Museum of the Llano Estacado

Journey Into the Past

The Museum of the Llano Estacado opened in 1976 in conjunction with the U.S. Bicentennial celebration. The museum is housed in the J.E. and L.E. Mabee Regional Heritage center on the north side of the Wayland Baptist University campus.

About the Museum

The museum is laid out in chronological order telling the regional history of the area of land that lies atop the caprock in Northwest Texas and Eastern New Mexico, known as the Llano Estacado.

Exhibits begin with the formation of the region during the ice age and continue through early irrigation of the 1930s. Popular exhibits include a full-sized tepee, an early town site featuring early culture of the area, a mounted buffalo soldier, a wooden windmill, and home exhibits from the Victorian Era. View the museum's online photo gallery.

New Exhibits

The museum's latest exhibits include:

• James and Eva Mayer Hale County Hall of Fame, featuring notable personalities from Hale County
• Completed exhibits highlight the lives of local heroes
• Singer- songwriter, actor, and sausage king Jimmy Dean
• 1950s-1960s rock band The String-A-Longs
• 1989 Miss Texas Leah Kay Lyle
• International opera singer Terry Cook
• Western movie star Sunset Carson
• Coaching legend Harley Redin