Museum Guide News

Spindletop Boomtown Museum takes visitors back in time to experience what life was like on the hill for the workers, the deal makers, and families who called this area home during the early 20th century boom days. On January 10, 1901 on Spindletop Hill outside of Beaumont, Texas, the Lucas Gusher roared to life. This spectacle ushered in the petroleum age, changing the course of United States history. In the beginning of the 20th century, the Southeast Texas economy, like that of most of the South, relied on subsistence agriculture, but cattle ranching and the lumber business were also important. Large ranches sent cattle to New Orleans, and mills in Beaumont and Orange produced lumber for shipment to the rest of America and overseas. Southeast Texas had another resource – oil – but the amount underground remained a mystery. To the north, settlers near Nacogdoches used seeping oil for lubricants before 1800. In 1847, the settlers at Sour Lake noticed that oil was bubbling to the surface, and after the Civil War Dick Dowling tried unsuccessfully to drill a well near there. There were numerous discoveries in east and central Texas in the later years, especially at Corsicana in 1896. Wildcatters drilled at Spindletop in 1893 and 1896 and at Sour Lake in 1896. However, there was no significant oil production along the Gulf Coast until the gusher at Spindletop in 1901. Total Texas oil production was 836,000 barrels in 1900, a small fraction of national production (63 million barrels). This was the start of the rich history and the oil boom and industry in South East Texas. The Spindletop Boomtown Museum explores all facets and more! Come visit us in Beaumont, TX and explore this amazing exploration and industry!  409-880-1750. Hours: Tuesday - Saturday: 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.Sunday: 1:00 pm - 5:00 p.m. (closed Mondays and major holidays)  https://www.lamar.edu/spindletop-boomtown-museum/spindletop-history/index.html

The National Border Patrol Museum in El Paso, TX is one of a kind in the country and is a must visit! It all started on October 25, 1978, thirty-four Border Patrol Inspectors met in Denver, Colorado. The purpose of the meeting of that visionary group was to establish an organization which they named the “Fraternal Order of Retired Border Patrol Officers” (FORBPO). In addition to the establishment of FORBPO, these officers envisioned a National Border Patrol Museum. The institution that they envisioned would be charged with the collection, preservation, and display of Border Patrol artifacts and history. Thus, the creation of a National Border Patrol Museum, and the collection of artifacts began. A year later, on August 4, 1980, the Secretary of State for the State of Texas issued a Certificate of Incorporation Number 527890-1. This certificate identified the Museum as a tax-exempt entity under Section 501 C (3) of the Internal Revenue Code. On October 1, 1985, the National Border Patrol Museum opened its doors in the basement of the old Cortez building in downtown El Paso, Texas. The museum operated out of this humble facility until 1992 when it was closed due to a dispute with the landlord. Following the closure, the Museum property was stored until the new Museum was built in 1994. Today, The Border Patrol Museum offers several exhibits pertaining to Border Patrol Operations. The Sign Cutting exhibit features a diorama explaining how sign cutting operations and tracking work to detect illegal entries into the United States.  Additionally, the exhibit displays methods used by individuals to disguise their tracks in an effort to elude detection, and offers definitions to explain terminology used in tracking operations. Tracking has been an essential tool and skill learned and used by Agents since the inception of the Border Patrol. Also, complementing the museum’s rich Border Patrol collection, is the Memorial Library, which offers a range of materials on Border Patrol history from its inception in 1924 to the present. The library/archives provide support to researchers at all levels interested in furthering their understanding of the nation’s first line of defense: the Border Patrol. As the museum has evolved over the last 40 plus years it has become the proud repository for memorabilia and memories of more than 80 years of Border Patrol history. We encourage you to visit us when in El Paso or Texas and view this very important museum and the history of our country’s first line of defense! https://borderpatrolmuseum.com/  Located: 4315 Woodrow Bean Transmountain Dr, El Paso, TX. Open: Tuesday – Saturday, 9 AM – 5 PM (915) 759-6060  

