About Us:

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.

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.

Hiring a full-time museum director and contracting with Steve Harding Designs, a professional museum exhibit consulting firm from Houston, launched this important community project. Along with the goal of creating a museum that fulfilled the College’s educational mission, they also wanted a museum that would complement existing local and regional museums and educational facilities. The proposed museum’s offerings would include a comprehensive overview of the rich Coastal Bend heritage (i.e. prehistory, colonialism, maritime industry, steamboat commerce, ranching industry, etc.) and place it into a regional perspective. The Museum of the Coastal Bend opened with a Chamber of Commerce Red Ribbon ceremony on October 11, 2003