Frontier Texas!, Abilene

About Frontier Texas!

Frontier Texas! is an interactive museum in downtown Abilene where visitors follow audio-visual narrator Buck Taylor, a former Gunsmoke star, through exhibits on the Old West. The Welcome Theater introduces Spirit Guides throughout the facility, leading to exhibits on A Wild Land, the Comanche Empire, the Buffalo Hide Trade, Military forts, Cowboys, and frontier Settlements. Visitors encounter 15,000 years of regional history, from early human migration through the Comanche's 150-year dominance, the post-Civil War buffalo hide industry, U.S. military expansion, cattle drives that moved millions of Texas longhorns northward, and the ramshackle outposts that grew around forts and trading posts. The museum uses state-of-the-art technology to bring these stories to life. School groups can schedule tours, and the facility serves as the official visitor center for Abilene and the Texas Forts Trail Region. Military members receive an annual membership providing free admission for one year at $30, compared to the regular membership price of $40, according to frontiertexas.com.