Heart of Texas Historical Museum

The Heart of Texas Historical Museum, created in 1974, is a nonprofit organization whose purposes, as stated in the Articles of Incorporation, are the management and operation of a place to house a collection of artifacts, geological, cultural, historical, and zoological; to increase and diffuse a knowledge and appreciation of our historical heritage, both locally and nationally; and to preserve these artifacts for study by interested people and students in the schools of McCulloch County.

The Heart of Texas Historical Museum is located in the Old McCulloch County Jail in Brady, Texas. The jail was built in 1910 and is a three-story red brick Richardson Romanesque structure. The structure was added to the National Register of Historic places in 1975 and designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1976. The Old Jail has been the Heart of Texas Historical Museum since 1974. The first floor was originally living quarters, and there are jail cells on the second and third floors. The museum houses many artifacts from Brady and McCulloch County as well as memorabilia from the sheriffs who lived there. At the rear of the property, you will find the guard shack from the POW Camp which was outside Brady during WWII. Behind that is the original control tower from Curtis Field which served as a training center for pilots from 1941-1945, eventually training 10,000 students. The building now houses military memorabilia and uniforms along with flight books and hosts one of the largest model airplane engine collections in the world including diesel, glow, and gas engines. Location is at 117 North High Street in Brady, Texas. Hours are Thursday-Saturday 1:00-5:00.