Current Exhibits

Temporary Exhibit

Historic Bell County Through the Lens of Margaret Bowles Williamson (June 2-August 15)

The exhibition will feature several collections of photographs by Bell County native Margaret Bowles Williamson. Her silver gelatin prints offer a unique view of historic Bell County including the area’s historic churches, architecture, and a unique collection documenting Bowles family history. This includes family photographs paired with family heirlooms. The exhibit will also include some of the artifacts highlighted in the photographs.

Permanent Display

Passport Through Time

Housed in our historic 1904 Carnegie Library, this exhibit guides visitors through the unique and varied history of Bell County.

Passport Through Time examines the historical journey of Bell County by focusing on its people, places, and historical events. The exhibit portrays Bell County's unique place in Texas history, and its close relationship to the early peoples of Central Texas, rugged spirit of the West, and links to state and national history.

Passport Through Time was awarded a Certificate of Commendation from the American Association for State and Local History.

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The Gault Site: A Wealth of New Archaeological Evidence

This permanent exhibit includes large murals, discovery drawers, microscopes and the film, "The Gault Project: An Adventure in Time," funded by the Texas Historical Foundation.

The Gault Site has been home to human beings for over 13,000 years. It is strategically located in the Balcones Ecotone, the boundary zone of the Edwards Plateau and the Black Prairie/Coastal Plain Ecozone. The analysis of materials at the Gault Site provides archaeologists with a unique look into the lifestyles of the earliest people in Texas and, by extension, the earliest peoples in the Americas.

This exhibit also features an interactive dig pit, chalkboard for cave drawings, discovery drawers, and more!

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Little River Log Cabin

The Little River Log Cabin was built in the 1850s near Little River/Academy, the area of earliest Anglo settlement in Bell County. The cabin features half-dovetail notching, and was originally a “single-pen,” or one-room house, with side-facing gables.

In 1995, Grant and Jeanny Smith purchased the cabin and had it dismantled by Salado artist Lonnie Edwards. In 2001, the Smiths donated the cabin to the Bell County Museum.

The cabin is not the original size, nor are all of the stones and logs placed in their original positions. However, the logs and stones are original to the 1850s cabin. It can be seen from the museum exterior, or by tour groups. Ask staff about scheduling a tour!