Hello, Friends!
Did you know that our beloved Beaumont is considered the Museum Capital of Texas? ME EITHER!!! According to the Beaumont Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB), Beaumont has more museums per capita than any other Texas city its size. They list 19 on their website – with something for literally everybody! How many have you had the pleasure of experiencing? Join me on this mini Museum Crawl to get a glimpse of what you might be missing.
Let’s start with my little friends and visit the Beaumont Children’s Museum where your kids can learn through play!
“Our exhibits are carefully selected to promote S.T.E.A.M. focused learning (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math). “1
They have camps, events and programs available and they also offer unique party packages for birthdays, sport teams, etc. Crawl on over to BCM and sneak some learning into your kids day of fun!
Now, if you are interested in a taste of the finer things from way back when, take a crawl down Calder and visit the McFaddin-Ward House Museum. This was actually one of the very first museums I experienced when I moved here.
“Built in 1905-1906 in the Beaux Arts Colonial style, the McFaddin-Ward House and its furnishings reflect the lifestyle of the prominent family who lived in the house for seventy-five years.”2
They have super friendly and knowledgeable docents (tour guides for us regular folk) that are happy to share the rich history and make you feel like you are part of the family.
They welcome visitors 8 years and up and host events year-round. So put on your fancy clothes and be part of the McFaddin and Ward families for the day. Actually, your normal clothes will do just fine.
Now…get up and stretch a bit – we are about to crawl all the way to the South End of Beaumont to the Spindletop-Gladys City Boomtown Museum. Once you enter, you will travel back in time to 1892 to experience Gladys City – a bustling factory town that sprung up near the original Spindletop site.
“Browse around the town – which includes a post office, saloon, general store, livery, working print shop and working replica gusher. On occasion, you can also see re-enactments of life during the oil boom…”3
You should also know that this very unique facility is available to rent for parties, weddings, dinners, meetings and more! It’s a great way to give out-of-town guests a real lesson in Beaumont history.
Ok, Friends! That was only 3 of the many museums awaiting you here in the 409. For an easy guide to explore the remaining ones, visit the CVB’s Museum page. They offer interesting, low-cost destinations where you will be entertained, enriched and enlightened.
Imagine that.
- Beaumont Children’s Museum | Beaumont, TX 77701 (beaumontcvb.com)
- McFaddin-Ward House | Beaumont, TX 77701 (beaumontcvb.com)
- Spindletop Gladys City/Boomtown Museum | Beaumont, TX 77705 (beaumontcvb.com)
