November 2010

Exhibits at the museum focus on the history of Cooke County and its role in the larger world of the state of Texas and the United States. The exhibits change every two to three months and are based on themes. Themes have included the Civil War, Baseball, Food, Outlaws, the sesquicentennial of the county, WWII, the Gainesville Community Circus, and many more. Erected inside the museum is a partial log cabin dating from the 1870s, which houses temporary exhibits.

Completed in 1877, the home featured ornate trim work and furnishings and the latest technological conveniences including modern plumbing, central heat and a gas lighting system. Visitors can tour the house to examine these period innovations and other features of the 19th century home.

The National Museum of the Pacific War is the only institution in the continental United States dedicated exclusively to telling the story of the Pacific Theater battles of World War II.

At the National Museum of the Pacific War, visitors become quickly engaged in the very personal stories of all kinds of Americans from all branches of the military involved in the long struggle to fight aggression in the Pacific. Unique, chronologically-organized exhibits and walk–through dioramas make history come alive. Highlights include personal effects from those who made history in the Pacific, aircraft and battleship remnants, art, and other rare treasures. Other areas of the six acre site include the Admiral Nimitz Museum, Plaza of Presidents, Veterans' Walk of Honor, Japanese Garden of Peace, and the Pacific Combat Zone.

Exhibits at the Fort Sam Houston Museum depict the history of the installation in chronological order from 1845. The history of the post is displayed in ten major periods of development of Fort Sam Houston. Each exhibit highlights important events during the period and includes the uniform, weapons and equipment of the soldiers and photos or other graphic media. Additional exhibits feature distinguished soldiers or units which have served here. Supplementary exhibits present topics of general military interest such as weaponry and military rations.

The museum collects and displays materials associated with the US Navy Seabees, especially their association with their original home, the former Davisville Navy Base in North Kingstown, Rhode Island; creates public displays celebrating the historical contribution of the Quonset Hut and the WW-II naval pontoons, both developed at the Davisville Base; restores and displays significant artifacts and vintage construction equipment so the public can better appreciate the historical environment and context; develops exhibits to show what life was like during historical periods covered by the collection; is creating a public park to commemorate the accomplishments and sacrifices of the US Navy Seabees; creates special hands-on exhibits for youth to share with them the accomplishments of the Fighter Builders and help instill values and patriotism in future generations; and creates a depository where former Seabees can donate artifacts and mementos where they can be preserved for future generations.

China Lake, once a testing facility for military defense, now showcases U.S. Naval weapons alongside local and military history.

The museum's exhibits include AIM-54 Phoenix, the first operational radar-guided air-to-air missile that could be launched in multiple numbers against different targets from an aircraft, and the Laser Guided Bomb LGB-24B/B, the third generation of laser guided bombs.

The Museum contains a number of replicas of old buildings including a 1900's street scene, a general store, a physician, druggist, and dentist office, an early Moore County ranch house, a 1920's home, a blacksmith shop, a roundup scene, and a tent meeting. Exhibits at the museum cover topics such as farming, ranching, and early communication.

The History Center uses exhibits to showcase some of our vast collections of documents and photographs. Located under an awning and nestled among the native vegetation, visitors are welcome to climb aboard and get to know Engine 13, our 68-ton 1920 Baldwin 4-6-0 steam locomotive, formerly of the Texas Southeastern Railroad. We also have a Southern Pine Lumber Company log car and Texas Southeastern Railroad caboose number 6. Inside, Diboll: An Enduring Community consists of 11 panels, featuring more than 100 photographs, which explore Diboll’s rich past. Walking around the perimeter of the room, visitors can learn how Diboll grew from a sawmill company town to a modern community and about the role the forest products industry and the transportation industry had in making East Texas what it is today.

Educational exhibits examine the history of the Seabees and the Civil Engineer Corps.

From the establishment of settlers' sites in the 1840s, through fifteen decades of growth and expansion into the modern era, one theme remains constant: Dallas County has been a magnet for people of vision who find this area a source of unlimited opportunity. The history of Dallas is the collective story of people of determination and faith who built a metropolis, one of the world's greatest, here on the North Texas prairie and this story is told by the Old Red Museum.