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Exhibits
Our exhibits bring the history of Flatonia to life, showcasing its early settlement, community growth, and cultural heritage. Through captivating photographs, artifacts, and memorabilia, discover the daily lives, traditions, and milestones that shaped this vibrant Texas town.
Main Building
The ground floor of the Museum’s main building showcases goods and furnishings for home and office, advertising memorabilia, an extensive photographic collection, antique children’s toys, clothing, and more--all of which reflect the development of Flatonia from its founding in 1873. Highlights of this collection include several outstanding examples of fretwork (scrap wood masterfully crafted into ornamental objects such as clocks and birdcages), mementos from the Flatonia Fair (1914 - 1936), and three pieces of horn furniture manufactured by the Flatonia Horned Furniture Company in the 1890s
Veterans Museum
Our Veterans Museum occupies the second floor of the main building and was opened in October of 2007 as a tribute to the men and women from the Flatonia area who have served in the Armed Forces and as a reminder of the sacrifices they have made for our country. A “Wall of Honor” displays more than 300 photographs of individual veterans. Uniforms worn by local servicemen and women and memorabilia brought back from foreign wars fill smaller exhibit rooms. The museum encourages students to visit its library for research and to see actual war footage from its DVD collection to fully understand the significance of past wars.
The Barn
Our barn contains a wide array of farm implements and a collection of vehicles ranging from a genuine covered wagon to a 1926 Chevy truck used to deliver farm produce in the area over a period of several decades. In addition to a display of “labor-saving” laundry mechanisms spanning a century or more, a complete farm kitchen features everything a hardworking farm wife needed from crocks and butter churns to a wood-burning cook stove.
Texas Natives Garden
Our newest feature grew from a collaborative effort between the E. A. Arnim Museum and members of the Bluebonnet Master Gardener Association. With the aid of a generous grant from the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA), a bare, weedy city lot has been transformed into a beautiful garden. Walking paths and benches under a shady pavilion invite visitors to stroll or sit awhile. Beds filled with species Indigenous to our area, along with a rainwater catchment and irrigation system, complete a “pocket park” that is not only aesthetically pleasing but also showcases the benefits of water conservation and the use of drought-tolerant native plants in home and commercial landscaping.
