Looking for a fun way to spend a day? Then you want to find the best museums around Jacksonville, TX, and check them out. We've gathered up some of the best local museums, so you can get right to it without having to do the legwork beforehand.
4 of the Best Museums in Driving Distance of Jacksonville, TX
Vanishing Texana Museum
You'll definitely want to check out our local museum, located at 302 S. Bolton St. At this museum, you can check out a large variety of historical items ranging from dinosaur teeth to their large antique coin collection.
You can also see the contents of a time capsule the city of Jacksonville buried at their centennial celebration in 1972. The capsule was dug up in 2022, and all articles are now on display. Some highlights from the capsule include radio recordings, newspapers published on the day of the capsule's burial, and a variety of buttons worn during the centennial celebration.
East Texas Oil Museum
Want to learn more about what East Texas was like in the 1930s? You'll learn all about how people lived and worked in the 30s by visiting this museum, which features Boomtown, USA: a full-scale replica town straight out of yesteryear. You can easily spend a day here at the museum at Kilgore College. You can find them at 1301 S. Henderson Blvd.
Texas Broadcast Museum
Do you want to know more about radios and the history of broadcasting? Well, the Texas Broadcast Museum, located at 416 E. Main St, has everything from a fully functional news studio to a large collection that showcases how radios and televisions have evolved since the time of Thomas Edison.
While you're giving your families comfortable and roomy Trailblazer a break in the parking lot, be sure to check out the museum's vehicle, the Telecruiser. This vehicle was there for President Kennedy's assassination and has been lovingly restored by the museum so it can be enjoyed by future generations.
Smith County Historical Society Museum and Archives
Smith County Historical Society hosts a number of permanent and rotating exhibits inside their Carnegie Library, built in 1904. In fact, the library itself is considered a historical treasure on its own. You can find them at 125 S. College Ave. They offer tours by appointment only, so make sure you call ahead.
While you're there, you'll have access to their archives, and you'll get to learn all about the progress Smith County underwent throughout the 20th century. You'll be able to see memorabilia from bygone days, as well as view photos from the town's past.
It's going to be hard to pick which museum to visit first, but they're all worth the short drive. Before you head out to one of these awesome museums, come check out the showroom at Bacon Auto Country. Our staff would love to show you around our great selection of vehicles.
