Frontier Texas! — Attraction in Abilene

My name is Roger Browning. I have been just about everywhere, but I began and will end in Texas. I am a newly discovered writer, but have been one most of my life and I knew that if I ever was fortunate to have a book published, that I would hope one day it could be seen on a shelf inside of a place that I have cherished memories from many past visits of. After my book had been published, I was fortunate to meet on a day of, and in a difficult time of Covid a remarkable person, who was not only welcoming of me and my book, but as real to me of the true nature expected of a true fellow Texan. I had a wonderful meeting with the museums Visitor Services Manager, Bekah Tribble, who even in the tough times of the epidemic, was put hard in her task to be sure this wonderful museum was still a host to the community. It is such a beautiful museum. I would without hesitation, highly recommend it to everyone who would want to know the truth and true history of this range of Texas and the historical origins of Abilene. A history that not only helped in the shaping of the region, but in the total result toward the shaping of the state and other regions because of it. This museum is so well laid out and its theatres give you the feeling of traveling back in a time of living well even from the harshness that the land once dealt. Bekah and Jere, thank you for being so gracious to us, my wife and I on our meeting, and Thank you for the accepting of my book. Not only is " The Reckoning of Rance," offered on Amazon, but to be placed alongside other renowned author's pages, that sit your gift stores edge made me proud. I want you to know so much my appreciation for the housing of my book "Rance," there. More importantly, I would like everyone out there reading this to know that this museum is absolutely a must see with a must visit, while coming to, or living the region surrounding its historical center known as Abilene. Frontier Texas! is a perfect representation of that proud region and no doubt a celebrated part there of the city of Abilene, with no doubt that everyone there so proud to call their own.Thank you Bekah and I hope to see you and Jere there on my next visit and beautiful exploration left for me there. That of Frontier Texas! The must see museum, of Texas...

This museum was under renovation for our visit, but is still open to the public. This site covers the complex history of frontier life in Texas, and makes a good effort towards respectful representation. The first room has an interactive display covering from prehistoric times through the indigenous cultures that lived in the area during different periods.

From here you are introduced to several characters throughout your journey, each on a display screen that's wonderfully done to give them a kind of science fiction, holographic feel in the space they're talking from. Each helps shed light on different aspects of the history, from the indigenous reception of the white man's arrival to the buffalo hunts to the eventual turn to cattle drives and wild west outlaws.

The whole experience starts and ends with two movies, the first introducing visitors to the story about to unfold, making for a good orientation. The last gives a beautiful, immersive portrait of life in the frontier west, completing the stories for the characters introduced. The seats turn allowing for a 360 experience, which was really interesting.

The final element, just past the wall of period firearms with an interactive display on how they operate, there's a display screen where you get to learn the fate of the character you're assigned at the beginning with a card. It tells you more about your character, where they came from, and how they lived.

My kids and I have been to a lot of museums over the years, but this one hands down has been the best for kids and engagement of the material at a site dedicated to history. The characters and the displays are engaging, and they are all recreations of real people and real stories. The telling is so touching and the moments are so beautifully well done that it's even a little emotional, which is a great way to make it memorable. It's definitely...

This place was awesome from the moment we arrived. This is not a stuffy museum for adults, but rather a really fun place for the entire family. The gift shop is loaded with cool stuff, including books, jewelry and keepsakes and the staff is superb. They are friendly and helpful and there to ensure that your family has a great time.

I was impressed by all the work they had put into the various exhibits and they seem to genuinely love kids, which made this a wonderful experience for our little ones. They had an immersive experience with a video and sound effects and lots of things you can touch and interact with. All fees were reasonable and the parking options were good and didn't add any stress to an already lengthy trip.

If you are interested in Native American culture, there are loads of things to see here as well as other exhibits that explain the history of the Frontier. This was a cool learning experience for my kids and one that they still talk about years later. We have many fond memories of this place and hope to be able to visit it again in the future to see what's new. It is definitely worth...