Whitehead Memorial Museum in Del Rio, TX | Museums and Galleries

The Whitehead Memorial Museum came to life in 1962 when the Whiteheads, a noted local ranching family, purchased the old Perry Mercantile building and donated it to the City of Del Rio and Val Verde County, to be utilized as a museum. Since that time, the museum has grown to include 20 exhibit sites, which occupy 2.5 acres of beautifully landscaped grounds.
This is an open-air museum with a portion of the San Felipe Irrigation Canal flowing through the middle of its property, which is part of the original irrigation system built in 1871 – it insured sufficient water for crops.
Exhibits. Plan at least two hours to roam through the 2 1/2-acres and 13 exhibit sites.
- The Old Perry Merchantile. At the back is the grove of salt cedars which surround the spot where the old fashioned water trough was built for the stage teams, the oxen, and pack animals. This is a registered Texas historical landmark and it retains all the original, native rock work as well as wood work, the original doors with their locks and copper keys are delightful.
- The Jersey Lily Saloon. The items that were the authority of the “court” were Judge Bean's six guns, a copy of the Revised Statute of Texas, natural shrewdness, and the intestinal fortitude to enforce his rulings.
- Barn Barbed Wire Collection. Indian Artifacts. Livery Stable.
- Fountain and Arches.
- Texas Black Tip Prairie Dogs.
- Caboose and Railroad Station.
- Cadena Nativity. An awe inspiring display. The nativity is 32' long, 10' high, and 20' deep and has 1,287 items. This culture folk-art exhibit was the life-long passion/work of a local Del Rio lady and was given to us for exhibit by her family after her death. Because of its size, it is on exhibit in its own temperature-controlled building.
Storyteller. Mike Parker, or Waya Atli (his Cherokee name) is our resident storyteller. Specializing in folktales, traditional Native American stories and flute playing, Mike has many years of experience storytelling to all age groups. He even comes in authentic costumes such as Cherokee, Mountain Man, or Old West.
We offer Museum events regularly. Join in the fun and bring the whole family!
If your function is being held on the Museum grounds, whether you are providing Breakfast, Brunch, Lunch, or Dinner for your guests, we can cater it for you. We have put together a variety of choices for you, and all of our selections are home-cooked and prepared just for you and your guests.
The museum grounds are also leased for weddings, receptions, and other gatherings.