Brazos Valley Museum of Natural History Bryan, Texas

Mailing Address

3232 Briarcrest Drive
Bryan, TX 77802

Street Address

3232 Briarcrest Drive
Bryan, TX 77802

Phone: 979-776-2195
Fax: 979-774-0252
Email:
Web: www.brazosvalleymuseum.org

Related Links

www.epodunk.com/cgi-bin/geninfo.php?locIndex=52030
www.texasbigfoot.com/brazosvalleymuseum.html

Museum Hours

Monday-Saturday		10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sunday		1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Admissions

Adults - $5
University students, seniors, children ages 4-17 - $4
Children 3 and under with paying adult - Free

Description

Historically the Museum has stressed service to children, but the scope has been expanded to provide programs and exhibits that interest families, adults, and senior citizens. The mission is to stimulate understanding of the dynamic relationships between the peoples of the the Brazos Valley and their natural environment, and to encourage responsible stewardship of all natural resources. The focus is science and natural history, but we also study the cultural history of all those who have lived in the Brazos Valley region. A current project is to convert our exhibit on cotton cultivation to traveling form, in exchange for other major exhibits, while we also maintain and exhibit fossils, rocks and minerals, live and mounted animals of the region, reconstructed habitats, and prehistoric artifacts. In cooperation with the Arts Council of the Brazos Valley, we exhibit "nature art" and conduct programs on art and archaeology. Through activities at the Museum and through outreach to schools and other community organizations, the Museum teaches respect and appreciation for the region's natural and cultural history.

Mission Statement

The Museum’s principal function is to increase public awareness of animals, plants, minerals, and human adaptation in the Brazos Valley today and in ages past. Exhibits, programs, and educational outreach encourage respect and appreciation for the region’s natural history. These programs also inform the public about the role of our ancestors, ancient and recent, in the natural world and about our own place in history and the environment.

History

Founded in 1961, the Museum is a non-profit institution dedicated to natural history and the interaction of people and nature. It is the only institution of its type with one hundred miles of Bryan-College Station and it serves all the people in this region. It relies almost solely on on community support, State, County, or City Governments. All funds for our modern 9,400 square foot facility were raised within the community.

The Museum's principal function is to increase public awareness of animals, plants, and minerals in the Brazos Valley. Exhibits, programs, and activities-in the Museum and as educational outreach-encourage respect and appreciation for the region's natural history. These programs also inform the public about the role of our ancestors-recent and ancient-in the natural world and about our own place in history and the environment.

Since 1995, the director has stressed EXHIBITS and EDUCATION, so as to better serve the community and increased revenues. Hands-on learning is facilitated by a wide-range of natural history specimens, mostly from Texas, and especially the Brazos River watershed, 40% of which came from Texas A&M Museum when it closed in 1970. Important heritage collections in archeology, history, botany, shells, geology, fossils, birds, and other animals comprise over 25,000 specimens.

Lately, we have increased our attention to continuing education, especially for the growing number of retired, educated citizens with an interest in museums, local history, art, and environmental issues. At the same time we have expanded our service area and continued to stress youth education by catering to Scouts and other private groups. Spring, summer, and winter Nature camp attendance has increased, along with thematic birthday parties. Dollar Days, which admission is only $1/person, on the first Sunday of each month, have brought many new faces into the Museum.

Artifacts Collections

Approximately 22,500 diversified natural history specimens, mostly from Texas. The great majority of these were collected within the Brazos River Watershed. About 40% of the holdings were rescued by the museum in 1970, when the Texas A&M Museum was abandoned.

Archaeology: The Albert Dalton Doerge Collection of local Native American lithic, shell, bone, and pottery objects, a Texas State Archeological Landmark. Collected within a 35-mile radius of the twin cities between 1902-1952, these 4,700 artifacts date from recent times back to the origins of human habitation of the area c. 9500 BC. The State Historical Commission designation made the Doerge Collection the fifth archaeological collection to receive extensive legal protection at a state level.

Botany: The W. H. Fleming Botanical Collections of 1887 and the collections of an unknown person from 1897. These are locally important floristic documents. During the next five years, the museum hopes to aggressively expand the herbarium, both for educational and exhibit purposes.

Conchology: The G. E. Potter Shell Collection. A very extensive, meticulously documented collection of approximately 1800 Texas Gulf Coast shells. Still being catalogued and curated.

Geology: The Mary Julia Hubert Gem and Mineral Collection, 1240 specimens from around the world. The Robert Bossler Mineral Collection. Approximately 830 local specimens retained; 600 others deaccessioned to the Texas A&M University Department of Geology.

Mammalogy: About 250 specimens, whole mounts, study skins, and osteological material. Access to the extensive Texas Cooperative Wildlife Collections (A&M) through a cooperative agreement.

Ornithology: The Marion C. Pugh Bird Collection. About 1100 specimens, whole mounts, study skins, skeletons, and eggs collected in Texas 1876 - 1940.

Paleontology: About 420 vertebrate Pleistocene specimens (elephants, bison, horses) and Cretaceous marine fossils.. In the invertebrate section, about 12,650 specimens. Most are from the Eocene Stone City Formation which outcrops locally and the Cretaceous of Central Texas. In Paleobotany, about 80 good specimens.

Culture History: Limited historical artifacts from the settlement and early farming periods.

Research Collections

Archival collections consist of 30 years of background history and information on the BVMNH. Not considered appropriate for research.

Library

Open to general public, students, scholars. The library is quite small and is mostly concerned with natural history and science. It does not circulate print materials; no appointment necessary; cannot assist with inter-library loans.

Contact Director about rights and reproduction; image use restriction: see the Director for approval.

Services


Gift Shop, Special Event Rental


Natural history, science and educational items sold.

Publications

Quarterly newsletter, annual report, annual program resource guide for teachers

Facilities

9,400 square feet total; 3,500 square feet exhibition area; 125-person performance area; wheelchair-accessible; other services for people with disabilities available upon request

Programs

Contracts with private, public, and pre-schools; spring, summer, and fall camps; thematic programs; Saturday programs; educational birthday parties. Curator of Education will decide if educational materials are appropriate for use in other institutions. The museum has Discovery Kits available at $5 per week.

Staff

Deborah Cowman, Executive Director
Email:

Maria Lazo, Associate Director
Email:

Elizabeth Manning, Curator of Collections
Email:


Museum Type

Children's
General
History
Natural History
Nature Centers
Science

Governance

Type: 501 (c) (3),


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