On Saturday, Sept. 14, the museum will extend its normal Free Saturday Morning hours to include a full day. Why, what’s going on?
The newly restored 1910 Jail will be open for one day for the public to explore. The number one question from museum visitors is, “When is the jail going to open?” While the restoration has been completed, the development of exhibits is still in process. So, this may be the only opportunity to see the 1910 Jail in its purest form, as a building and an artifact itself.
In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month (Sep. 15-Oct.15), the Collections Department will be presenting a spotlight exhibit featuring artifacts and images from the museum’s collection that tell a part of the greater story of “Farm to Market.” Agriculture has long offered economic opportunity, especially in the Rio Grande Valley. This small exhibit will highlight the role Hispanic farm workers have played in making the Rio Grande Valley a hotspot for Texas agriculture. The spotlight exhibit will remain in the Grand Lobby throughout Hispanic Heritage Month.
The museum is seeking additional artifacts, images and oral histories for its collections to tell and preserve a broader story of the farm worker experience. The public is invited to enjoy the spotlight exhibit and make an appointment for an oral history session, if a visitor has a story to tell relating to this subject. There will also be an audio booth where two people can share a Q & A about their farm working experience or Hispanic heritage in general.
Author Emma Gonzalez will present her book, “The Field Mice,” at 1 p.m. with a talk and a book signing. Following the talk, visitors can record their thoughts on paper tablets with questions about the migrant farm worker experience.
Three easels with paper tablets on which to share thoughts on three questions about general Hispanic heritage will be placed in the Annex Lobby. Visitors may also want to pick up a clipboard and take the Hispanic Heritage Discovery Walk around the museum. Visitors may take their pages home with them or leave them anonymously with the museum. If there are enough left behind, the museum will tabulate these thoughts and share them in a future newsletter. Be sure to follow the museum on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram to find different ways one can celebrate and honor Hispanic Heritage Month with family and friends.
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 us on Twitter and Instagram, and find us on YouTube or call +1-956-383-6911.