Texas Heritage Museum

112 Lamar Drive, Hillsboro, Texas
254-659-7750
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Summer hours Tuesday - Thursday 8 am - 4:30 pm, Friday 8 am - 4 pm, Saturday 9 am - 4 pm
Fall, Winter and Spring hours Monday - Thursday 8 am - 4:30 pm, Friday 8 am - 4 pm
Admission free.  Donations accepted.

Museum Exhibit

The Texas Heritage Museum began in 1963 with the personal collection of Hill College history professor Harold B. Simpson.  Today, the museum has grown to include the Galleries, the Historical Research Center, and the Hill College Press, which publishes works of original and interpretative history.

Through collections and personal stories of native Texans, the Galleries explore Texas and Texans during wartime and how those experiences affect us today.  The theatre features several short films such as "Texas Heritage Museum – Remembering Our Texas Heritage," "The Best – Hood’s Texas Brigade," and "Audie Murphy – American Soldier." The museum is divided into sections:

Texas Heritage Museum exhibit 

Texas Revolution & Republic
This section honors many of the founders of Texas and the revolutionary battles in which they fought. Exhibits display weapons from the Battle of San Jacinto, a replica uniform and a hand-built diorama of the Alamo.

Civil War
Artifacts include original flags, weapons, medical equipment and more from the War Between the States.  Highlighted are Hood’s Texas Brigade and Texas’ first Medal of Honor recipient, Milton Holland.

Weapons Gallery This gallery houses larger weapons, mostly from World War I. Other wars featured in this section include the Mexican War, the Spanish-American War and the Punitive Expedition.

WW II
This gallery explores life on the front and at home during WW II and features notable Texans like Audie Murphy, Samuel Dealey and Hillsboro native and Medal of Honor recipient James Harris.

 
Military Uniform
Audie Murphy's uniform

Vietnam War exhibit  

Vietnam
Over 3,400 Texans servicemen died serving their country in Vietnam.  This gallery displays both American and Vietnamese artifacts and includes a diorama of a "tunnel rat" clearing an underground passage.

Medal of Honor Memorial


Outside, in front of the museum, is the Official Texas State Medal of Honor Memorial to Native-Born Texans. This memorial is a tribute to all 56 native-born Texans who have received this distinction, the highest award that can be bestowed on a member of the United States armed forces. The Memorial honors WWII Texas Medal of Honor recipients including Audie Murphy, the most decorated soldier, Samuel Dealey, the most decorated sailor, and Hill County native James Harris.

Women in Uniform



The Historical Research Center, open limited hours, is nationally recognized as a Civil War repository.  Included is an extensive collection of maps, photographs, soldiers’ letters, diaries, and unpublished manuscripts from all Texas wars. Also included is an extensive collection of books and manuscripts on the local history of Hill County.



True Texas Tales of the People, Places, and Events of Hill County, Texas