From its opening in 2004, Frontier Texas has served as an interactive history museum with exhibits and experiences that preserve and share the history of area Native American tribes as well as traders, soldiers, settlers who arrived in the 19th century. Visitors can experience interactive displays that demonstrate what life was like for diverse residents from Comanche warriors to Cowboys and families who established farms. The museum also serves as a place to learn about the 650-mile Texas Forts Trail. In addition to permanent exhibits that allow visitors to experience what life was like in an Old West boom town or an isolated prairie, the museum has hosted temporary exhibits related to slavery and abolition in Texas to Christmas on the frontier.
This marker on the northeast corner of the intersection at N. 1st and Pine Streets tells the story of tragic shootout that took place here in a saloon on January 8, 1884. Although Abilene was founded in 1881, it had already earned a reputation as a lawless place. When it officially incorporated in 1883, the town decided to enact laws curbing disorderly conduct, such as prohibiting guns from being fired in the town and gambling. On that day in January, the City Alderman, Frank Collins, and his brother Walter, the County Sheriff, walked into the saloon, where they were approached by the owner, Zeno Hemphill, about the new gambling law. The men got into an argument which quickly escalated; Zeno pulled his gun and shot at Frank but Walter stepped in front, killing him. Frank and Zeno then began firing at each other. Zeno was killed and Frank died of his wounds two months later. The incident prompted many residents to support proposed prohibition laws in the coming years, although it wasn't until 1902 that saloons were closed for good in the city, a situation that lasted for 75 years.
The Grace Museum offers three separate museums under one roof. The art museum's collection includes 1500 works, most of which were created by American artists with Texas connections. The Children's Museum is located on the second floor and includes interactive science exhibits and a replica of Abilene’s Paramount Theatre where children can take the stage and produce shows. The third floor is a history museum, with exhibits that preserve and share the history of West Texas from the frontier period to the present. In addition to special programs, the facility is also home to a art history research library. The museum is located in the historic former home of Hotel Grace, built in 1909 and operated as a hotel until 1973.
The oldest commercial building in Abilene, the Cypress Building was constructed in 1890 as the Windsor Hotel. The hotel was a central part of the city's boom and its connection to the railroad, offering a variety of accommodations to travelers. Legend has it that some of the hotel's unofficial hostesses stood on the hotel's balcony and advertised their services to cowboys and railroad men as they passed by. The building was restored in 1997 to match its original appearance.
Next to the Paramount Theatre is perhaps Abilene's most iconic building: the former Hotel Wooten, which is now an apartment building retaining the same name. The seventeen-story building was constructed in 1930 by H. O. Wooten, a prominent local figure in the city during that period. Wooten started his business and entrepreneurial career in 1898 when he ventured into the wholesale grocery business (Wooten also built the theatre at the same time). The hotel featured 200 rooms with the biggest suite located on the top floor. It was designed in the Art Deco style, which was popular during the 1920s and 1930s, and much of the original detailing has been restored. The hotel was the tallest building between Fort Worth and El Paso for a number of years. It was declared a Texas historical landmark in 2008.
Paramount Theatre was built between 1928 and 1930 and became one of the finest movie houses in Texas. The interior features a Spanish-Moorish architectural theme. The building was restored in the 1980s thanks to the support of numerous donors, becoming the cornerstone of the efforts to restore downtown Abilene. The venue hosts events throughout the year and gusts always enjoy the venue's domed ceiling that features twinkling stars when the lights are out and passing clouds when the house lights come on.
Built in 1924, the First Presbyterian Church is Abilene's best-preserved church. It was designed in the Gothic Revival style and as such features a gabled roof and a three-story bell tower.
Opened in 2001, the 12th Armored Division Memorial Museum is on the few WWII museums in the country, if not the world, that tells the history of one military unit. Whereas other WWII museums tend to look at the war from a broader perspective, this museum focuses on the 12th Armored's role in World War II. To this end it features three floors of photographs, artifacts, and soldiers' personal items. Visitors will get a real sense of what the war was like from a soldier's perspective. Some of these recollections address the liberation of a concentration camp and the Holocaust in general. Also of note is the retelling of the January 1945 Battle of Herrlisheim, during which the 12th Armored played a pivotal role in stopping a German offensive and thereby helping to shorten the war. According to the museum, this battle and the division's role, is largely unknown. The battle is depicted in a seven-part 3D diorama. In addition to its exhibits, the museum also hosts teleconference/webinar programs about the Holocaust and the war.
This Tour is a Walking Tour.
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This walking tour begins at Frontier Texas which serves as the official visitor center for Abilene and the Texas Forts Trail region. The museum will give you the early history of the region, the next key stop is The Grace Museum covering art and history. Other stops showcase key historic buildings and finishes at a wonderful WWII museum.
