Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum

10/14/2026

The Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum is excited to announce the return of Student Discount Days. On Baylor home football game weekends, ALL students with ID (Baylor, MCC, TSTC or away team) receive $4.00 admission with school ID. The Baylor football home game weekends (Friday thru Sunday) are as follows:

October 16, 17 and 18
November 6, 7 and 8
November 20, 21 and 22

10/14/2026

Come see us today at the STEAM Center.

Discover upcoming events and important dates at the Waco STEAM Center, including camps, courses, special events, and other community activities. Stay up to date with STEAM-focused experiences for kids, families, educators, and learners of all ages. Plan your visit and don’t...

10/13/2026

Celebrate autumn colors by wearing this mustard yellow sweater and brown cap. Like the changing leaves, this lightweight sweater reads "Texas Rangers est. 1823" and available in adult sizes small through 2xl. $29.00 + Tax. The caramel brown ball cap is a suede-like cloth material with three-dimensional Texas emblem. $26.00 + Tax.

The Gift Shop is open 9am to 4:30pm daily. You never have to pay admission to shop. Sales from the Gift Shop benefit the preservation and education activities of the Museum. For questions, please call (254) 750-8631. Thank you!

10/12/2026

Join us for the 25th annual Genealogy Lock-In at West Waco Library & Genealogy Center on Friday, October 16th. Join fellow family history researchers and enthusiasts at one of Texas' premier genealogy events, presented in collaboration with more than 75 libraries across the country. The program is free and available online. Presentations run from 8:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

In addition to many presentations, the Museum and local organizations will be there to answer your questions about the services provided. Please register in advance to attend the conference in person and virtually at the link below.

https://calendar.wacolibrary.org/event/15043630

10/10/2026

Join us on Wednesday at the STEAM Center.

Discover upcoming events and important dates at the Waco STEAM Center, including camps, courses, special events, and other community activities. Stay up to date with STEAM-focused experiences for kids, families, educators, and learners of all ages. Plan your visit and don’t...

10/10/2026

Retired Texas Ranger Sergeant James Esten Ray, 89, of Robinson, Texas passed away Thursday, October 8, 2026.

We extend our heartfelt condolences to the family of Texas Ranger James E. Ray, Sr.

Ranger Service
1969-1993

Rank Attained
Sergeant

Ranger Specializations
Advance Fingerprint Identification

Joined DPS
1957

Divisions
Texas Highway Patrol; Headquarters Communications

Birthplace
Tyler, Texas

10/08/2026

The Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum is pleased to announce that our educational programs are expanding!

When school, scout and church groups (max 25 students) book their guided tour, the teacher may request to add on the Make a Badge activity for students to color a badge and watch staff turn it into a wearable pin. This is a great souvenir and fun activity to bring their museum visit to life.

This activity was first introduced during the Texas Ranger's Bicentennial celebration year and has continued to be featured during our family events. We are excited to now offer the activity as part of our regular programming.

For more information on pricing of self-guided, Museum staff-guided and Make a Badge tours, please visit the educational section of our website. All tours require a minimum of two weeks' notice and are subject to staff availability.

10/07/2026

Hammond Castle Museum in Gloucester, Massachusetts has a new fall exhibit featuring items on loan from the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum collections. The exhibit "Brave-Too-Much": The Legend of John Coffee Hays is open through January 3, 2027.

Hammond Castle Museum was founded by John Hays Hammond, Jr., who is the great-nephew of Colonel Jack Hays.

Called “Captain Jack” by his friends and “Devil Jack” by his enemies, Hays was given the nickname “Brave-Too-Much” by his friend Flacco, a Lipan Apache Chief. The exhibition traces Hay’s extraordinary journey from joining the Texas Rangers at just 19 years old to becoming one of the most respected military leaders of his era.

Visitors can explore his role in the Texas Republic, the Mexican-American War, the California Gold Rush, and the founding of early California communities, while also examining the complex history of the American frontier and the many cultures that shaped it.

Artifacts on loan include several items commemorating Hays life, as seen in the photograph selection above. Collections Manager Eric Richard, also assisted their Curatorial Director, John Leysath, with research on Hays. Mr. Leysath filmed a brief video on Hays for his "Curator's Corner" series. It is available on Facebook and Instagram.

Please visit our friends at the Hammond Castle Museum in Gloucester, Massachusetts through January 3, 2027 to see this new exhibit.

10/05/2026

Join us and the Waco Waco-McLennan County Library for the 25th Annual Genealogy Lock-In on Friday, October 16th. https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1C61eRvJt6/

https://www.waco-texas.com/Departments/Library/Genealogy-Services/2026-Genealogy-Lock-In

10/05/2026

The humble snow globe, as we know it today, first premiered at the Exhibition of the Works of Art and Industry of All Nations in Paris, France on May 1, 1878, as a novelty paperweight. By the 1940s the snow globe became a hit in the United States. The Driss Company of Chicago was a 1950s novelty company. One of their most well know products is this "The Lone Ranger Round Up” snow globe. This nicknack is a glass water filled sphere featuring the iconic Lone Ranger roping a calf. The rope moves when shaken to encourage the user to test their roping skills. The Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum thanks Mrs. Marylin Herbet for her donation of this interesting piece of Texas Ranger pop culture.