A Time Before Texas to Open at Goldthwaite Welcome Center in December
This December, visitors to the Goldthwaite Welcome Center will have the chance to step back thousands of years into the human story of Central Texas. A Time Before Texas, an educational exhibition exploring the lives and traditions of the region’s earliest
inhabitants, will be on display from December 1–29, 2025, at the Goldthwaite Welcome Center at Legacy Plaza, located at 1219 Fisher Street.
Archaeological research over the past decade has revealed remarkable new insights into Paleoindian life, including how some of the earliest peoples traveled to and lived in what would one day become Texas. These First Peoples carried forward knowledge, skills, and stories that eventually gave rise to numerous culturally distinct Tribes and Indigenous American communities.
While archaeological evidence suggests that humans have lived in the region for at least 16,000 years, many Indigenous traditions teach that their ancestors have always been here. The exhibition highlights the importance of both scientific study and ancestral knowledge, presenting a balanced look at what life may have been like for the earliest people to call Texas home.
“This exhibition invites us to reflect on the deep human history of this region and the importance of honoring both ancestral knowledge and modern discovery,” said Courtenay Smith, Executive Director of the Texas Botanical Gardens & Native American Interpretive Center, Inc.
A public reception celebrating the exhibition will take place on Saturday, December 6, at 10:00 a.m. at the Goldthwaite Welcome Center. Admission is free and open to the public during normal Welcome Center hours. For additional information, visit www.legacyplaza.org or call (325) 451-1075.
A Time Before Texas was created by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and presented in partnership with Humanities Texas, the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. The Goldthwaite presentation is hosted by the City of Goldthwaite and the Texas Botanical Gardens & Native American Interpretive Center, Inc.
Humanities Texas develops and supports diverse programs across the state, including lectures, oral history projects, teacher institutes, museum exhibitions, and documentary films.
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