Decatur: Wise County Heritage Museum

Decatur: Wise County Heritage Museum

  • <p>Wise County Heritage Museum</p> <p>Large limestone brick building with a tower</p>
  • <p>Waggoner Mansion in Decatur</p> <p>Mansion partially obscured by trees and an iron fence</p>
  • <p>Entrance to the Waggoner Ranch near Vernon</p> <p>Stone entryway on a road saying W.T. Waggoner 1853 Sachueista 1934</p>
  • <p>Portrait of Dan Waggoner (Cattle Raisers Museum)</p> <p>Portrait of Dan Waggoner</p>
  • <p>W.T. Waggoner (left) with Will Rogers, 1933. (UT-Arlington Library, Special Collections)</p> <p>1933 photograph of W. T. Waggoner with Will Rogers</p>
  • <p>Five quarter horses in a corral at the Waggoner Ranch. (Cattle Raisers Museum)</p> <p>Five quarter horses in a corral</p>

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Wise County was a crossing point for one of the many feeder branches of the Chisholm Trail. It was also where “cattle king” Dan Waggoner built his mansion, a shrine to the wealth he accumulated ranching in seven North Texas counties. Historical markers honor where the cattle trail crossed Wise County, as well as the site of the Waggoner Mansion. The Wise County Heritage Museum showcases photographs, artifacts, and other exhibits telling the stories of the county’s past.

Wise County Heritage Museum

  • Hours: Monday - Saturday, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. (Call first to ensure the museum is open)
  • Admission: Ages 13 and older: $2, Ages 6-12: $1
  • 1602 S. Trinity St., Decatur, TX
  • 940-627-5586
  • Visit Website
  • National Register of Historic Places