Muenster Museum

07/31/2026

On July 31, 1893, a tornado struck the town of Muenster. Though the tornado reportedly lasted only ten seconds, the damage was severe. Homes and businesses were destroyed, and the town's Catholic church was reduced to a heap of rubble. Damage was estimated at $10,000.

This article from the August 1, 1893 edition of the Gainesville Daily Hesperian provides a contemporary account of the storm and its aftermath. For more on the tornado's lasting impact on the community, be sure to watch our accompanying reel.

Read the original article here:
https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth503914/m1/3/zoom/?resolution=3&lat=7191.380304015729&lon=3199.036190678411

Source: Gainesville Daily Hesperian, August 1, 1893, via The Portal to Texas History

07/31/2026

On July 31, 1893, a tornado struck the young town of Muenster. The storm lasted only seconds, but the response to that disaster helped shape the community for generations.

Learn more in today's reel.

07/23/2026

🎄⏳ Christmas in July at the Muenster Museum — Time Is Running Out! ⏳🎄

All ornaments are 1/3 OFF throughout the month of July, but there's only a little over a week left to take advantage of this special sale.

Get a head start on your holiday shopping while supporting local history. Every purchase helps support the Muenster Museum's exhibits, programs, and preservation efforts.

This special sale is available on ornaments purchased at the Muenster Museum gift shop only.

📅 Sale ends July 31

🕒 Museum Hours:
• Fridays: 1:00–4:00 PM
• Saturdays: 10:00 AM–3:00 PM

07/18/2026

🎄☀️ Christmas in July at the Muenster Museum! ☀️🎄

All ornaments are 1/3 OFF throughout the month of July.

Get a head start on your holiday shopping while supporting local history. Every purchase helps support the Muenster Museum's exhibits, programs, and preservation efforts.

This special sale is available on ornaments purchased at the Muenster Museum gift shop only.

📅 Sale runs July 1–31

07/11/2026

On this Feast of Saint Benedict, we remember the Benedictine priests and brothers of Subiaco Abbey who served Sacred Heart Parish and the people of Muenster for more than a century. Their legacy of faith, education, and service remains an important part of our community's history.

07/03/2026

🎄☀️ Christmas in July at the Muenster Museum! ☀️🎄

All ornaments are 1/3 OFF throughout the month of July.

Get a head start on your holiday shopping while supporting local history. Every purchase helps support the Muenster Museum's exhibits, programs, and preservation efforts.

This special sale is available on ornaments purchased at the Muenster Museum gift shop only.

📅 Sale runs July 1–31

07/02/2026

🇺🇸 As America prepares to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, we're turning the clock back to 1976 to see how Muenster marked the nation's Bicentennial.

That year, Muenster hosted a four-day German Week celebration featuring the crowning of Miss Muenster, German music and folk dances, a 10-mile Fun Run, and enough food and drink to satisfy thousands of visitors, including 3,600 pounds of sausage and 93 kegs of beer.

While German Week highlighted the community's German heritage, it was also Muenster's way of celebrating America's 200th birthday. The festival proved so popular that it became the foundation for today's annual Germanfest.

Click the link to read the full story:

In 2026, Muenster marks the 50th anniversary of Germanfest, a celebration rooted in the town’s German heritage that has become central to the community’s identity. In its inception, what we today call Germanfest was known as German Week and was conducted as part of the 1976 American Bicentennial...

07/02/2026

Join the Muenster Museum in celebrating America250 with a new temporary exhibit on loan from the Texas State Library and Archives Commission.

The Texas America250 exhibit highlights historically significant Texas Treasures from the State Archives, encouraging all Americans to explore the story of the Lone Star State over the past 250 years. From Spanish missions to the space race, the landscape, culture, economy and people of Texas have played essential roles in the development of the United States.

Texas America250 will be on view for free through the end of 2026 at the Muenster Museum during our normal hours: Fridays 1-4 PM & Saturdays 10 AM-3 PM.

This project is made possible by a grant from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services.