Since I have Monday and Tuesdays off, I went to visit Heritage Village Museum. The museum is supported by the Tyler County Heritage Society and is located in Woodville, Texas, about thirty-five minutes away from where I currently live. The museum consists of three parts:
- Indoor Museum & Gift Shop
- Heritage Village
- Big Woods Nature Trail
Although small, this museum is a photographer's paradise. I took over 200 pictures while there, the best of which I will share below.
Indoor Museum & Gift Shop
The indoor portion of the museum is located inside a giftshop and is free to the public. It features artifacts from different cultures in East Texas, geodes and other rocks, and the unique painted tile art of Clyde Edward Gray. The organization that would become the museum was originally founded by Gray as the "Heritage Garden", a gallery where he could sell his art. His work is well-known in East Texas, and he was awarded a National Liberty Medal of the Texas Heritage Foundation for "Distinguished Art and Ceramics".
Heritage Village
The largest section of the museum, and the one with the most photo opportunities, is the Heritage Village. Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for children. Call ahead if you are bringing a group with more than 5 people. There are no guided tours for the village, but you will be giving a walking tour map with tons of information.
All of the houses in the village are numbered, with a short paragraph on the map. The majority of the buildings are replicas of turn-of-the-century buildings from East Texas, but a few of the buildings have been moved from other locations.
There are plenty of reproduction and vintage signs on the property, advertising soft drinks and setting rules.
Several flowering bushes and trees are planted around the property.
A large buggy and wagon barn houses twenty fully restored vehicles donated from the Panhandle Plains Historical Museum in Canyon, Texas.
Other items on display include a vintage camera collection, scales, decorated tiles, and "A Memorial to the World's Only Flying Outhouse".
Big Woods Nature Trail
Short trails wind through the 11 acres of the Big Woods. Informative signs identify tree species and display maps with the walker's location. It's impossible to get lost. A few trails are overgrown, with plenty of spider webs.
Heritage Village runs a free photo contest featuring pictures taken on the Big Woods Nature Trail. Here are the two photos I submitted for the June contest. Wish me luck!
Final Observations
This museum is located right off US Highway 190 and has plenty of free parking, so it's not hard to get there. However, navigating around the museum spaces could prove difficult for some visitors. Many buildings are accessible only by somewhat rickety staircases and are fairly dark once inside. The machinery at the "Chair Factory" are in the open, but should cause no issues if they aren't touched. Parts of the indoor spaces are narrow, but very well lit and air conditioned. Even with these issues, this museum by far exceeded my expectations, and I would gladly visit again... especially because I've heard that their restaurant, "Pickett House", has an all-you-can-eat chicken & dumplings special.