Last updated on .
The Buckhorn Museum is a private museum in San Antonio, Texas. It’s located downtown at the Buckhorn Saloon and has an interesting collection.
History
The collection for the museum was started by Albert Friedrich (1864-1928) in 1881. He eventually opened a saloon and displayed his collection inside. The name and date of the first saloon is unknown, but he later opened the Buckhorn Saloon in 1896. It was said that Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919) and his Rough Riders were frequent customers.
In 1922, during Prohibition, Friedrich moved his business to another location and renamed it Albert’s Curio Store, and later the Buckhorn Curio Store and Cafe. In 1956, his heirs transferred the collection to the Lone Star Brewing Company building and the Buckhorn Saloon reopened. The Buckhorn Saloon and Museum moved to its current location in 1997, after Friedrich’s granddaughter, Mary Friedrich Rogers, and her husband, Wallace Rogers, acquired the collection.
Visiting
The Buckhorn Museum is open daily. Adult admission is US$22.99 (as of April 2024) and includes admission to both the Buckhorn Museum and the attached Texas Ranger Museum. It’s also possible to get a drink or a delicious meal at the Buckhorn Saloon, and go shopping at the gift shop.
Mounted Animals
The first part of the Buckhorn Museum contains mounted animals from all over the world as well as countless pieces of horn furniture and art. The animals were hunted in places as far away as Africa and the Arctic.
The displays discuss the art of taxidermy as well as how hunting and conservation work hand-in-hand. In addition to land creatures, there’s a section of trophy fish including sailfish, marlin, and tuna.
Carnival of Curiosities
Another section covers the history of curiosities and sideshow acts. Personalities such as Buffalo Bill (1846-1917) and P. T. Barnum (1810-1891) are profiled.
This section includes strange exhibits including a device water flowing upwards, magic acts, and items often displayed in “Cabinets of Curiosities” around the world.
Horn Furniture
Finally, the last section of the Buckhorn Museum contains a large collection of horn furniture. Friedrich’s father was a cabinetmaker who expanded into horn furniture and made pieces for European royalty such as Queen Victoria and Kaiser Wilhelm I. One of the pieces in the collection was made by Friedrich himself for Theodore Roosevelt when he returned to San Antonio as President.
Texas Ranger Museum
The Texas Ranger Museum follows the Buckhorn Museum. It features authentic artifacts from the Texas Rangers, such as guns, badges, photos, books, and more, as well as historical facts and stories about the Rangers.
The Texas Ranger Museum is not affiliated with the official Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum in Waco.
Ranger Town
Ranger Town, a recreation of late 19th century San Antonio, is one of the highlights of the Texas Ranger Museum. It includes a blacksmith shop, newspaper office, livery, hotel, telegraph office, and more.
One of the entertaining parts of Ranger Town is a replica of the Buckhorn Saloon, complete with a bar and horn furniture.
Another is the jail, which contains a prisoner sleeping in a cell and plenty of wanted posters on the wall. The posters depict famous outlaws of the era.
Finally, there’s a coffin containing the “body” of Les Moore and his wooden tombstone. The tombstone reads:
Lester Moore. Here lies Les Moore. Shot with a forty-four. No Les. No Moore. Feb’y 27, 1881. R.I.P.
Bonnie and Clyde Car
The last section of the Texas Ranger Museum displays a replica of the Bonnie and Clyde getaway car. The 1934 Ford V8 Deluxe comes complete with bullet holes. The original car is located in Primm, Nevada.
