Museum Information

Mission

The Museum’s principal function is to increase public awareness of animals, plants, minerals, and human adaptation in the Brazos Valley today and in ages past.  Exhibits, programs, and educational outreach encourage respect and appreciation for the region’s natural history. These programs also inform the public about the role of our ancestors, ancient and recent, in the natural world and about our own place in history and the environment.

Astin Gallery

The Astin Gallery houses two permanent exhibits, Ice Age Mammals of the Brazos Valley and Cotton Farming in the Brazos Valley.   The Ice Age Mammals exhibit is set before the renowned Brazos Spring Mural, which depicts prominent species from 12,000 and more years ago in their life-like habitat.  This recreation of the Ice Age environment is complemented by sculptures and authentic petrified bones of extinct animals.  Cotton Farming in the Brazos Valley is popular with family groups and history buffs as it depicts the importance of cotton in the development of this region between the 19th and 20th centuries.

Discovery Room

Our Discovery Room is home to more than twenty species of live animals,  an active glass-front beehive, and dozens of mounted specimens!Educational resources include books, maps, puzzles, and several interactive exhibits for children of all ages.

Resources

The Brazos Valley Museum hosts tours, lectures and classes.  Educational programs for children include Nature Camps (held every spring/winter break, and summer), Game Day Learn & Play programs (held during every Aggie home football game), Birthday Parties, and school field trips (or if your school is in the area, have us come visit you!).  Discovery Kits are available to teachers, home schoolers, scouts and others for their own use.  We provide guides to the adjacent Carter’s Creek Nature Trail, picnic area, and restored wildlife habitats.

Each year, the Museum reaches about 50,000 children and adults with stimulating science programs, exhibits, special events, and affiliated programs such as the Arts Council of the Brazos Valley, Center for the Study of the First Americans and the Texas Cooperative Wildlife Collections.  Our programs are available thanks to the support of many individuals, businesses, and other institutions.