Texas Energy Museum

This museum is nice. It does a very nice job of explaining oil extraction, refining and processing. I was very surprised by the obsession that the museum attendant had with no one touching anything. If you dare to point at an exhibit you will be promptly reminded not to touch. There is no shortage of «do not touch» signs throughout the museum. I would hesitate to take a young person to this museum.

This museum is great! It has something for every age and learning style — from visual to oral to tactile. It has «scientific» type exhibits explaining how oil is processed & fracked, restored old tank trucks, old-​timey pictures, exhibits with talking figures that seem so life-​like that explain how their drilling is progressing — on and on. The museum has ample adjacent free parking, is open and airy. Right across the parking lot is the Art Museum, so that’s convenient, too. Downtown Beaumont has done a great job restoring and maintaining their «old» downtown buildings. As is typical of many downtowns, there are one-​way streets, so you have to be on your «A» game, but we went on a Saturday, and there were very few people in the museum.

This place is incredible for so many reasons. The museum regularly puts on free activities for kids, my favorite being dino days, and offers different crafts & activities for the kiddos that not only entertain them, but also introduce kids to the arts. Between the changing art exhibits, special events such as the Art of Beer, and robotic characters that teach you about the Texas oil industry, everyone is sure to find something about this place to love. Check their website for events, or stop by to wander around on a lazy day. Oh yeah, and make sure to drop a few bucks in the donation box to support this awesome place :)