Frontier Times Museum, Bandera, Texas

Do shrunken heads and western artifacts turn you on more than Picassos and Monets? Then the Frontier Times Museum in Bandera, Texas, may be for you. I discovered this regional gem after a week of touring fine art museums in Texas, and found the collections fascinating.

This 40,000-piece collection of old west, pioneer and prehistoric artifacts is a testament to lives of those who tamed the Wild West. The permanent exhibits are as follows:

• Art Gallery
• Champion Cowboys
• Pioneer Family
• Shrunken Head ('natch!)
• Frontier Times Fireplace
• Printing Press
• Showcases
• Western Artifacts

Ground was broken on January 1, 1933 and construction started immediately on a 20 X 40 foot structure that practically lies in the shadow of the Bandera County Courthouse on site once called Delightful Hill. According to the booklet, The History of the Frontier Times Museum published by J. Marvin Hunter, Jr. in 1987, the unique museum was formally opened to the public on May 20, 1933 with great ceremony. Printed invitations were sent to all who had participated in the project and many came from great distances. A barbecue lunch was served and dedication services were in another historic structure, the First Baptist Church, which recently marked its 120th Anniversary and is located just across the street. The museum was not large enough to handle the crowd that had gathered.

To learn more and to plan your visit to this classic blast from the past, visit frontiertimesmuseum.com.

Photo and historical background courtesy Frontier Times Museum website