Historic Ships in Baltimore, is a vital and growing institution located in the heart of Baltimore's Inner Harbor. The organization/museum is steward of the Sloop-of-War USS Constellation, U.S. Coast Guard Cutter WHEC-37, Submarine USS Torsk, Lightship 116 Chesapeake, and the Seven Foot Knoll Lighthouse. This stewardship includes managing the collections related to these mega-artifacts, and preserving and interpreting the history of these sites. The Museum plays a key role in the heritage and cultural landscape within the City of Baltimore and strives to raise awareness throughout Maryland and the United States of these important elements of our nation's history. Located in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, our exhibits celebrate over 200 years of Maryland's naval and maritime history. We offer a variety of events throughout the year to enrich your experience and support our exhibits. Historic Ships offers a variety of unique programs that you can choose from to experience life aboard our vessels. Check out how you can rent out one our venues - https://historicships.org/events/venue-rental When you reserve a group program, you will get to explore one of our vessels with a museum educator as your guide. Guided tour programs last about 1 hour and cover your choice of topics and include presentations & hands-on activities that focus on the lives and duties of those who served at sea. These tours are perfect for many type of groups and ages – great for Veterans wanting look back in history! Check our list of upcoming activities and events below, or select your desired month from the dropdown here. https://historicships.org/activities. Walk to Decks, Learn the Ropes, Live the Life! Experience 19th century life at sea with one of the most impressive collections of military vessels in the world. We look forward to welcoming you and your families to expererience the history of Baltimore and the US Navy! 410-539-1797. https://historicships.org/      

The people of Philadelphia and the Greater Delaware Valley region have played very important roles in the development of the Navy over the past two and a half centuries, building some of the Navy’s most iconic and historic vessels. Early shipbuilding in Philadelphia, including the United States and the Constitution, was done along the waterfront at shipyards owned by Pennsylvania Quaker Joshua Humphreys. A formal navy yard in Philadelphia was created at Southwark in 1800 before moving to a bigger plot of land at its current location on League Island in the 1870s. For the next ninety years, the yard served as one of the Navy’s primary shipbuilding and repair facilities. Over the course of two centuries, important Naval vessels were designed, built, and launched in Philadelphia and the surrounding areas, from the Swedish-American engineer John Ericsson’s USS Princeton in 1843, to the USS Michigan in 1904, to the USS Francis Robinson during World War II. Though the Philadelphia Naval Yard ended most of its activities at the shipyard in the 1990s, the legacy left by the vessels produced there and at other local shipyards looms large in US naval history, especially at this 250th anniversary of the United States Navy. In partnership with the American Swedish Historical Museum, the National Museum of the United States Navy (NMUSN) is proud to present, And Let Victory Tell the Rest: 250 Years of Shipbuilding in Greater Philadelphia, opening June 26th at ASHM. The exhibit will include artifacts from USS New Ironsides, USS Michigan, a model of the John Ericsson- designed USS Passaic, among others. Visit -https://www.americanswedish.org/exhibitions/and-let-victory-tell-rest-250-years-shipbuilding-greater-philadelphia  to learn more about the exhibit and its related events. And Let Victory Tell the Rest is part of Homecoming250, citywide celebration of this historic anniversary in Philadelphia. https://www.homecoming250.org/ US Navy Shipbuilding in Philadelphia, was written by Gordon Calhoun, Historian & Curator, National Museum of the United States Navy and Edited by the American Swedish Historical Museum.

Nestled in the mountain town of Ruidoso, New Mexico, the Wingfield Heritage House Museum invites visitors to immerse themselves in the rich tapestry of local history. Originally built in the 1920s by Ike and Lula Wingfield, the house served as a family residence for three generations before eventually becoming part of the heart of the community. Today, beautifully restored to reflect its original character, the museum stands as both a tribute to the Wingfield legacy and a living record of Ruidoso’s development. Inside, each room is thoughtfully curated to tell stories about early settlement life, native cultures, and the growth of the region’s industries, arts, and tourism.  One of the museum’s signature projects is Ruidoso Rewind, a weekly radio show aired on KRUI The Mountain. The program, written and narrated by the museum’s curator Stephanie Long with production by Greg Widener, explores the hidden histories and significant events that shaped the Ruidoso area. In 2025, the show earned a prestigious Award of Excellence from the American Association for State and Local History (AASLH), recognizing its role in bringing local heritage to life.  The Wingfield Heritage House Museum is open Wednesday through Saturday, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, and admission is FREE. The museum also hosts community-oriented events, such as Hands-on History Family Day, which features interactive activities like retro games, historic handwriting practice, and artifact mystery challenges.  To help support its mission, the museum works closely with the Friends of the Wingfield Heritage House Museum, a nonprofit dedicated to fundraising, collecting artifacts, and engaging new volunteers. For those planning a visit or looking to contribute historical items from life, business, or tourism in the Ruidoso area, the Wingfield Heritage House Museum stands as a cherished gateway into the past—anchoring community memory and inspiring future discovery. https://www.ruidoso-nm.gov/wingfield-heritage-house-museum  

