Last updated: 2/13/2012
219 N. State Line Ave.
Texarkana, TX 75501
P.O. Box 2343
Texarkana, TX 75504
Self-guided tours.
Tuesday - Saturday
10 AM - 4 PM
Hands-on exhibitions and activities
Tuesday - Saturday
10 AM - 4 PM
Available for guided tours only. Call for tour times.
Tuesday - Saturday
10 AM - 4 PM
Not open to the public at this time.
Admission Fee Charged
Members: free
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Jamie Simmons
phone:
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Melissa Nesbitt
phone: 903-793-4831
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The Texarkana Museums System offers three fun and fascinating ways to explore Texarkana’s past, present and future. TMS operates the Museum of Regional History, the Draughon-Moore “Ace of Clubs” House and the Discovery Place Children’s Museum in historic downtown Texarkana.
The Texarkana Museums System houses an archive of over 25,000 photographs, scrapbook and other research materials. To make this collection more accessible, TMS is digitizing a portion of the archives and sharing these scans with the public. Image scans, audio clips and more await the Texarkana History enthusiast, all free to the public. Please see our website for details.
The Texarkana Museums System (TMS) is a-not-for-profit 501(c)3 educational organization that offers high-quality learning experiences focusing on history, science, art, and music.
TMS is committed to the collection and conservation of materials relating to the human occupation of the region, to the preservation of the buildings it holds in trust for the people of the Four States Area, and to the enhancement of cultural opportunities and quality of life for all its residents. TMS is committed to maintaining professional and ethical excellence in all its operations and adheres to the standards set forth by the American Association of Museums.
A group of local citizens established the Texarkana Historical Society in 1966. In an effort to preserve Texarkana’s unique history, the group began collecting archival materials. In 1971, the Society opened the Texarkana Historical Museum, now the Museum of Regional History. The new Museum was opened in the historic Offenhauser Insurance building, the oldest surviving brick building in Texarkana.
The collections expanded to include regional and Caddo artifacts and information. The Museum of Regional History includes a vast collection of research materials and photographs available to the public by appointment.
In 1985, the Society obtained the Draughon-Moore "Ace of Clubs" House, which is a unique octagonal house built in 1885. The house was restored and opened for public tours in 1987.
In 1990, Discovery Place Children's Museum opened in the old Bryce's Cafeteria building. Discovery Place is a hands-on museum of science, history, and human perception. It also houses traveling exhibits, a fifty-seat video theater, and a classroom.
2010 saw the addition of a fourth property to the TMS collection, its first on the Arkansas side. The historic Patrick J. Ahern home in the heart of the Quality Hill Historic District was donated by the family and is set to open to the public in 2012.
To reflect its expanded mission, the Society changed its name to the Texarkana Museums System in 1993. The organization received accreditation from the American Association of Museums in 1991.
The TMS museums continue to serve Texarkana and the Ark-La-Tex through regular exhibits, public programs, educational events, and preservation efforts.
The Texarkana Museums System Collections include Caddo Artifacts, fossils, 19th and 20th Century clothing, textiles, tools, machines and agricultural Implements. Special collections include medical tools and equipment.
Ephemera - newspapers, photographs, personal histories, postcards, yearbooks, letters, diaries, cookbooks, magazines- are all available for research by appointment. Audio and film collections include oral histories collected from Texarkana Pioneers in the 1970s. The archives include a collection of 700 blueprints from the firm of Witt, Siebert and Halsey.
The Texarkana Museums System is made up of three facilities: Texarkana Historical
Museum, Ace of Clubs House, and Discovery Place. TMS offers educational programming for
school groups, grades pre-K to 12. TMS has educational tour programs, museum tours, Rose
Hill Cemetery tour, special exhibits, in-class presentations, and teacher workshops.
The education tour programs must be scheduled. TMS has hands-on history trunks for
loan. Each trunk includes artifacts, teacher background information, suggested classroom
activities, and student take-home booklets. They may be checked out for one week. TMS also
has traveling exhibits such as A Family Portrait, a photographic exhibit that focuses on an
African-American family of southwest Arkansas at the beginning of the 20th century; House
Detectives, a workbook introducing students to basic architectural elements and featuring
examples of structures located in Miller, Little River, Sevier, and Hempstead County, Arkansas;
and a video of Scott Joplin, Texarkana native and jazz composer.
The history trunks and traveling exhibits are available for free to schools. A small fee is charged for other organizations wishing to borrow these materials.
Auditoriums
Lecture Halls
Performance Areas
Ephemera - newspapers, photographs, personal histories, postcards, yearbooks, letters, diaries, cookbooks, magazines- are all available for research by appointment. Audio and film collections include oral histories collected from Texarkana Pioneers in the 1970s. The archives include a collection of 700 blueprints from the firm of Witt, Siebert and Halsey. A small fee is charged to access the collections.
Access: General Public, Students, Scholars, Members
Appointment required: Yes
Newsletter four times a year, annual report, grant-funded publications.
Group Tours are available at a discounted rate but must be booked at least 2 weeks in advance.
Gift Shop
Online Gift Shop
Special Event Rental
Group Tours
Wheelchair Accessible
Parking
Restrooms
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