TEMPLE TEXAS
DISCOVERTEMPLE.COM
OUR history
Few places in Texas are tied to the advent of rail as Temple. Temple was founded in 1881 as a railroad town and named for Mr. Bernard Moore Temple, the Gulf, Colorado & Santa Fe Railway chief engineer who built the tracks through Bell County.
The Santa Fe Railway needed a town at a major junction point to provide services for railroad equipment and passengers. Local farmer, Jonathan Ewing Moore, sold 181 acres of his farmland for $27 an acre to the railroad, which many thought to be an astronomical price for land with limited water sources. The Santa Fe Railway scheduled a land auction for June 26 and railroad trains were brought from five cities in Texas with prospective buyers. After June 29, land continued to be sold to new residents for $45 to $300 per lot from Moore and other sources.
The railroad remained a major employer for Temple, and in 1891 it established the Santa Fe Memorial Hospital in the city. Railroad employees who were injured or became ill on the line and needed treatment were sent to the Santa Fe Memorial Hospital.
Dr. Arthur Carroll Scott and Dr. Raleigh R. White, Jr., who moved to Temple to work in the Santa Fe Hospital, saw the need to broaden their practices to include Temple residents. They opened the Temple Sanitarium in 1904 which later became the Scott & White Memorial Hospital and Clinic. In 1896, the Kings Daughters Hospital was established to care for the community and those less fortunate. As a result of these major medical advancements, Temple became known as the Hospital Center of the South.
Today, the Greater Temple Area boasts a population of 87,000 and continues to look to a bright future. From the small beginnings to hard work and the great hopes of early Temple residents, the city has become a vital community solidly based in manufacturing, medical care, agriculture and rail transportation.
TEMPLE RAILROAD & Heritage Museum
The fact that trains made their way to and through Temple is a vital part of our history representing a path to economic development and settlement. The romance of the rails has been heavily documented and is crucial to Temple’s economy even today. The train station is served by Amtrak, the national railroad passenger system.
Located amid the active railroad yard of the BNSF and Amtrak is a vast collection of vintage railroad equipment on display.
Completed in 1911, the historic Santa Fe Depot currently features exhibits exploring railroad history as well as topics relating to local and regional history.
Main level event space hosts work conferences, receptions, weddings, and reunions.
Surrounding gardens and two playgrounds are just steps away from the Depot. An annual calendar of family-friendly activities and events ranges from Family Days (first Saturday of each month) and National Train Day to the popular Santa at the Depot event in December.
CONTACT
HOURS
Tuesday – Saturday H 10:00am – 4:00pm
MOODY DEPOT Museum
Centra Mod is a model railroad club located in the historic Moody Depot adjacent to the Santa Fe Depot and Amtrak Station. This Model Railroad Museum features dozens of working model trains on elaborate track systems. Open houses are typically on the first and third Saturday of each month. CONTACT 403
SANTA FE DEPOT
315 W. AVENUE B H 254.298.5172 templerrhm.org
W. AVE. B H 254.749.0700 centramodrr.com
TEMPLE
Children’s Museum
Create memories through interactive play at the Temple Children’s Museum. Serving children 6 months to 8 years, the museum promotes curiosity of young children through hands-on learning and features many stations focused on play and skills development. Special family friendly events are scheduled throughout the year as well as private play, birthday parties and summer camps. Admission charged.
CONTACT
11 N. 4TH ST. H 254.500.7617 templechildrensmuseum.org
HOURS
Tuesday – Saturday H 10:00am – 3:00pm
BELL
COUNTY MUSEUM
CZECH HERITAGE MUSEUM & Genealogy Center
The museum houses artifacts and produces programs which interpret stories based on the history and rich culture of the Czech lands from 500 c.e. to present, the story of Czech immigrants in Texas from 1850 to the early 1900s, and the story of Czech-Americans connecting with their identities and families during the Cold War and in today’s Czech Republic.
Preserved artifacts include a variety of Czech relics, coins, Bibles, costumes, antique musical instruments, and an extensive library with historic documents dating back to the 1700s. The center also has an extensive genealogy library. Admission charged.
CONTACT
119 W. FRENCH AVE. H 254.899.2935 czechheritagemuseum.org
HOURS
Thursday – Saturday H 10:00am – 4:00pm
BELL COUNTY Museum
Housed in a former 1904 Carnegie Library building, the Bell County Museum is the renowned source for area history, archaeology, and culture. Learn about the fascinating history of Bell County, life on the Chisholm Trail and explore life 16,000 years ago in the Gault Site exhibit - considered one of the most important archaeological sites in America.
Check out our Moustache Teacup collection, featured on Travel Channel’s Mysteries at the Museum, see a real-life chuck wagon or practice your archaeological skills.
The Research Library includes extensive Central Texas history topics.
Admission is free.
CONTACT
201 N. MAIN ST., BELTON H 254.933.5243 bellcountymuseum.org
HOURS
Tuesday – Friday H 12:00 – 5:00pm
Saturday H 10:00am – 5:00pm
1500032023
#discovertemple #downtowntemple #experiencetemple #TPLTX a getawayNOT FAR AT ALL If you’re looking for a place with local character and unique experiences, you will find it in Temple, Texas. Just get here! Our central Texas location makes for a travel destination that is short on travel and long on destination. 30 MINUTES FROM WACO 1 HOUR FROM AUSTIN 2 HOURS FROM DALLAS/FORT WORTH 2.5 HOURS FROM SAN ANTONIO 3 HOURS FROM HOUSTON ALL LISTINGS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE. IT IS RECOMMENDED TO VERIFY DETAILS PRIOR TO YOUR VISIT. DISCOVERTEMPLE.COM 2 N. MAIN ST., TEMPLE, TX 76501 800.479.0338 | 254.298.5900