Behind the Scenes at the Museum of South Texas History

By Sandy Pollock, Communications Officer, Museum of South Texas History

Running a museum is a bit like running a school, a church, a small business, and a time machine all at once. At the Museum of South Texas History in Edinburg, our job is to preserve and share the region’s layered, complex history while also keeping the lights on and the air conditioning working.

Visitors see the polished exhibits and carefully curated artifacts. What they don’t always see is the teamwork behind the scenes. One minute, we’re hanging a 200-pound map from 1892; the next, we’re digging through drawers to find the right projector cable before a speaker takes the podium. There’s no such thing as a typical day unless your typical day includes grant deadlines, school field trips, and a mystery smell coming from the archive.

Our museum tells the stories of the borderlands, from Indigenous communities and Spanish settlers to ranching families and civil rights leaders. But behind those stories is a staff made up of educators, archivists, security guards, volunteers, and a few of us who somehow know how to reset the Wi-Fi.

We clean up glitter after Día de los Muertos and wipe away tears when someone hears their grandfather’s oral history for the first time. We answer questions like, “Do you have dinosaurs?” (We have a mammoth.) And, “Is that a real noose?” (It is, and there’s a story behind it.) We make each other laugh. We problem-solve constantly. And we show up every day because we believe this history matters.

A museum like ours doesn’t run on prestige. It runs on coffee, curiosity, and community. It’s powered by generous donors, loyal members, return visitors, and the curious kids who ask the best questions.

So next time you walk through our doors, know that behind every exhibit is a team that cares deeply about the stories, the people, and this unique corner of the world. And if you spot someone hustling through the gallery with a clipboard, don’t worry. That’s just one of us keeping history alive.