Editor Pick
Frontier Texas
- July 21, 2007
- Rated 5 of 5 by
samepenny from Fort Worth, Texas
The West, the real West lives and breathes in Abilene, Texas. A wonderful place for a family vacation, it is an easy and safe place to visit. You have to think of it as more than a rest stop on your long drive across the Lone Star State. Frontier Texas, the brand new museum of western life in downtown Abilene, is an interactive museum of the most modern sort. The audio visual presentations are brilliant and do a great job of grabbing and holding the interest of children and all other visitors.
I have lived most of my life on one cattle trail or another. Abilene was the hub of several such trails. The stuff of legends. One day I decided to make a little drive out west. 145 miles west of my home in Fort Worth (about a 2 and one-half hour drive on I-20), Frontier Texas in Abilene welcomed me to its amazing (and air-conditioned) home of western life and stories.
This is West Texas. The parking is free and there is plenty of it. You are invited to bring a picnic and have it under the shelter of the entry area of this museum. Before you settle the children down to museum visiting, there are rest rooms and cold drink machines. Most people who visit this museum have made a considerable drive to do so. The day I visited several people had signed the guest book from Dallas and out of state.
You buy your ticket from a very friendly person in the welcome area. Look to the website at www.frontiertexas.com for discount and multiple museum and event tickets. For general visitor information: www.abilene.com/visitors for the Convention and Visitors Bureau. You then follow a carpeted path to a small viewing area where you are given an introduction to the museum via video screens by a real cowboy who introduces several of the main characters you will see represented in the display areas.
A complete tour following the path takes about one hour. There are volunteers along the way to help answer questions and even take your photo with your own camera as you perch on a real stage coach or pose with a covered wagon.
This is not a 'hush, be quiet' museum. Children are encouraged to have a good time. Everyone seems to do so.
I am very proud of Abilene for the creation of this fine facility. A good sized chunk of downtown has been given over to it.
From journal Western Trail, Abilene Texas