The Wisconsin Maritime Museum, in Manitowoc, WI cares for a collection of nearly 20,000 objects and a substantial archive pertaining to the maritime history of Wisconsin, Manitowoc shipbuilding, and USS Cobia. This includes more than 60 boats, approximately 300 regionally-built outboard motors, and over 250 ship models. Shipbuilding tools, marine navigational equipment, naval uniforms, and maritime archaeological artifacts also make up significant and growing portions of the collections. When objects are accepted into the museum’s collection, we agree to take care of them in perpetuity. This is an ongoing commitment, and a responsibility we take very seriously. The museum also cares for more than 10,000 Great Lakes shipwreck artifacts, curated on behalf of the State of Wisconsin, in its role as the preferred repository for recovered Wisconsin shipwreck artifacts. (Note, federal legislation in 1987 codified that it is expressly illegal to remove items from historic shipwrecks). The WMM collection is one of the largest maritime collections on the Great Lakes and reflects the museum’s mission of connecting all people with Wisconsin’s waterways, by engaging and educating the public about the Great Lakes, Wisconsin’s maritime history, Wisconsin’s WWII submarines, and USS Cobia. As the museum has grown over the past half-century, caring for our expanding collections has, likewise, become more challenging. While our Franklin Street facility allows us to house over 12,000 objects, items are now vulnerable to damage and deterioration. Through the years this facility has become overcrowded, making a more efficient storage system necessary. So preliminary work, largely grant funded by two programs with the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), plans for expansion has begun! We invite you to visit our museum an experience the history of Maritime in Manitowoc, WI and more! https://www.wisconsinmaritime.org/visit/    

The AACA Museum, Inc. is America’s Transportation Experience!  We’re dedicated to the preservation and presentation of the motor vehicle history in a way that provides for the education and entertainment for our guests. The museum delivers a world-class automotive experience through innovative and interactive exhibits that appeal to all ages and illustrate the historical evolution and potential future impacts of one of the most culturally defining innovations of modern times – the automobile. The idea of presenting an automobile collector’s museum in Hershey, PA, originated with a committed group of automobile hobbyists. As their determination to move the project forward grew, their enthusiasm gained support throughout the region. In 1993, the AACA Museum, Inc. was incorporated as a Pennsylvania nonprofit educational institution! The new vision focused on presenting America’s intriguing automotive heritage to the public. The museum launched a $12 million capital campaign dedicated to building a world-class museum. The vision of a world-class automotive heritage museum in Hershey became a reality. The 71,000-square-foot museum, officially named the AACA Museum, Inc., opened on June 26, 2003. Offering noteworthy exhibits and an ever-growing permanent collection, the museum welcomes guests of all ages to enjoy the wonders of invention, interactive educational displays, famous and one-of-a-kind vehicles, and family fun. Today the AACA Museum at Hershey displays vintage automobiles in unique settings. Visitors can stroll through eight decades in time while traveling from New York to San Francisco. It’s a trip down “memory lane” as iconic settings reveal vehicles from generations of American motoring. The museum sponsors workshops and activities designed to raise public awareness and appreciation of the role that the automobile has played in shaping 20th century America. *Plaese check out our new exhibits which are always changing: https://www.aacamuseum.org/exhibits-experiences/#current_exhibit AACA Museum embraces the role of the collector in preserving automotive heritage. It is unique in that all the cars on display have been donated or offered for display by car experts and enthusiasts! The AACA Museum at Hershey ranks among the top automotive museums in the world and has been recognized by the Smithsonian as an Affiliate Museum. The museum is home to the Cammack Tucker Collection, the world’s most extensive collection of Tucker automobiles and memorabilia. AACA Museum also houses the Museum of Bus Transportation Collection. When traveling through Pennsylvania, make a point to stop and visit the AACA Museum and take a trip back in automobile and transportation history! https://www.aacamuseum.org/  

Mesalands Community College’s Dinosaur Museum and Natural Sciences Laboratory opened to the public in May of 2000. The Museum receives approximately 5,000 visitors each year and our guests represent all 50 states and over 40 foreign countries. Guests to the Museum return year after year to see the changes, improvements, and new exhibits that our staff is continually planning and completing. The Exhibit Hall at the Mesalands Community College’s Dinosaur Museum houses a host of replicated and original fossils from tiny footprint casts to the 40′ long skeleton Torvosaurus, a rare carnivore relative of Tyrannosaurus rex which hails from the Jurassic period. The Museum’s focus is on the Mesozoic period, which is also known as ‘The Age of Dinosaurs.’ The Mesozoic is comprised of the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods. The museum cultivates specimens from exclusive local dig sites. Guests are able to view Paleontology students and the curator preserve specimens through a viewing window located in the exhibit hall. Witness history as it’s uncovered and assembled in the laboratory. The museum also boasts an impressive collection of minerals from all over the world. These are displayed in the exhibit hall and sold in the gift shop. We welcome you to learn more about our Dinosaur Museum and Mesalands Community College, by clicking our website!  https://www.mesalands.edu/community/dinosaur-museum/ Mesalands Community College’s Dinosaur Museum222 East Laughlin Street - Tucumcari, NM                                                              (575) 461-6627  

