A Tapestry of Texas: Baylor’s New Mayborn Exhibit Honors the People Who Built Central Texas

If you are looking for a way to spend the weekend in Central Texas, Baylor’s Mayborn Museum has tons of ideas and a new exhibit that focuses on Texas history.

Bridging Time and Tradition: Cultural Crossroads and Mammoth Icons at the Mayborn Museum

The Mayborn Museum is transforming into a vibrant tapestry of Texas history this Spring. With the grand opening of the "Cultural Crossroads" exhibition along with the massive bronze mammoth sculptures, the museum is offering visitors a deeper look at the diverse peoples and prehistoric giants that defined Central Texas.

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Cultural Crossroads: A Journey Through Time (Opens May 1, 2026)

Located in the Natural Science and Cultural History wing, "Cultural Crossroads" is an exploration of the events and people who shaped what would become Texas. The exhibit features several meticulously recreated environments.

Wichita Grass House

Step inside a traditional thatched structure built using historically accurate little bluestem grass. This project was a collaboration with Wichita tribal members to honor the heritage of the Waco people.

Comanche Tipi

Discover the skill of Comanche riders and hunters through a tipi experience featuring animated projections by artist Tim Nevaquaya.

African American Resilience

Explore the strength of post-emancipation Black communities through recreated church spaces and recordings from the Black Gospel Archives.

Tejano Vaquero Tradition

Learn how the ranching culture of Tejano communities defined the Texas working landscape, complete with a digital scroll of local Latino family records.

Waco Suspension Bridge

A recreation of the 1870 bridge façade serves as a gateway, reminding visitors of the commerce and connection that created the city of Waco.

The Giants of the Ice Age: Bronze Mammoths

In a tribute to Central Texas’ prehistoric past, the museum now features monumental bronze sculptures of Columbian mammoths. These pieces, crafted by world-renowned artist Tom Tischler, are scientifically accurate representations inspired by measurements taken directly from the Waco Mammoth National Monument. The sculptures are massiveat 27 feet tall and 14,000 pounds of bronze.

Ice Age Giants

These "Ice Age giants" commemorate the 1978 discovery of a nursery herd near the Bosque River, the only one of its kind in the nation. While the original fossils are protected at the National Monument and within the Mayborn's collections, these bronzes allow the public to appreciate the colossal size of these 20,000-pound creatures 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.