Kilgore College East Texas Oil Museum

About Kilgore College East Texas Oil Museum

The East Texas Oil Museum at Kilgore College preserves the history of the 1930s East Texas Oilfield through period artifacts, oral histories, and primary source documents. Visitors explore exhibits that honor the independent oil producers and wildcatters who discovered and developed this major oil region beginning in the 1920s. The museum displays tools such as sucker rod wrenches, essential equipment that minimized downtime in the oilfields and symbolized the region's rapid economic expansion during this pioneering era. Exhibits feature recreated derricks and equipment from the era alongside detailed accounts from those who worked the fields. The gift shop offers exclusive books, shirts, and coffee mugs related to the museum's collections. Group tours are available for organized visits. The museum is ADA accessible with wheelchair availability at no rental fee.