Rio Grande Valley, TX

Browse the works on display at the Brownsville Museum of Fine Art. On your walk through the museum you'll see works by national and international artists, as well as student exhibitions. Visual arts include paintings, sculpture, tapestry, drawings, and various objects.

Address: 660 E. Ringgold Street, Brownsville, TX 78520 - MAP
Phone: (956) 542-0941
Web: www.brownsvillemfa.org

There's only one destination for kids to let their imaginations run wild in the Rio Grande Valley. The Children's Museum of Brownsville is packed with hands-on activities, where kids are free to pretend in exhibits like All World's Cafe, Under the Sea, and Dr. Bones Health Clinic. There's a whole world of learning to be experienced at this museum.

Address: 501 Ringgold Street #5 Dean Porter Park
Brownsville, TX 78520 - MAP
Phone: (956) 548-9300
Web: www.cmofbrownsville.com

Dive into a small piece of heritage at the Costumes of the Americas Museums. The museum showcases the indigenous dress, costumes, jewelry, and accessories of the Americas and Mexico. Examples of exhibits include Viva Los Centennarios!, The Maya World, and Folk Art of the Americas. This is a great destination for budding fashionistas who want to see native fashion in its infancy.

Phone: (956) 547-6890
Web: www.costumesoftheamericasmuseum.net

Explore the history of The Green City at the Historic Brownsville Museum. The museum is home to exhibits that detail the city's past events, and showcase artifacts like ranching tools. The building that the museum occupies was built in 1928, is considered a Texas Historical Marker, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places - making the museum itself a piece of history.

Address: 641 E. Madison St., Brownsville, TX 78520 - MAP
Phone: (956) 548-1313
Web: www.playrancho.com

Check out the city of Mission's namesake, the La Lomita Mission. The land surrounding the mission was used as farm and ranch land that supported priests and their charities. The mission was originally built in 1865 in Brownsville, but was later relocated to its present site in 1899.

Phone: (956) 580-8760
Web: www.playrancho.com

Get an experience the history books don't offer at the Harlingen Arts & Heritage Museum. The museum is one of the most unique in the Rio Grande Valley, with three historic buildings on its property, a large arsenal of artifacts, and exhibits detailing the city's history and heritage.

Address: 2425 Boxwood St., Harlingen, TX 78550 - MAP
Phone: (956) 216-4901
Web: www.myharlingen.us

Visiting the International Museum of Art is a must when you're in McAllen. The museum features international arts with a special focus on Latin American art, and includes exhibits that spotlight the wonders of science. Subjects explored range from the Hubble Telescope, to centuries old European arts.

Address: 1900 Nolana, McAllen, TX 78504 - MAP
Phone: (956) 682-1564
Web: www.imasonline.org

Step into Texas history at the Mission Historical Museum. The museum details pieces of Mission's history in exhibit rooms like the Pioneer Room, the Ranching Room, the Military Room, the Sports Room, and the Citrus Fiesta Room. All rooms spotlight important figures of the city and host relevant artifacts in the city's past.

Address: 900 Doherty Avenue, Mission, TX 78572 - MAP
Phone: (956) 580-8646
Web: www.missiontexas.us

Discover the rich background of the Rio Grande Valley and the surrounding region at the Museum of South Texas History. You'll see artifacts from different points in time like the prehistoric era, the days of the Coahuiltecan Indians, the Spanish Exploration and colonization period, the Civil War, and periods of growth like the Steamboat era. You won't find a better illustration of South Texas history anywhere else.

Address: 200 N. Closner Blvd., Edinburg, Texas 78541 - MAP
Phone: (956) 383-6911
Web: www.mosthistory.org