HERITAGE, HEARTH, AND HOME

The Harlingen Arts and Heritage Museum offers plenty of both, especially considering that the museum is accompanied by a series of historical buildings in addition to the main exhibition hall. The entire complex is located on the grounds of the former Harlingen Army Airfield, a World War ll gunnery school. The Historical Museum building, in fact, is the former Air Police Squadron and houses a permanent collection of artifacts exploring Harlingen and South Texas history. Nearby is the Lon C. Hill Home, the original home of Harlingen's town founder. This Victorian residence, built in 1904, was designed to accommodate Harlingen's subtropical climate. Also on the grounds, visitors may tour the Paso Real Stagecoach Inn, built in 1860 and originally located along the banks of Arroyo Colorado River where it served South Texans traveling the stagecoach route from Beeville to Brownsville. The Inn remained standing long after the days of stagecoach routes ended. However, during a hurricane in 1960, part of the Inn collapsed into the river. The surviving structure was rescued and the Inn rebuilt on the museum grounds. Alongside the rebuilt Inn visitors will find Harlingen's first hospital, built in 1923, displaying vintage medical equipment. Too much history to sort out on your own? Schedule a guided tour!

Watch the following video to learn more about World War II airfields and pilot training in Texas. This video was produced for inclusion in the World War II on the Texas Home Front mobile tour found in our Texas Time Travel mobile app. Learn more about the tour and the app on the World War II theme page at the following link: http://texastimetravel.com/travel-themes/main-world-war-ii