Updated: 4/1/2009 
Museum of the Coastal Bend
Victoria, Texas
Description

The Museum of the Coastal Bend is proud to be a member of the La Salle Odyssey Project, a cooperative venture of seven Texas Gulf Coast museums. Each museum tells a segment of the story of French explorers in Texas, captained by Rene-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, in their own unique way.
The Museum of the Coastal Bend presents the story of the first French settlement on Texas soil, Fort Saint Louis. MCB is the main site of artifacts from the archaeological dig recently completed at the site of Fort St. Louis, including seven of the eight iron cannons used to protect this early settlement.
Archeological stewards at the Museum of the Coastal Bend actively work to gather artifacts and information from archeological sites in the region. This information is included in the Early Peoples of the Texas Coastal Bend exhibition, which tells the story of the people that inhabited our region over 10,000 calendar years ago.

Mission

The Museum of the Coastal Bend showcases the rich multi-cultural heritage of the mid-coastal region of Texas. The Museum's mission is to enhance the appreciation and enjoyment of the region's heritage. The Museum's purpose is to collect, preserve, exhibit, interpret, and educate using the history and heritage of the region.

History

For many years The Victoria College worked with board advisors and volunteers from Victoria and nearby communities to develop the Museum of the Coastal Bend. The Victoria College is an established higher educational institution that has served the Coastal Bend community since 1925. They began with a concept of creating a cultural institution for educational enrichment to enhance the public's appreciation and enjoyment of the region's heritage and the preservation of natural resources. With the excavation of the Fort St. Louis Site in 1999, the concept for the Museum of the Coastal Bend developed into a showcase exhibit about the French explorer La Salle and his attempt to found a colony in Texas.

Artifact Collections

Artifacts from the La Belle shipwreck excavation; Fort St. Louis excavation; regional archeological excavations; artifacts relevant to regional history.

Research Collections
Programs

exhibitions, gallery tours, lectures, demonstrations, musical performances

Governance

The Victoria College; 501 (c) (3)

Library

Access: Staff Only

Appointment required: True

Services
Gift Shop
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April 27 - 29, 2025

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