A museum honoring the legacy of the cowboys and settlers of Hispanic, Native American, Asian, African, and European descent that helped to build the West has opened the doors of its new location in Fort Worth.
The National Multicultural Western Heritage Museum now resides at 2201 Dottie Lynn Pkwy, Ste 115, in a move its founders hope will bring in more visitors and help increase its endowment. The institution aims to honor and promote the “rich cultural tapestry of the American West” through its collection of artwork, photos, weapons, clothing, and more.
Jim and Gloria Austin built the museum from the ground up in 2001, first housing it at a location near Texas Wesleyan University and then another not far from the Stockyards. But neither offered much foot traffic.
“We thought that being in the Stockyards would help us to expand our mission of educating individuals about the history of the forgotten cowboys,” explained Jim, according to the Fort Worth Report.
The situation came to a head last August when rising rent costs forced the Austins to make a difficult decision: find a new location, go virtual, or close up shop.
Landing on the new location near Arlington’s AT&T Stadium and the National Medal of Honor Museum, where the rent costs half as much, they are optimistic about the future of the National Multicultural Western Heritage Museum.
They have even launched a new fundraising drive called the “100 for $1000 Campaign,” which has already collected over $28,000 out of the goal of $100,000. With these proceeds, the Austins will be able to continue their work honoring the legacies of minority cowboys, buffalo soldiers, and frontier people, as well as the museum’s educational program offering Cultural Heritage Youth Workshops.
Jim, who is originally from New Jersey, still recalls the pride he felt upon learning about the rich multicultural legacy of the American West after attending his first Cowboys of Color Rodeo show in the Historic Cowtown Coliseum in 1997.
“When you introduce the museum and the history of the forgotten cowboys, these young kids really connect with that history,” Jim said, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “And that was my problem, is that nobody taught me as a young kid that a third of the cowboys were Black, Hispanic, and Native American.”
With exhibits covering figures ranging from Bill Pickett to Tuskegee Airmen, the National Multicultural Western Heritage Museum hopes to spread and preserve this important legacy for generations to come.
Those wishing to visit the museum can do so from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. from Wednesday to Saturday. Parking is free and general admission costs $15. A discounted fare of $12 is available for children between the ages of 4 and 18, military personnel, and adults aged 65 or older.
