Border Heritage Museum — Attraction in Laredo

😃 March 2025 - I brought my parents and uncle to this museum, and the staff were wonderful and accommodating in every way.

If you're worried about it being open when you visit, read on for a possible tip on how to address that.

The museum is small, which makes it ideal for most museum goers I've met: you can enjoy it for 20-45 minutes and then wander down Zaragoza Street past the lovely Casa Ortiz and La Posada Hotel to Plaza San Agustin (where the Republic of the Rio Grande Museum is also located). The museum appears to offer exhibits that help you to get a feel for the community. When we came, downstairs, there was a photography exhibit displaying about 100 photographs taken by photographers in Laredo. This exhibit allowed us to see the areas that folks in the town find most beautiful or compelling. I will attach a photo of some of the photos. It was like we were able to hear from many locals in a very short period: we were able to see "Laredoans' Laredo." It also showed how beautiful and full of character this town is. Given that we were only in Laredo 1 day, this was rich!

Upstairs, there was an exhibit on spooky or haunted aspects of Laredo, which many people would find interesting. Taking a "haunted" angle, the exhibit told stories about various buildings and locales in Laredo. I really enjoyed it.

The museum itself is a piece of history, and you learn about the family who lived in this historic building.

The museum staff were super hospitable and helpful, and they gave me a copy of a recently published book (The Streets of Laredo: Texas Modernity and Its Discontents) by a former University of Texas professor named Dr. José E. Limón. The book is AWESOME, and I can't wait to keep reading it.

Before we made the long drive (well, not that long maybe...2.5 hours) from Corpus Christi, I called the museum when they opened to inquire if they would indeed be open. A staff member answered (whom we later met) and said, yes, they would be there at this and the Republic of the Rio Grande Museum. He explained that due to short staffing, etc. they sometimes have to run errands (hence, some of the crappy reviews).

I work in the P-21 public education space where our budgets are tight, but I know from working with non-profit organizations (such as these museums) that they have it even harder...given a choice, your average visitor to the town is more likely to spend a few hours at the Outlet Shops than these quiet museums. Yeah, it sucks a few people came here and the museums might have been closed. However, I have a lot of empathy for what this organization has to achieve with severely limited resources. To the museum, I might recommend the museum create a protocol whereby a visitor could call a cell phone and arrange a slightly later time to enter the museum (like, using a door sign).

I guess I just think they deserve a little grace for trying to keep the lights on in a space that tries to help us understand and appreciate the unique culture of Laredo. Because if we don't support them, who tells the story...

I attempted to bring my children in to visit this museum. The manager had decided I was not going to be allowed in due to my concerns in the park about people being vaccinated without informed consent. He was apparently watching me and locked me out of the museum. He discriminated against us because I have a medical condition that doesn't allow me to wear a mask as well. My children are under 10 and therfore cannot be required to mask. He asked me to leave or he would call the cops. Worst was my kids were there and he put us through this embarrassment for having different beliefs from him. I am disgusted and will never return. I highly recommend you do not visit this place. It was empty too. He was also filming my children. I was not belligerent. I just explained that I will not be able to mask and it is discrimination to not allow people into your business based on medical conditions. Very bad...

I wanted to share with you my recent experience visiting the Laredo Museum. The museum was truly amazing, and I had the pleasure of being guided by Lalo, who provided detailed explanations of the exhibits and artifacts. His knowledge and assistance greatly enhanced my visit.

If you ever find yourself in Laredo, I highly recommend visiting this museum and reaching out to Lalo for any guidance or recommendations in the area. It was a memorable and enriching experience that I believe you...