Frontier Texas!
Frontier Texas!
4.5
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday
1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
About
Located in historic downtown Abilene, Frontier Texas! is a western heritage center that allows visitors to relive the Old West through the magic of state-of-the-art technology. Frontier Texas! brings the frontier to life and lets visitors meet people who played out their lives on the Texas frontier. Frontier Texas! also serves as the official visitor center for Abilene and the Texas Forts Trail Region. Experience the legendary Texas frontier through innovative exhibits and unique encounters at Frontier Texas! Learn the story of the old west through our 90 minute hands on old west adventure "Blood & Treasure on the Frontier." Educational Programs at Frontier Texas! are designed to provide a rich educational experience for everyone. The 14,000 square-foot facility isn't a traditional museum with exhibits displayed in glass cases. At Frontier Texas!, you relive buffalo stampedes, a shootout in the Bee Hive Saloon, a wolf attack and more. And don't forget to visit The General Store that carries all your Texas souvenirs including books, t-shirts, jewelry, canned goods, and unique items made by local artisans. Frontier Texas! is the perfect place for families, History buffs, or anyone who just wants to learn a little bit more about the Lone Star state. Legends, History, Adventure.
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The area
Address
Best nearby
Restaurants
158 within 3 miles
Attractions
48 within 6 miles
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
564 reviews
Excellent
424
Very good
107
Average
21
Poor
7
Terrible
5
Glyn Carre
Guernsey, Channel Islands918 contributions
Apr 2023 • Solo
Very impressive. Truly the presentation is world class.
Parking is free and plentiful. The $10 entrance fee (discounts available) is really very reasonable given the superb quality.
Parking is free and plentiful. The $10 entrance fee (discounts available) is really very reasonable given the superb quality.
Written April 24, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
paul g
1 contribution
Apr 2023 • Family
Beautiful well maintained campground and very clean. Lovely bathrooms and showers. Level large sites with very good hookups. Easy driving throughout park. Friendly staff and well equipped store. Close to things to do in Abilene
Written April 18, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MikeandCyndy
Chula Vista, CA31 contributions
Mar 2023
We have been to many" museums" around the US and abroad and this is one of the most important and well done we have experienced!
The holographic historical story tellers were so powerful! An Indigenous telling that everyone should hear and take to heart= the truth from every perspective on the "Blood and Treasure" of this area and America. A must experience!
MIke and Cyndy -Quincy ,MA
The holographic historical story tellers were so powerful! An Indigenous telling that everyone should hear and take to heart= the truth from every perspective on the "Blood and Treasure" of this area and America. A must experience!
MIke and Cyndy -Quincy ,MA
Written March 18, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Doug S
4 contributions
Mar 2023 • Couples
Awesome place. We are not museum goers but this place captured our interest in the first few minutes. It a great story to hear from many different perspectives. The use of holograms through out the venue was great. I never learned this much in K-12 about how our civilization began and the struggles everyone faced. A must see.
Written March 9, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
mike h
Fort Worth, TX487 contributions
Jan 2023
I have been on a Texas forts and frontier kick over the last month. Frontier Texas tells similar stories, bur is very nicely packaged under one roof. Beginning and end short movies were excellent.
Written January 30, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ellenbee56
Bechtelsville, PA708 contributions
Dec 2022
We visited here on Dec. 28 as part of a road trip from our home in southeastern PA out to New Mexico. This site was among our favorite places we visited while traveling through OK and TX. It is a well-designed and engaging multimedia attraction that will appeal to youth and adults alike.
The museum’s galleries are titled A Wild Land, Comanche Empire, Buffalo Hide Trade, Military on the Frontier, Cowboys and Longhorns, Frontier Settlements, and Guns of the West. Gallery artifacts are enhanced by informative signage, attractive dioramas, background murals, and other art work throughout. The first gallery contains several interactive touch screens, which allow you to explore the topic quite a bit. I especially liked the 4-sided columnar panels (called “Learn More About”) throughout the museum; we took the time to flip and read all the panels and learned a lot. (Don’t miss learning about the “community toothbrush”—yuck!!) In addition to the seven galleries, there are two theater presentations (one is an orientation video viewed upon entering) and nine very realistic holograph vignettes available for viewing throughout the galleries.
It was not crowded during the time we visited here, fortunately; I think it would be hard to read all the information and fully explore the exhibits on a busy day, since the displays are compact with lots to read. So if you are a history enthusiast and want to get the most out of this museum, visit at a quiet time for the best experience. This is not a huge or comprehensive museum about the Wild West (like the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in OKC, for example), but what they cover here is well done and engaging.
In all, we spent two full hours here. There is no café onsite; free onsite parking is plentiful, and the admission charge was very reasonable. We combined our visit here with one to the nearby Taylor County History Center/Buffalo Gap Historic Village (see separate review) for a nice day’s outing.
The museum’s galleries are titled A Wild Land, Comanche Empire, Buffalo Hide Trade, Military on the Frontier, Cowboys and Longhorns, Frontier Settlements, and Guns of the West. Gallery artifacts are enhanced by informative signage, attractive dioramas, background murals, and other art work throughout. The first gallery contains several interactive touch screens, which allow you to explore the topic quite a bit. I especially liked the 4-sided columnar panels (called “Learn More About”) throughout the museum; we took the time to flip and read all the panels and learned a lot. (Don’t miss learning about the “community toothbrush”—yuck!!) In addition to the seven galleries, there are two theater presentations (one is an orientation video viewed upon entering) and nine very realistic holograph vignettes available for viewing throughout the galleries.
It was not crowded during the time we visited here, fortunately; I think it would be hard to read all the information and fully explore the exhibits on a busy day, since the displays are compact with lots to read. So if you are a history enthusiast and want to get the most out of this museum, visit at a quiet time for the best experience. This is not a huge or comprehensive museum about the Wild West (like the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in OKC, for example), but what they cover here is well done and engaging.
In all, we spent two full hours here. There is no café onsite; free onsite parking is plentiful, and the admission charge was very reasonable. We combined our visit here with one to the nearby Taylor County History Center/Buffalo Gap Historic Village (see separate review) for a nice day’s outing.
Written January 23, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
FionaBell
Royal Oak, MI136 contributions
Nov 2022 • Family
We were in Abilene for a wedding and based on the great reviews we checked out the museum. So glad we did, even my friend thanked me at the end. Great interactive presentation that tells the story of the area from the perspective of the Indians to the settlers, the build up and decimation of the bison and finally the decline of the area Indian population. Exhibits were great, films educational and Jere who welcomed us really took time to explain the museum and fill in our knowledge gaps. It was great talking to her!
Written October 31, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mandy
Halifax, UK24 contributions
Sep 2022 • Couples
Great museum, well presented and different.
Best but the introduction and the stories from the spirit guides
Best but the introduction and the stories from the spirit guides
Written September 22, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
melwashere81
Cleveland, TX1,102 contributions
Sep 2022 • Couples
This is a very well done history museum with lots of interactive exhibits! The intro movie was amazing as was the theater at the end. It really made us feel like we were in the Frontier days! Be sure to stop at the gift shop before leaving for authentic Texas souvenirs and take pictures with the giant cow head and Buffalo out front. I highly recommend this stop to anyone driving through Abilene. Admission is $10 and parking is free
Written September 8, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
lisabinnyc
New York City, NY398 contributions
Jul 2022 • Friends
This is a wonderful museum! If you find yourself in the Abilene area I absolutely recommend taking time to appreciate the history of Texas. It’s all here! Starting with the very earliest people to make the area home then progressing up until the nineteenth century, with effective displays and recreations, the viewer gets a really incredible and comprehensive overview of TX history. The museum also has a terrific gift shop.
Written July 22, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
What are your hours in September?
Q8369YGchristopherl
Mineral Wells, United States11 contributions
Hi, Went to their website and they have this posted: Hours:
Saturday 9AM–6PM
Sunday 1–5PM
Monday 9AM–6PM
Tuesday 9AM–6PM
Wednesday 9AM–6PM
Thursday 9AM–6PM
Friday 9AM–6PM
TiogaWandering
Bandera, TX19 contributions
How long should we allow for our visit?
WendyHappiness1
McKinney, TX149 contributions
If you are travelling with elementary aged kids, then 2 hours is the minimum. Look at all the hologram spirit guides and don't miss the last film near the exit. All spirit guides return to tell their story. That film is about 10 minutes. Adults could get through this in an hour if time is short.
TiogaWandering
Bandera, TX19 contributions
How long should we allow at this museum?
mlwalton
Union City, TN35 contributions
What a neat place. Allow yourself a good two, maybe three hours.
carlotarodriguez1234
San Antonio, TX78 contributions
Are you pet friendly?
Q8369YGchristopherl
Mineral Wells, United States11 contributions
When I went we did not have our pets with us and I did not see anyone with them. Sorry I could not be of more help.
carlotarodriguez1234
San Antonio, TX78 contributions
Are you pet friendly?
Fauzia T
Rockville, MD358 contributions
I think only service dogs are allowed in the museum.
RandK1996
Donauworth, Germany65 contributions
Why would someone post "no interest in going" and give a bad review if he/she hasn't even been to the museum? Some people shouldn't post if they haven't visited the place. I thought the museum was GREAT.
egraves888
Crystal River, FL74 contributions
This museum was excellent in that it has beautiful, colorful, real-to-life exhibits which are arranged in chronological order of history to explain the Texas frontier and the cattle industry. We learned a lot and were very pleased with our visit.
KayDarlene
La Feria, TX84 contributions
I won't arrive in town until 5 (when they're about to close). I won't have time for the museum. Can I view the bull head or anything else around the museum without having to pay?
Kathy Ron D
40 contributions
I believe you can view the grounds without paying admission.
linbarg
60 contributions
How long should I allow to visit the museum?
TripleLily
Austin, TX128 contributions
Two hours minimum. Really depends on how busy they are and how you pace yourself.
Is there a visitors package for primetime
Marianela L
The Woodlands, TX382 contributions
I am not aware of a visitor's package (there is a group package). When we went, we bought the tickets at the museum's box office. Sorry for not being that helpful! For more information, you may want to check the web pages for abilenetx or go to frontiertexas.
Frontier Texas! (Abilene) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go
Frequently Asked Questions about Frontier Texas!
- Frontier Texas! is open:
- Sun - Sun 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
- Mon - Sat 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
- Hotels near Frontier Texas!:
- (0.37 mi) 4/3 Historic Warehouse Loft in SoDA Stay someplace unique!
- (0.57 mi) Windmill Inn located in SODA district
- (0.38 mi) Civic Plaza Hotel
- (2.78 mi) Residence Inn by Marriott Abilene
- (2.98 mi) Hampton Inn & Suites Abilene I-20
- Restaurants near Frontier Texas!:
- (0.09 mi) Front Porch Coffee Co. & Bakery
- (0.21 mi) The Mill Winery
- (0.21 mi) Farolito Mexican Restaurant
- (0.32 mi) Vagabond Pizza
- (0.50 mi) The Beehive