National Back to School Month celebrates education, students, teachers, and families as they get ready for a new school year. This exhibition also honors the struggles and triumphs our community members have endured throughout history. The month of August has been celebrated as National Back to School Month in the United States since the 1960s, and exists to recognize educators … National Back to School Month 2025

December is Universal Human Rights Month Universal Human Rights Month celebrates the landmark document that “enshrines the inalienable rights that everyone is entitled to as a human being – regardless of race, color, religion, sex, language, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.” This month strives to promote this declaration and the continuing struggles … Universal Human Rights Month 2025

November is Native American Heritage Month Native American Heritage Month celebrates the history, culture, traditions, and contributions of Native people in the United States. It is also a time to educate and bring awareness to the challenges Native people encountered historically and currently. Learn about the history and culture of Native peoples in Texas and the Big Country region and … Native American Heritage Month 2025

Hispanic Heritage Month celebrates the histories, cultures, traditions, and many contributions of those individuals of Latinx and Hispanic ancestry in the United States. The establishment of Hispanic Heritage Month was the first Cultural Heritage Month in the United States. The month allows for Hispanics to feel recognized, accepted, and proud to be a Hispanic living in the United States. Today, … Hispanic Heritage Month 2025

Independence Day in the United States is celebrated every July 4th to commemorate the Declaration of Independence in 1776 with fireworks, parades, and parties. Throughout Abilene’s history, Independence Day has meant a day off work and celebrating the holiday with friends, family, and the entire city. Families gathered to watch parades, and sometimes even participate, with young boys following the … Independence Day 2025

Immigrant Heritage Month honors immigrants and their positive impact on communities across the country, including those who have greatly contributed to the success of Abilene. This exhibition recognizes two such individuals who have demonstrated strong dedication to our community through their volunteer efforts on several local nonprofit boards and committees, especially here at The Grace Museum.  The Grace Museum is … Immigrant Heritage Month 2025

The story of Japanese Internment during World War II is integral to the understanding of American sentiment of otherwise innocent Japanese people during the war. Learn about the untold story of Japanese Americans that either escaped internment on the west coast or served in the military during the war.

Earth Month is dedicated to educating the community about environmental issues, offering climate solutions, and promoting our Earth’s care and sustainability. This exhibition highlights Texas history related to environmental improvements, as well as local efforts spearheaded by groups like Keep Abilene Beautiful and Master Gardeners of Abilene.

From Women’s History Day in 1978 to Women’s History Week in the early 1980s, this month was formally established by Congress in 1987. This exhibition highlights some of the early efforts by women in Texas and Abilene in particular with the right to vote, involvement in war efforts, establishing roots in business, and participation in women’s clubs. 

February’s cultural heritage exhibition celebrates Black History Month. The exhibition will discuss various issues that Blacks have faced within the Abilene community such as segregation and desegregation, constant hardships, black leaders who have persevered, and the push for success within their own community.

International Holocaust Remembrance Day takes place each year on January 27th, the anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp. This exhibition highlights the history of the Holocaust, displacement and mass murder of Jewish people, the role Texans played as liberators, and the history of Abilene’s Jewish community.

In this exhibition, Hammonds + West explore the transformative potential of art within our fragile ecosystem. By integrating visual art and poetry, we offer a hopeful perspective on navigating and reshaping environmental challenges. The work invites viewers to engage in a reflective and empowering space where boundaries between past and future, loss and renewal, are reimagined. The exhibition will include drawings, sculptures, installations, sound, and text.

In this exhibition, Hammonds + West explore the transformative potential of art within our fragile ecosystem. By integrating visual art and poetry, we offer a hopeful perspective on navigating and reshaping environmental challenges. The work invites viewers to engage in a reflective and empowering space where boundaries between past and future, loss and renewal, are reimagined. The exhibition will include drawings, sculptures, installations, sound, and text.

December is Universal Human Rights Month Universal Human Rights Month celebrates the landmark document that “enshrines the inalienable rights that everyone is entitled to as a human being – regardless of race, color, religion, sex, language, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.” This month strives to promote this declaration and the continuing struggles … Universal Human Rights Month 2024

November is Native American Heritage Month Native American Heritage Month celebrates the history, culture, traditions, and contributions of Native people in the United States. It is also a time to educate and bring awareness to the challenges Native people encountered historically and currently. Learn about the history and culture of Native peoples in Texas and the Big Country region and … Native American Heritage Month 2024

The city of Abilene grew around the Texas & Pacific Railway tracks, especially what we know as downtown, during the 1880s to the 1910s. New hotels, churches, shops, liveries, doctors’ offices and pharmacies, houses, and schools were all built within a thirty-year time span. By 1910, the town’s population reached 9,204 and its dynamic was rapidly changing. The introduction of … Early Downtown Abilene: 1880s-1910s