I was first informed of this museum when my father volunteered to work on the board. When going you will literally think you are in the middle of nowhere...and you are correct. Drive up on this small dirt road, pass the cattle gate, and see the house with a few exhibit barns.
It will seem as though you wasted your time or that it could not possibly have anything worthwhile....step inside and be blown away like I was. I'll be honest and tell you that there are many items in this museum that the Smithsonian Museums would die to get their hands on. It has a collection of thousands of gifts and artifacts from all over the world. Small ranch in west Texas...yes..but nothing about the collection is small.
I may be a bit off, but from what I remember it was the ranch of a very well-to-do oil man and his wife. They traveled the world and received presents from leaders of many nations. Upon their death, they established a non-profit museum for the public that requires the items to stay. This is both fortunate (often only you due to its location in Eola, Texas) and unfortunate (much in this collection would be highly valued for big-time public museums that the masses could enjoy).
Online you will read of the windmills and farming implements of long ago...but this is NOT what makes this museum unbelievable. I can't begin to list what is in there because the collection is vast and very random at times.
It can be as simple as hundreds of old beer and soda cans, tons of old medical equipment, more gems and arrowheads then I have seen, complete doll collections....to as unique and rare as artifacts/presents from Asia and the Middle East, huge organ collection, fine china, etc.
Did I make the hard sell yet? I’m not sure why I wrote this (only been there twice)…but it is a trip I promise you will enjoy.
Here is what Travel Texas states :
Displays focus on early farm and ranch days of Concho County and include rare windmills, horse-drawn equipment and farm implements, and memorabilia from around the world. Four buildings house such diverse collections as crystal, thousands of china and glass cats, a pipe organ, Oriental carvings and furniture, antiques, 15,000 Indian arrowheads and artifacts, gem and mineral collection, and special interest vehicles. Museum is on working ranch that includes a herd of registered Longhorn cattle. Located 4.5 mi. east on F.M. 765.
Open Fri. - Sat. 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.; Sun. 1 - 5 p.m.
A website http://www.geocities.com/eolatx/barrowmuseum.html
[This message has been edited by p-wonk01 (edited 9/4/2008 3:08p).]
[This message has been edited by p-wonk01 (edited 9/4/2008 3:24p).]
[This message has been edited by p-wonk01 (edited 9/4/2008 3:27p).]
It will seem as though you wasted your time or that it could not possibly have anything worthwhile....step inside and be blown away like I was. I'll be honest and tell you that there are many items in this museum that the Smithsonian Museums would die to get their hands on. It has a collection of thousands of gifts and artifacts from all over the world. Small ranch in west Texas...yes..but nothing about the collection is small.
I may be a bit off, but from what I remember it was the ranch of a very well-to-do oil man and his wife. They traveled the world and received presents from leaders of many nations. Upon their death, they established a non-profit museum for the public that requires the items to stay. This is both fortunate (often only you due to its location in Eola, Texas) and unfortunate (much in this collection would be highly valued for big-time public museums that the masses could enjoy).
Online you will read of the windmills and farming implements of long ago...but this is NOT what makes this museum unbelievable. I can't begin to list what is in there because the collection is vast and very random at times.
It can be as simple as hundreds of old beer and soda cans, tons of old medical equipment, more gems and arrowheads then I have seen, complete doll collections....to as unique and rare as artifacts/presents from Asia and the Middle East, huge organ collection, fine china, etc.
Did I make the hard sell yet? I’m not sure why I wrote this (only been there twice)…but it is a trip I promise you will enjoy.
Here is what Travel Texas states :
Displays focus on early farm and ranch days of Concho County and include rare windmills, horse-drawn equipment and farm implements, and memorabilia from around the world. Four buildings house such diverse collections as crystal, thousands of china and glass cats, a pipe organ, Oriental carvings and furniture, antiques, 15,000 Indian arrowheads and artifacts, gem and mineral collection, and special interest vehicles. Museum is on working ranch that includes a herd of registered Longhorn cattle. Located 4.5 mi. east on F.M. 765.
Open Fri. - Sat. 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.; Sun. 1 - 5 p.m.
A website http://www.geocities.com/eolatx/barrowmuseum.html
[This message has been edited by p-wonk01 (edited 9/4/2008 3:08p).]
[This message has been edited by p-wonk01 (edited 9/4/2008 3:24p).]
[This message has been edited by p-wonk01 (edited 9/4/2008 3:27p).]
