Our first stop was the North Texas History Museum. I think this one was my favorite...not really because I care all that much about Texas history, but the exhibits were just cool. The first room we went into had a ton of dioramas in it. That, to me, is awesome. To take all that time and make a replica of something...that's dedication...and love. The attention to detail was pretty amazing too. There was also a plethora of information about the city's history in just this one room. I was impressed.
There was so much other stuff, I can't tell you about all of it, but here are some highlights. There was a military section with all kinds of military paraphernalia. There was one room that had all kinds of medical stuff in it...doctor's house call bag, all kinds of bed pans, nurse uniform, and other medical tools. The coolest thing in this room was the iron lung. There was a guy in there who showed us how the whole thing works and even let the girls put their hands in the little ports. I was just amazed at the difference from today's medical advances. There was another room that had 500 different hats all from different people. It is a personal collection of a man (forgot who) who apparently had a thing for cowboy hats. Also in this room were different artifacts from the 1930's...ladies fashion, telephone and telephone directory, the 'drug store' and the post office. The post office was made from actual parts of an old post office in the city. When they were renovating, they were just going to get rid of it, but the townspeople fought to preserve it as a part of their history. Just cool.
Next up was the WF Railroad Museum. We rode the 'kiddie train' around...no one was thrilled about it. It was just an old airport baggage car painted to look like a train with old bus seats. But we were out to experience it all, so we did it. This was my second favorite because it brought back so many memories I had as a child going to the railroad with my Papa. I actually had tears come to my eyes when I watched my girls climb up into the train engine. It was definitely bittersweet. My favorite was the dining car. You can actually bring food and eat in the dining car...kinda get the experience. There were also some old crank trucks out front that intrigued my hubby.
Next was the WF Police and Fire Museum. Pretty cool, but by this point it was getting hot! They had an old fire engine that was made in 1942 and was still in commission in 1979. There was an actual paddywagon. You could even get on one of the old engines and crank the siren. The girls got to have a hot dog and we got to refresh with some cold water.
Ahh, Big Girl's favorite...Kemp Center for the Arts. Not really a whole lot of art 'exhibits' but there were artists there doing their thing. She got to see one lady painting clay beads that she made and another sculpting a bust from a picture. You should have seen her face...it was truly priceless. We got lots of information about different classes that the kiddos can take...she's stoked...so am I.
Then there was Kell House. Mr Kell was one of the founding fathers of WF, from what I gather. He built the house in 1909 for his wife. They had 6 daughters and 1 son. Nearly all of the furnishings in the house are original. I didn't get any pictures of this because I was so amazed at the beauty and preservation in this home...WOW!
Last stop was the River Bend Nature Center. This was pretty cool. We saw all kinds of creatures including an opossum, salamander, a quail, some katydids, and a pretty hairy tarantula. Out in the conservatory there are lots of butterflies. Being the end of the summer we didn't see a whole lot of them but this place was awesome! There were several little stopping places for the kids to do different activities. Then we browsed around the gift shop. I don't think I've ever seen so many different eco-friendly products in one place before. I also learned about the different places to recycle here. So it's not that they don't recycle here, they just don't make it as easy...which is sad.
I think we spent about 4 1/2 hours just touring the different places and everyone had fun! The first thing Angel said when she walked back in the house was, "That was fun!" I think that about sums up everyone's feelings. I look forward to repeating the tour next year and visiting the various museums between now and then.
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust. Psalm 91:1-2
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