The Ellis County Museum is attempting to update its operation and museum practices while maintaining a certain amount of small town museum charm. The completion of a structural master plan and the near completion of a museology master plan will give positive directions and goals for us to aspire to. The challenge will be to not become a "cookie cutter" museum, which, in my opinion, too many "formula" museums have become. Our museum will more than photo murals and text.

Since its charter in 1968, the Ellis County Museum has steadily progressed in preserving Ellis County’s past and present for the future.

The Museum’s organization meeting was held November 15, 1967, and its non-profit charter was issued on January 24, 1968.

Important dates and events in the Museum’s history are: the purchase of the Mahoney-Thompson home, 604 West Main Street, on June 16, 1969; the acquisition of the 1889 Masonic Lodge building, 201 South College Street, on February 7, 1975; the reprinting and revising of the 1892 History of Ellis County; the organization and sponsorship of the Waxahachie Gingerbread Trail, beginning in 1969; publication of "Ellis County - A Photo-history", 1993; publication of "Carved Ornament of the Ellis County Courthouse", 1995; sale of the Mahoney-Thompson House, 1996; structural master plan completion 2001.

The Mahoney-Thompson home formed the initial headquarters of the Museum. It was understood from the beginning that it was primarily a turn-of-the-century home and not suitable for a museum-type building. It did serve both as a 1904 period home and as a museum until 1975, when the organization acquired the historic 1889 Masonic Lodge building in downtown Waxahachie.

The acquisition of the 1889 building gave the Museum much needed space to exhibit its valuable collection of decorative arts, textiles, artifacts, photographs, and weaponry.

The first paid curator was hired in January of 1985.