Brown County Museum of History - The Brown County Museum of History, Inc., has the primary role of preserving the tangible evidence of our heritage and to educate the public through exhibition and interpretation of artifacts. The museum is located in the old four story Brown County Jail, built in 1902, and located at 212 North Broadway across the street from the Courthouse in downtown Brownwood. The Museum also has an "Annex" located just across the street from the jail at 209 North Broadway. There is no entrance fee but donations are accepted. It is open on Saturdays from 10 am until 4 pm.

 

http://www.browncountyhistory.org/

Blanket Historical Museum - The Blanket Museum of History was opened on July 29, 2006 to display and preserve the history of Blanket, Texas. The museum is located at 712 Main in Blanket. Not only does the museum have many artifacts from Blanket but it is also a research center for family histories. There are many books and notebooks with family histories as well as other resources available for those who are interested in genealogy or just the history of the community of Blanket.

The museum is housed in the former Blanket State Bank building and the former Ernest Allen Drug Store building. The State Bank building was built in 1901 and following a fire that destroyed the former Drug Store, that building was reopened in 1928.

http://www.browncountyhistory.org/blanketmuseum.html

Douglas MacArthur Academy of Freedom - 325-649-8700, Tour Schedule Mon-Sat: 1:00, 2:00 & 3:00, free admission. The museum features a series of replica rooms depicting man's quest for freedom. A three - story room featuring one of the state's largest murals, a pictorial representation of man's relationship with God. Other rooms include Mediterranean Hall, the Magna Carta Hall, Independence Hall, Constitution Hall, and the MacArthur Exhibit Gallery.

http://www.hputx.edu/howardpayne.aspx?pgID=883

The Firearms Museum of Texas - The mission of The Firearms Museum of Texas is safety education regarding firearms and an explanation of the guns working parts and how they function. People are able to request a 4-hour home firearm safety course, without charge to the student. They have two galleries located in the old jail part of the Brown County Museum of History. Gallery One houses the permanent exhibit which includes the beginnings of firearms, early cartridge firearms 1863-1885), development of the military bolt-action repeating rifle. semi automatic firearms (1899-1945) and Post-War development of firearms 1946 - Present.

Gallery Two houses the rotating exhibits. The museum is housed in the old jail and located across the street from the county courthouse. House are the same as listed for the Brown County Musem of History.

http://www.firearmsmuseumoftexas.org

Great State of Texas Historical Transportation Complex - The Great State of Texas Historical Transportation Complex will opened in September of 2007. The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 am until 4 pm. The Martin and Francis Lehnis Railroad collection, featured in this complex, is an important beginning for the Great State of Texas Historical Transportation Complex that celebrates Brownwood's historic connection to the railroad. There s also a large model railroad display inside the museum.

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http://www.ci.brownwood.tx.us/LRM/Default.htm

Coming - Our New Museums

Bangs Museum of History - A group of about ten citizens recently met to organize a museum in Bangs, TX. The collection will consist of everything pertaining to the history of Bangs and the surrounding communities. This collection will include photographs, artifacts, the lamp factory, schools, business and people.

The committee is searching for a building in Bangs to house the collection. Several citizens have collections they are willing to donate or loan to the museum. Members of the committee include the Mayor and City Judge. Shown the the photo is a small part of the collection of David Cole of Bangs.

http://www.heritageassociationofbrowncounty.org/cole_bangs.html

Camp Bowie Memorial Park and Future Museum - Camp Bowie was a military training center during WWII. During the years of 1940 - 1946 it grew to one of the largest training centers in Texas, through which a quarter of a million men passed. In August of 1946 the camp was declared a "surplus" and closed and the Civilian War assets Administration began the distribution of the land and buildings. Today there is a memorial park located across from the Brownwood Regional Medical Center that displays machinery and vehicles used during WWII. A future Memorial Plaza and a museum are planned for the park.

Gordon Wood Hall of Champions & Museum - Gordon Wood of Brownwood High School, posted an amazing lifetime record of 405-88-12 with 9 state championships. The Gordon Wood Hall of Champions & Museum is temporarily housed on the second floor of the Harvey House located next to the historical Santa Fe Depot on Adams Street.

The Gordon Wood Hall of Champions Museum has finished the first of three rooms it plans to open on the second floor of the Harvey House, allowing it to open to the public soon. Kirk Wall, the president of the Hall of Champions board, described the museum as a tourism project.

The first room, designed to look like a football locker room, now features a video of Wood welcoming guests to the museum, along with tributes by more than two dozen other top coaches in the nation. The video of Wood will play on a rear-projection screen, and the tribute will play on small screens mounted inside a series of lockers. Opening the locker doors will trigger the presentation.

At the present time the museum section is not open to the public but the Hall of Champions may be viewed on the second floor of the Harvey House. No timetable concerning its opening has been announced.

Rufus F. Hardin Museum - The Hardin School opened in September, 1917 with three classrooms and an auditorium. Within a year of 1918, the school district added a stage in the front of the auditorium and lights were added throughout the building. The school was used by the community for social events or meetings, if they were not of a religious nature. The school was called Brownwood Colored High School and went through the 10th grade. The Class of 1918 was the first to graduate from the stone building. There were 5 graduates.

In 1934 the school's name was changed to R. F. Hardin in honor of Professor Hardin who had become ill. During the 30's, the school campus began to expand and improvements were made to provide the children with a better education. In 1947, R. F. Hardin High School with its 12 grades became a "fully affiliated and accredited high school." There were 13 graduates. In 1970 R. F. Hardin High School closed. The real heritage of the Rufus F. Hardin School lies in its past and future. Yesterday's students are some of today's educators, doctors, nurses, lawyers, scientists, political leaders, etc. The future of the school is to be preserved as a museum by the Rufus F. Hardin Museum, Inc.

Not yet open to public.

http://www.rufusfhardinmuseum.org/