Reigniting Curiosity Renovation
The Journey Begins Here
A transformational new gallery at the Mayborn Museum is coming in April 2026!
Construction on the Mayborn Museum’s newest gallery, Cultural Crossroads, is officially underway! This exciting new space will add 5,000 square feet of immersive exhibits to the Natural Science and Cultural History Wing, opening in Spring 2026.
Cultural Crossroads will explore the people, cultures, and innovations that have shaped Central Texas—from Waco grass houses and the Comanche relationship with bison to the iconic Suspension Bridge and the settlers who called this land home.
Reigniting Curiosity
Cultural Crossroads is just the beginning. Through the Reigniting Curiosity Campaign, the Mayborn Museum is transforming into a dynamic center of learning, exploration, and connection.
Strecker's Cabinets of Curiosities
Many of the beloved artifacts from the Strecker Museum's collections, such as the tree cross-section and the humpback whale skull, are on display. The room is patterned after the style of early natural history museums. At that time, museum items were presented purely for visual entertainment and shock value and were rarely labeled.
Cretaceous Sea
At various times during the Cretaceous period Waco and much of Texas were under a shallow sea. This explains the lack of dinosaur fossils and the abundance of marine reptile and invertebrate fossils in Central Texas. Explore discoveries from the Waco area, including a life-sized representation of a 28-foot-long Pliosaur.
Hall of Natural History
Experience the size of an ancient sea turtle (Protostega gigas) found outside of Gholson, Texas less than 20 miles from Waco. The monumental sea turtle is framed by dioramas featuring the varying landscapes in Texas as well as walk-in dioramas that include a Limestone Cave, a Texas Forest, and the Waco Mammoth Site Exhibit.
Waco Mammoth National Monument Exhibit
Discover one of North America’s most important Ice Age fossil sites—still under investigation today. Since its discovery in 1978, researchers, students, and volunteers have worked to excavate and preserve the remains of Columbian mammoths found along the Bosque River. As an official National Park Service repository, Baylor University’s Mayborn Museum presents original fossil casts beneath a glass floor, immersive media, and interactive experiences that reveal how scientists study this remarkable and evolving site.