New Butler Longhorn Museum

“(The museum’s) going to take a collaborative effort to work,” said Mayor Toni Randall, adding the city would love to partner with a university or other entity in assuming responsibility for management. “It’s such a large project.discount Los Angeles Dodgers HatsA museum, I think, should be funded and run by outside interests, even though the city (has a stake). It shows the longhorn history, and I think in the long run it’s going to be a part of what our Texas history is. That’s exactly what this is. It’s Texas history.”

The Butler Longhorn Museum is being spearheaded by League City, but is a collaborative effort among many partners including: Destination League City, Environmental Institute of Houston, League City Historical Society, League City Lions Club, The Butler Texas Longhorn Breeders, Texas Longhorn Breeders, League City Heritage Foundation, League City Proud, Friends of the Butler Longhorn Museum, to name a few.

“When you can bring nature, through agriculture, into the lesson, it makes a bigger impact on the students.”

Programs will be across a range of curriculums, including sciences, art, history and leadership, among others. The prospect of exposing students, especially those who haven’t had much of a chance to experience the natural world, Cheap Chicago White Sox Hats excites Schnuriger.

“We have launched our education program for the 2010-11 year,” said Cindy Schnuriger, a retired high school agriculture teacher. “On Oct. 26 is our first program open to the public. We’re doing a nutritional health-related program on the facts about longhorn and grass-fed beef open to the general public. Some programs will be for all ages, some programs will target specific age groups and grade levels for public and private schools.”

Horse stalls outside the museum, which is located on a 10-acre parcel, will be used as educational tools. A recent open house for educators at the museum targeted about 600 schools around the greater Houston region.

“We really have a lot of people who are dedicated,” Wycoff said.

Volunteers also contribute in a variety of ways, from carpentry and electrical work to conducting lectures or performing in period skits.

“We get weird stuff all of the time,” said Wycoff, picking up a rusty game animal trap somebody found along the banks of Dickinson Bayou, “but we want some more.”

As it is, it’s almost too much to take in with one helping. The spread draws field trippers, tour groups, cattlemen, biologists – you name it. The museum’s massive collection has been secured with grant funds or money raised independently by the 501(c)3 or is part of private collections on loan or which have been donated. People even drop in unannounced to unload the odd relic or two.

“Even the outlaws are part of the culture, which is why I insisted on building a jail,” Wycoff said.

There’s a library too, as well as displays of frontier-era saloons, post offices and the like.

There’s a movie room where educational films are screened, and a mock range with fenced-off, lifelike cattle and predators such as bobcats, coyotes and rattlesnakes. And that’s not counting all the authentic, frontier-related Texana pieces, including Indian headdresses, artifacts and pottery. Spears and crossbows are displayed in the frontier weapons exhibit room alongside authentic muskets and revolvers.

The 10,000-square-foot, three-story museum definitely houses more than cowboy hats, wholesale Chicago White Sox Hats with every conceivable relic of the cattle industry displayed in history, art and science exhibits.

“It’s the only (museum) of its kind preserving Texas’ frontier culture anywhere in the Houston area,” said Jennifer Wycoff, the museum’s director and curator. “We have great fine arts museums and all other kinds, but when you come to Texas, you want to see cowboy hats.”

The project began in 2002, when League City officials forked over a $400,000 grant from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to restore the Walter Hall Estate.

Getting the word out about the state’s rich cultural history is the idea behind the Butler Longhorn Museum and Heritage Park in League City, which opened in May.

Texas isn’t known as the land of cowboys and pick-up trucks, 10-gallon hats and Longhorn steers for nothing.
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