Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum: A Historical Overview

The Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum is the official state historical center of the Texas Ranger Division of the Texas Department of Public Safety (Texas DPS) and is a cooperative project of the city of Waco (which serves as trustee), Texas DPS, and the Texas legislature. The museum’s purpose is to “collect, preserve and disseminate knowledge of the Texas Rangers” and to “document the service of Texas Rangers past and present.” The museum is located in Waco, Texas, just off Interstate Highway 35.

In 1964 the Texas Public Safety Commission authorized the city of Waco to build and operate a state historical center for the Texas Rangers. The Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum opened its doors in 1968. The museum was initially named the Homer Garrison Jr. Memorial Museum after Homer Garrison, Jr., director of the Department of Public Safety from 1935 to 1969. The original museum structure was designed by architect David Carnahan and constructed of Texas limestone in imitation of Texas Hill Country architecture. The building was located on the banks of the Brazos River at Fort Fisher Park, which was named for a short-lived 1837 Texas Ranger outpost that preceded the town of Waco.

In 1971 the Texas legislature created the Texas Ranger Commemorative Commission to memorialize the 150th anniversary of the Texas Rangers in 1973. The commission received authorization to raise funds and build a state memorial—the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame—at the museum. The hall of fame opened in 1976 and was dedicated by Texas governor Dolph Briscoe, Jr. The Texas Rangers elect Rangers to the hall of fame who are deemed by them to have made important contributions to the development of the service or displayed exceptional valor.

In 1997 the Texas legislature passed a resolution designating the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum as the official repository for memorabilia, artifacts, and other materials pertaining to Texas Ranger history. The institution houses numerous documents, artifacts, and works of art chronicling the history of the Texas Rangers. The collection includes works by noted artists, including Tom Lea and Lee Herring; a Bowie knife attributed to Rezin P. Bowie; Texas Ranger commissions and badges; more than two centuries of firearm technology; and a popular culture collection of motion picture, radio, and television memorabilia related to The Lone Ranger, Walker, Texas Ranger, and other entertainment. Among the well-known names attached to items on display are Stephen F. Austin, Manuel “Lone Wolf” Gonzaullas, Francis A. “Frank” Hamer, Samuel H. Walker, and John R. Hughes.

The regional headquarters of Texas Rangers Company F is located onsite. It is one of seven Ranger company administrative centers and is charged with investigating major crimes and conducting special police operations in the Central Texas region and as assigned. They have also assisted in educational programs that have reached audiences worldwide.

The Tobin and Anne Armstrong Texas Ranger Research Center is a state-affiliated library and archives and has a vast collection of photographs, books, and records pertaining to Ranger history. Each year the research center assists more than 2,000 authors, teachers, students, genealogists, and media and motion picture producers.

The Texas Ranger Education Center is a 2,000-square-foot state-of-the art classroom space hosting training programs for the museum, Texas Rangers and Texas DPS, and regional public service organizations.

The John Knox Jr. Texas Ranger Memorial Center is a 6,000-square-foot banquet center that hosts dinners, educational programs, corporate meetings, and nonprofit fundraisers for a variety of agencies. The center was built in 1982 with donations from the Knox family of Giddings, Texas, and remodeled in 2010. The museum also has a small retail space that sells Texas Ranger-themed merchandise around the world to support the collection, preservation, research, and educational missions.