Back on track: Museums
Nan Dickson/Telegram file
Minnie Mouse, left, enjoys a nap as Jessi Avendano of Temple watches his daughter Alyssa, 6, color a paper kite during a Family Day at the Temple Railroad and Heritage Museum.
Museums preserve area’s rich heritage BY RANDY RAY TELEGRAM STAFF WRITER
The colorful history and rich heritage of Bell County and Central Texas is preserved by local museums, where visitors can explore both permanent and temporary exhibits to learn a bit more about the world around them. Some of those museums are housed inside structures that are part of that colorful history. Bell County Museum The Bell County Museum, established in 1991 in a former Carnegie Library that was built in 1905, owns more than 12,000
objects related to Bell County and the Central Texas region. The museum, at 201 N. Main St. in Belton, features permanent exhibits as well as new traveling exhibitions throughout the year. This summer, visitors to the museum can view the new exhibit “Bell County Sports.” This temporary exhibit will be on display through Aug. 21, and will give viewers an opportunity to learn about many of the athletes, coaches and teams that helped establish a legacy of athletic greatness in Bell County. Visitors also can visit the museum’s permanent exhibits such as the moustache cup collection,
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the Little River Log Cabin, the Miriam A. Ferguson Collection and the C.O. Buckellew miniature home collection. The museum offers periodic tours of the Gault Site, in southwest Bell County near Florence. The site is considered to be one of the most important archeological sights in North America, and a collection of artifacts collected from the site also is on permanent display at the museum. The Bell County Museum is open from noon to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. Admission is free. For information about exhibits, tours or events, visit
www.bellcountymusem.org or call 254-933-5243. Temple Railroad and Heritage Museum The Temple Railroad and Heritage Museum is housed in the historic Santa Fe Depot, 315 W. Ave. B in Temple. The museum opened in 1973 and features permanent and temporary exhibits. The permanent exhibits are on the second floor of the museum and focus on railroad history, with an emphasis on the Santa Fe and railroads in Texas. The temporary exhibits explore railroad history, as well as general topics in U.S. history. The June 27, 2021
