Smithsonian Coming to Town! Bandera Museum Showcasing Three Exhibits

The Smithsonian’s Museum on Main Street, in cooperation with Texas Historical Commission, presents “Crossroads: Change in Rural America.” This traveling exhibition examining the evolving landscape of rural American life opens in Bandera, Texas, on June 21st.

As an official satellite exhibition space, the Bandera Natural History and Art Museum [BNHAM] will be showcasing three temporary exhibits tied into the themes of the main traveling exhibit – identity, land, community, persistence, and change. These exhibits will be on display for only 5 weeks, so don’t miss out!

“No Swimming Dinosaurs Here! New Insights into an Old Theory” will showcase the 2024 research of a multi-disciplinary team working in Bandera County that ultimately debunked a 1947 theory about swimming brontosaurus. The display will include drone footage, a research poster, and a cast of a dinosaur foot.

Additionally, BNHAM will have a small display about the importance of religious iconography in the New Spain Art Hall, and the Juan Infante International Hall will display “Changing Land: From Cattle and Sheep to Zebra and Tourists,” showcasing how and why some Bandera ranches moved away from traditional ranching in the last century.

The city of Bandera was chosen by the Texas Historical Commission to host “Crossroads” as part of the Museum on Main Street program—a national/state/local partnership to bring exhibitions and programs to rural cultural organizations. The main exhibit will be on display at the local middle school cafetorium, and leaves on July 26th.

The Bandera Natural History and Art Museum is located at 267 Old San Antonio Rd, Bandera, Texas 78003. Visit their website for pricing and hours at https://www.banderanhm.org. To learn more about all the events in Bandera affiliated with the Smithsonian traveling exhibit, contact the Frontier Times Museum at www.frontiertimesmuseum.org, or the Bandera Convention and Visitors Bureau at https://www.banderacowboycapital.com/p/smithsonian