SMITHSONIAN TRAVELING EXHIBIT OPEN IN BRENHAM
The Smithsonian’s Museum on Main Street exhibit is now open in Brenham.
held a ribbon cutting on Saturday at Mt. Rose
Missionary Baptist Church for the permanent
exhibits at Jerry Wilson Park and in Belle's Alley near
Toubin Park in downtown Brenham. The permanent
exhibits share stories about Washington County's
Freedom Colonies and the history of Camptown.
Morriss Hall at the Barnhill Center is open through January 19th for visitors to see the “Crossroads: Change in Rural America” traveling exhibit. Interactive displays explore how rural communities evolved when residents began moving to larger cities in the 1900s.
Alongside the Smithsonian program, exhibits developed by local tourism partners and historians are also available at The Barnhill Center, Belle’s Alley near Toubin Park in downtown Brenham and Jerry Wilson Park.
Ribbon cuttings were held on Saturday to mark the opening of the exhibits. City of Brenham Tourism and Marketing Director Jennifer Eckermann said Brenham is one of seven communities in Texas out of 53 applicants to host the Smithsonian exhibit. She said this provided an opportunity to share undertold stories of local Black history, celebrate the history of the Simon Theatre, and increase heritage tourism in Washington County.
held a ribbon cutting on Saturday in Morriss Hall at
The Barnhill Center for the Smithsonian Museum on
Main Street and Century of Simon exhibits. The
temporary exhibits explore how life in rural
communities has evolved across the country and
showcase the history of the Simon Theatre.
The exhibit in Belle’s Alley tells the story of the numerous Freedom Colonies established in Washington County after the Civil War, including Spann’s Settlement, Old Gay Hill, Watrousville, Post Oak Grove and Camptown.
The Camptown community, the earliest Freedom Colony in Washington County, is the focus of its own exhibit at Jerry Wilson Park. Panels located around the park include QR codes that can be scanned to access an audio tour with more information about several parts of the community, including the Camptown Cemetery, Pickard High School and Mt. Rose Missionary Baptist Church.
The exhibit at The Barnhill Center, A Century of Simon, showcases the journey from the Simon Theatre’s vaudeville roots, to the Hollywood Golden Era, to the venue’s decline and its eventual revival.
Hours for the Smithsonian and Simon exhibits are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday.
While the Smithsonian program and the Simon Theatre exhibit are only open for the next six weeks, the exhibits at Jerry Wilson Park and in Belle’s Alley are permanent additions.
Along with the exhibits in Brenham, soundwalk experiences have been developed to tell more stories across Washington County. Audio tours are available for locations like the Burton Farmer’s Gin, the Chappell Hill Firehouse and the Independence town square.
More details on each of the exhibits and about volunteer opportunities can be found at https://visitbrenhamtexas.com/smithsonian.
