Join us as we celebrate Black History month with members of the Bexar County Buffalo Soldiers.
Following the end of the Civil war, the United States Congress established the first peacetime all-black regiments in the US Army in 1866. The regiments were formed to serve in the American West and became some of the most elite and highly decorated units in the US Army.
Bexar County Buffalo Soldiers will talk about the history of Buffalo Soldiers in Texas and will have an artifact table for visitors to engage with.
📅Saturday February 28, 2026 | 2 – 4pm
👤 Adults & All Ages
🎟️ FREE for Members | FREE with General Admission for Non-Members
Join us for a free and riveting presentation with Van Kirk Reeves, a prominent art and estate attorney from Paris, France.
Explore the joys and pitfalls of collecting art, then stay for a Q&A where you can ask your art‑collecting and legal questions.
📅 January 29, 2026 | 6-7pm
🎟️ FREE with Registration
👤 NOA Patrons & Art Collectors
Families are invited to join the Briscoe to kick off their Fiesta celebration!
Families will learn about the history of fiesta medals and create their own Fiesta Medal to take home. This family program is great for all ages and all are welcome to participate.
📅 April 5, 2026 | 1-3 PM
👤 Families and People of all ages
🎟️ Free for Members | Free with General Admission
Families are invited to join the Briscoe and view some of the beautiful works of art in our collection.
After viewing a variety of paintings with clouds, families will create their own 3D cloud artwork to take home. This family program is great for all ages and all are welcome to participate.
📅 March 1, 2026 | 1-3 PM
👤 Families and People of all ages
🎟️ Free for Members | Free with General Admission
Families are invited to join the Briscoe and listen to the story about Mary Fields.
After the reading, families will learn about eagles and how they build their nests then use found materials to create their own replica of an eagle’s nest.
Families can also create their own handprint eagle artwork to take home. This family program is great for all ages and all are welcome to participate.
📅 February 1, 2026 | 1-3 PM
👤 Families and People of all ages
🎟️ Free for Members | Free with General Admission
Families are invited to join the Briscoe and learn about different types of maps and what they represent.
After a short presentation, families will be able to create their own topographical salt map. This family program is great for all ages and all are welcome to participate.
📅 January 4, 2026 | 1-3 PM
👤 Families and People of all ages
🎟️ Free for Members | Free with General Admission
Journey through centuries of cartographic history with Eliane and Jon Dotson of Old World Auctions, specialists in antique maps since 1978.
Part of the Going to Texas: Five Centuries of Texas Maps exhibition.
🗺️ Free event | Free museum admission for attendees
The Briscoe is excited to invite guests and members of the museum to participate in our community Ofrenda (Altar) in celebration of Dia de los Muertos.
The Day of the Dead Holiday is thought to have grown from Indigenous origins blending with European traditions in Mexico and today is a national symbol of Mexican and Mexican-American heritage.
The Briscoe’s Ofrenda commemorates loved ones of the museum’s staff, community and the West. Museum guests and members are invited to add photos of lost loved ones and your personal offering.
🗓️ Tuesday, October 3rd through November 2nd.
🖼️Free Day of the Dead themed crafts will be available for those who want to participate but don’t bring a personal item.
💐The Hendler Family Museum Store will have Day of the Dead altar items available for purchase.
Some Ofrenda etiquette to consider due to our unique museum setting:
🚫 NO real food or liquids (cookies, beer, etc)
🚫 NO real flowers or plants (including sealed tobacco products like cigars and cigarettes)
🚫 NO flames (candles or incense)
All Ofrenda offerings are intended & you agree they stay with the museum for future use.
In contrast to the frights associated with Christian/Pagan observations of All Hallows’ Eve & All Saints’ Day, Day of the Dead is associated with welcoming back the souls of loved ones who have passed away. It is tradition to “offer” the returning soul the things they had enjoyed in life. These offerings include everything from their favorite sports team, dessert and especially earthly vices like alcohol and cigarettes.
Today’s Ofrendas may go beyond the family extending to popular figures throughout history. Locally you can find ofrendas dedicated to political and cultural icons who have passed such as San Antonio Mayor Lila Cockrell or impersonator Hispanic Elvis or musical icons like Selena and Stevie Ray Vaughn.
Join the Museum of the Big Bend Director, Dr. John Klingemann and Matt Walter for a guided tour through the new exhibit.
📆 Friday, October 4, 2025 | 2:00 PM
🎟️ Included with museum admission | FREE for members
Meet the Guides!
Dr. John Klingemann
A native of West Texas, John Klingemann grew up in the small community of Terlingua in South Brewster County. An alumnus of both Alpine High School and Sul Ross State University, John enrolled in graduate studies at the University of Arizona where he received his doctorate in history.
Prior to his return to Sul Ross State University, he served as a Professor of History and Dean of the College of Arts and Humanities at Angelo State University.
He currently serves as the Vice President for Development and Advancement and as the Director of the Museum of the Big Bend.
Matt Walter
As the son of a missionary-teacher couple, Matt spent his childhood rotating between the Gulf Coast of Texas, the Catskill Mountains of upstate New York, and the southernmost state in Brazil. He enlisted in the United States Coast Guard in 1976 and, over the next 20 years, the USCG took him to 19 different countries.
Following his retirement from the service, Matt got his BA and MA in history at Sul Ross State University in Alpine, Texas. Falling in love with the wide-open spaces and dark night skies of the Big Bend, Matt worked as the Curator of Collections at the Museum of the Big Bend, on the campus of Sul Ross, for another 20 years.
Retiring from that in 2023, Matt is now a volunteer at the museum, helping curate the Yana and Marty Davis Map Collection, including this exhibit.
Families are invited to join the Briscoe and learn about the meaning and importance of Native American feathers.
After a short presentation, families will be able to create their own crystallized feathers. This family program is great for all ages and all are welcome to participate.
📅 Sunday, November 2 | 1:00 – 3:00 PM
👤 Families and People of all ages
🎟️ Free for Members | Free with General Admission
