Thanks to the addition of bicycle lanes and Edinburg’s participation in the BikeShare Rio Grande Valley program, the Museum of South Texas History now has parking spaces for bicyclists. With the help of the Bike Friendly Business program, which is led by the Hidalgo County Metropolitan Planning Organization (HCMPO), the museum has qualified for and installed a donated bike rack. 
The program was recommended by Mike Padgett, a friend to Programs and Events Officer Rene Ballesteros, who is an active bicyclist.
“Bike lanes around the museum, a bus stop and a walkable Edinburg downtown provide truly multimodal access to our heritage institution and made the museum a natural fit for the grant,” said Ballesteros.
Edinburg’s downtown square is a hustle-and-bustle area but especially when community festivals are happening in the Hidalgo County Courthouse parking lot. The square also provides a scenic route to Edinburg City Hall, a BikeShare Rio Grande Valley designation. Students from the University of Texas – Rio Grande Valley can also benefit from the Bike Friendly Business program. The university is also part of the BikeShare Rio Grande Valley program. The museum encourages families and university students to enjoy a bike ride from the university and Edinburg City Hall to the museum, especially during free Saturday mornings.
The bicycle rack is located near the front entrance of the museum.
“We welcome the opportunity to connect with a segment of our community that should be a natural constituency for visiting the museum,” said Shan Rankin, the executive director at the museum. “What better combination than a great ride to a beautiful setting with an opportunity to cool off and use the museum facilities—and visit engaging exhibits! Our bicycling visitors will feel refreshed and restored before heading back out on the bike trail again. We look forward to seeing them at the museum.”
The bicycle rack is located on the south side of the museum entrance. It is open during museum hours Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, please contact the museum at 956-383-6911.
About Museum of South Texas History
The Museum of South Texas History is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. It is located in downtown Edinburg at 200 N. Closner Blvd. on the Hidalgo County Courthouse square. Hours of operation are from 1 p.m. – 5 p.m. Sunday and 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Tuesday–Saturday. Founded in 1967 as the Hidalgo County Historical Museum in the 1910 Hidalgo County Jail, the museum has grown over the decades through a series of expansions to occupy a full city block. In 2003 following the completion of a 22,500 square foot expansion, the museum was renamed the Museum of South Texas History to better reflect its regional scope. Today, the museum preserves and presents the borderland heritage of South Texas and Northeastern Mexico through its permanent collection and the Margaret H. McAllen Memorial Archives and exhibits spanning prehistory through the 20th century. For more information about MOSTHistory, including becoming a FRIEND, visit MOSTHistory.org, like us on Facebook, follow on Twitter, find on Google+ or call +1-956-383-6911.