gateway to the cosmos since 1984. Founded through the generosity of alums Dennis and Connie Dickerson and the efforts of academic dean Hal Wright and physics professor Roy Campbell, the observatory’ s name honors the memory of Eugene V. Thomsen, a modern languages professor and formerly Southwestern’ s academic dean. It offers a unique space for both students and the DFW community to explore astronomy.

Equipped with an incredibe 10-inch refractor telescope in its dome, and a dozen other scopes in its roll-off, the Thomsen Observatory offers visitors an immersive astronomical experience, whether through direct eyepiece viewing or advanced astrophotography. The observatory hosts free“ Star Parties” at 425 Linden Lane on the first and third Friday evenings of each month, weather permitting, beginning at sunset. These gatherings provide an opportunity for enthusi-