The old west comes to life at the Chisholm Trail Outdoor Museum. Experience Cowboy life and Native American culture along the historic Chisholm Trail.
Why Should You Visit The Chisholm Trail Outdoor Museum?
The Chisholm Trail is an iconic part of the Texas (and American) identity. These cattle drives are ingrained into the culture of Texas. Field trip to this unique outdoor museum to experience a cowboy camp set in the 1870s.
Great Field Trip for These Topics:
Cowboys, Cattle, & Ranching
Native American History & Culture
The Chisholm Trail
Texas History
Where to Begin Your Field Trip:
Begin at the Big Bear Native American Museum near the small parking lot. You’ll purchase admission inside. This is a small, but a well-done museum that began as a collection of artifacts donated by Leonard “Big Bear” Beal. Additional artwork and collections date back to 15,000BC, giving you a good overview of Native American life in the area throughout the ages.
What Can You Expect to See & Do While Visiting The Chisholm Tail Museum?
After perusing the Big Bear museum for a bit, head outside to view the teepees.
Next up is the blacksmith shop with a professional blacksmith on-site to give demonstrations. There is a small gift shop inside you’ll want to check out as well.
In this same area are Judge Wren’s house, the cemetery, and the mule barn.
Up the hill, there is more of the town to tour. Friendly volunteers are dressed in period clothing and ready to share some interesting history about the area.
The stagecoach on display has made its way to Cleburne, TX from Hollywood. It was previously featured in two John Wayne westerns.
Keep moseying along to the next building where you will find the sheriff’s office and jail, and the trading post.
The trading post is a small gift shop with things you might expect, like candles and salsas.
The log courthouse is original to the county and is the oldest of its kind in Texas.
After that, you’ll come to the Nolan River School. It was originally built in 1855 and if you have a group of kids that would like to attend a day of school in 1855, they can! (Contact the museum for more info.)
The building near the lake houses 2 rooms of memorabilia, one featuring the Texas Rangers and the other, the Civil War.
This museum is located alongside Lake Pat Cleburne, and Town Branch Creek (which was called the Nolan River during the days of cattle drives) runs right through the encampment. A bird-viewing deck overlooks the lake for guests to enjoy.
Before you leave, circle back toward the entrance and walk over the creek bridge to the short nature trail. It’s called Heron’s Path, and there is a Cherokee story about the blue herons and some educational signage along the way.
The Basics:
101 Chisholm Trail
Cleburne, TX 76033
Saturday: 10am-5pm
Sunday: 1pm-5pm (if gate open)
(They will close for extreme heat, cold, or rain.)
Adults: $5
Kids: $3
Seniors: $3
Military: $3
First Responders: $3
Strollers: $0
Tips for Visitors:
Check Groupon for discounts on admission.
The outdoor portion of the museum is dog friendly.
On our visit, food was available for purchase. It’s probably a good idea to confirm ahead of time if you’re looking to have some chuck wagon eats on your visit.
Field trips and educational activities are available for kids. Contact the museum here.
Other Field Trips to Consider:
