Upcoming Events
Spring Break 2025
Spring Break events will be held all week. Wagon Rides and scavenger hunts all week along with different themed events each day. Planned event themes include Rock of all Ages, Down on the Farm, Texas Heritage, he-ART of Texas and Wild about Nature!
Smithsonian Exhibit
The museum is pleased to announce that it is partnering with the Bandera County Convention and Visitor Bureau and the Bandera County Historical Commission to bring the Smithsonian to Bandera. Bandera was one of 7 small towns in Texas chosen to host the Smithsonian Museum on Main Street exhibit, Crossroads: Change in Rural America. The exhibit is a traveling exhibit developed by the Smithsonian and is coming to Texas in collaboration with the Texas Historical Commission. One town from each of the Trail Regions of Texas was chosen to host the exhibit along with creating their own exhibit based on local history and developing programs that will be held in conjunction with the exhibit. The museum is busy working on creating satellite exhibits that will be on displayed throughout Bandera County. While the main exhibit will be on view at the Bandera Middle School, visitors to the exhibit will receive a Passbook with a listing of all the programs and exhibits that will be held throughout the county during the run of the exhibit. We are honored to be a part of the Smithsonian and their Museum on Main Street national tour.
June 21st to August 2nd, 2025
Flea Market & Print Sale
Dressed Flea Market & Sale
Start your Christmas shopping early at the museum's 4th Annual Dressed Flea Market & Sale on November 21st and 22nd. This annual event has become a not-to-be-missed tradition for shoppers looking for those hard-to-find treasures. This year's sale will feature original artwork, vintage housewares, antique furniture and tools, out-of-print books, jewelry, and holiday decor. All items have been donated to the museum just for the sale, including large lots from local antique dealers. Proceeds from the sale help underwrite the museum's educational and historical programs and the care and upkeep of the museum's own dressed fleas. Thursday and Friday, November 21st & 22nd, 10:00 am to 3:00 pm.
Veteran's Day: Lecture on Jim Gillette Texas Ranger & Indian Fighter
Texas Ranger Jim Gillett - the Last of the Indian Fighters
A presentation by the LoneStar Heritage Foundation
As part of Veterans Day celebration, we are welcoming James McCrae to speak on the history of noteworthy Texas Ranger, Jim Gillett. McCrae, author of the recently published Concho Plains Battle: Texas Ranger Company Versus Mescalero Apache, will explore the life of this Texas Ranger Hall of Fame inductee. James Buchanan Gillett was born in Austin, Texas on November 4, 1856. By 1872, the family had moved to Lampasas and in 1875, he went to Menard and joined the Texas Rangers. In addition to dealing with cattle thieves and outlaws, the Texas Rangers were responsible for protecting settlers along the Texas frontier in skirmishes with the Native Texans. Gillett’s Texas Ranger company often fought with the Kiowa, Comanche and Apache Indians. In January of 1881, Gillett, as part of a company led by G. W. Baylor, participated in what is called the last fight between the Texas Rangers and the Indians. After pursuing a group of Apaches who had attacked a stagecoach, the Rangers surprised the Indian camp, killing six, capturing a woman and two children, and scattering the rest of the band into the mountains. In 1921, Gillett wrote and published his memoirs, Six Years with the Texas Rangers. It has remained in print ever since. The book was condensed into a textbook in 1928 and was used in public schools for many years in at least seventeen states. James McCrae is the CEO of the LoneStar Heritage Foundation. The LoneStar Heritage Foundation is dedicated to working with local heritage organizations, museums and history oriented centers, to assist them in the common goal of supporting and promoting the rich culture and history of Texas. The presentation is offered with museum admission and refreshments will be served. Museum members will enjoy free admission. Saturday, November 9th, 2:00 pm.
4th Sunday Cowboy Jamboree
The Frontier Times Troubadours!
4th Sunday Jamboree is a monthly free musical event! Each month a different member of the Frontier Times Troubadours hosts and plays their favorite songs with the assistance of some of the best musicians Bandera has to offer. Dennis Owens is the September host!
Moonshine & Moonpies Bash
Our annual “Moonshine and Moonpies Bash” featuring live music, moonshine tastings, hors d’oeuvres, beer and wine. This event is for adults age 21 and over.
Moonshine tastings with our sponsor, Ole Smoky Tennessee Distillery, and their variety of moonshine flavors to choose from. Enjoy an Old Fashion Southern Dinner (and Moonpies, of course!) catered by the Bandera High School culinary students. Live Music on the Trail Drivers Stage by Rockabilly Band, $2 Pistol and Fire Spinning by Pope plays with Fire! Multiple item silent auction. Tickets are $45 per person. Entrance includes free admission to our exhibits. No one under 21 admitted. Sponsorship Opportunities are available!
Dig Into Archeology
Be and Archaeologist for a day! Included with museum admission. We will have a geologist onsite so bring your fossils in to be identified.
4th Sunday Cowboy Jamboree
The Frontier Times Troubadours!
4th Sunday Jamboree is a monthly free musical event! Each month a different member of the Frontier Times Troubadours hosts and plays their favorite songs with the assistance of some of the best musicians Bandera has to offer. Dennis Owens is the September host!
Women's Suffrage Program
Hear Us Roar!
Women’s Suffrage and the League of Women Voters
After many years of fighting for the right to vote, women suffragettes were successful in pushing Congress to pass the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, which said that no one could be excluded from voting in an election because of their gender. Kerr County historian, Bunny Bond will discuss the history of the Women’s Suffrage movement in the United States and in Texas and the origin of the League of Women Voters in this timely presentation on the eve of the 2024 national elections.
In conjunction with the presentation, the museum will unveil a new display of Politics, Party, & Polls featuring historical political memorabilia from the museum’s permanent collection.
Lakehills Back to School Bash
Games and prizes all geared towards getting the kids ready for school.
Capturing the Old West in Bronze
The family of Western artists Shermalee & Lou Mack are graciously sharing the artwork of their parents for a limited gallery showing. in the Doane Art Gallery at the Frontier Times Museum.
Susie Short Exhibit Ends
The Symphony of Colors: A Retrospective of Susie Short exhbit will be closing on July 15th.
Bandera Juneteenth
Presented by the Frontier Times Museum, The Bandera Historical Commission and The Silver Sage Hill Country Resource Center.
Dressed Fleas' Market -Spring Edition
A yard sale of epic proportions! Fiesta ware, tools, games, Vintage jewelry, and more
Rattlesnake 101
Snake Handling & Presentation by Hill Country Reptile Gardens, Carl Person. Featuring Rattlesnakes, Scaled Viper, Cottonmouth and more.
Take a picture with a real PYTHON!!!
Annual Fundraising Gala
Educational programming is one of the most important missions of the museum.
Fundraising Raffle
Drawing will be held at our May 4th Spring Gala. Need not be present to win. Must be 21 years of age or older to buy a ticket.
FFL through Good Guys.
Texas Heroes Hall of Honor
This year we honor Susie Short for her exceptional talents. Please join us the the induction ceremony, gallery showing and reception.
Lee Harmon a Celebration of his Life & Music
Come celebrate the life and music of our friend Mr. Lee Harmon.
Hosted by his friend Lew Pewterbaugh.
Friday-Cowboy Day!
The last day to have Frontier Fun at the Frontier Times Museum.
Don’t Miss Out!
Tuesday-Dig Those Fossils!
Fossils are all around us here in the Hill Country. See what you can find here at the museum with our Fossil Scavenger Hunt.
Monday-Reptile Round Up!
Get your weekly pass to enjoy Frontier Fun everyday of this special week.
4th Sunday Jamboree
On the 4th Sunday of each month a new host leads our gang in an afternoon of fun live music. Join us and play your instrument or just sing along to the best toe tapping music around.
Frank Thurmond Book Signing & Lecture on Lottie Deno
A rip-snortin tale of love & adventure in the old west. A brutal world populated by desperadoes like Doc Holliday, willing to stake everything on a roll of the dice.
20th Anniversary of the Eye Reckon Freedom Ride
It’s been 20 years since the Eye Reckon Freedom Ride left Bandera to blaze a historic trail to Calgary, Canada. To commemorate the ride, founding rider, Mary Schenk, wrote an account of their many adventures – good and bad – in her book, Riders of the Storm: The True Story of the Eye Reckon Freedom Ride, under her nom de plume, Mary Allyce. Mary rode the entire way with her long-time partner, the late Hoot Gibson. She will honor the anniversary and Hoot’s life at the Frontier Times Museum on Saturday, January 20th by sharing her memories.