The Forney Museum of Transportation, in Denver, CO began as the private collection of Mr. J. D. Forney of Fort Collins, CO. https://www.forneymuseum.org/index.html From an early age Mr. Forney had an interest in cars, airplanes, and all modes of transportation. He was born in Enid, Oklahoma on January 27, 1905 Today the Forney Museum of Transportation is a one-of-a-kind collection of over 800 artifacts relating to historical transportation. It began 67 years ago with a single 1921 Kissel, but soon expanded to include vehicles of all kinds. Today it includes not just vehicles, but also buggies, motorcycles, steam locomotives, aircraft, carriages, rail equipment, fire apparatus, public transportation, sleighs, bicycles, toys & diecast models, vintage apparel and much, much more! Our collection highlights include: Pre-War Chevrolets (temporary exhibit), Union Pacific 'Big Boy' Steam Locomotive #4005, Amelia Earhart's 1923 Kissel 'Gold Bug' Kissel Car. We also feature the Forney Locomotive, Colorado & Southern Caboose, 1923 Hispano-Suiza, 1927 Rolls-Royce, 1913-53 Indian Motorcycle Collection, Denver & Rio Grande Dining Car, 1888 Denver Cable Car, 1923 Case Steam Tractor, 1817 Draisenne Bicycle, 500 Piece Matchbox Collection, and more! The Museum is fortunate enough to offer rotating exhibits every 3-4 months! The Forney Museum also has many scheduled events throughout the year, please click below and check them out! https://www.forneymuseum.org/events.html Make a point to come see us this year, as we celebrate the 70th Anniversary of Thunderbirds! We are also having a fundraiser raffle, with the winner winning a brand new Corvette! Check out the details: https://www.tapkat.org/the-forney-museum-of-transportation/19xv3E  Located just 5 minutes from the heart of Downtown Denver, the Forney Museum is also an event venue in Denver. We provide your guests with a unique and memorable experience. Event Rental Venues in Central Space. Place your party right in the middle of our historic collection! This space can easily accommodate a dance floor, DJ, catering, and auction tables. The space will be sized to best fit your guest count- from 50 people up to 500 seated, and even more cocktail style. https://www.forneymuseum.org/MeetingRooms.html Next time in you're in Denver come check us out for a history in the transportation industry you’ve never seen before!  

The humboldt bay maritime museum was founded in 1977. William Zerlang, a long time collector of marine artifact, and a group of colleagues sought to establish a local museum to preserve the rich maritime heritage of the entire humboldt bay region. Today the museum serves members, visitors and researchers throughout the nation. The Mission - The museum seeks to identify, collect, preserve and interpret artifacts, photographs, library archives and materials relating principally to the maritime history of california's north coast. we also strive to promote, educate, and assist the public in understanding and appreciating maritime heritage and local culture Special Collections - With over 20,000 digitally scanned photographs, art and other paper mediums, artifacts donated and collected over a period of decades, including, but not limited to shipwreck artifacts, 4th order fresnel lens and small skiffs. the museum owns two Floating vessels. the 1910 motor vessel madaket, which has been lovingly restored and is coast guard certified to carry passengers. The second is the 1917 fishing vessel stephanie which is undergoing restoration. From shipwrecks to shipbuilding to lighthouses to ferry launches to first explorers to ship models, the museum has something for everyone!   After visiting the museum take a  75-Minute Narrated Cruise! Step Aboard! Learn the history of Humboldt Bay during an 8.5-mile cruise along the shores of the bay while the captain explains local history, industries, activities, points of interest and wildlife. Seals are sure to be seen along with migratory birds, the Fishermen's Statue and the iconic Carson Mansion. https://humboldtbaymaritimemuseum.com/madaket-cruises.html.  So come visit us soon when in California and learn about the historic Humboldt Bay in Samoa, CA. MUSEUM HOURS: Wednesday - Sunday 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. https://humboldtbaymaritimemuseum.com/index.html