Check that One Off the List - Sat., July 19

For two years the Buckhorn Museum/Texas Ranger Museum in downtown San Antonio had been on our bucket list. From time to time we would say, "Oh, we need to visit the Buckhorn Museum." Today was that day.

Across the street from our RV park is a city bus stop. For $1.20 per person each way we can take the bus into downtown. Very nice not to have to deal with traffic, pedestrians, expensive parking, and construction. The bus dropped us off one block from the museum.

As we waited in line to buy our tickets, "Buffalo Bill Cody" walked in looking just like the original. People asked him to pose with them for photos and he kindly obliged. With our San Antonio Quick Guide coupons we saved $2 each off admission to the museum(s), making it $16.99 per person. (Steep in our opinion after touring the museums.)

An "old-fashioned" selfie (using a mirror).

Mini-sized examples of different types of saddles.

Bobcat

The Buckhorn Museum collection includes hundreds of trophy animals throughout. Personally, I'd rather go see these majestic animals in the wild. However, I realize not everyone can do that, including us. The animals in this museum have been in the collection for many years. In fact the museum has changed owners and locations a few times in its history.

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I was quite taken by the matchstick church below. Built by Wilfred Winters using 1500 boxes of matches (approximately 50,000 matches) over 18 months, it is believed to be a
montage of three San Antonio historical sites: the San Fernando Cathedral, Church of the Little Flower, and Immaculate Conception of the Oblate Order.

Made entirely out of matchsticks.

Real shrunken heads. Ewwwww.

Part of the museum was like a circus sideshow. In fact, there's an exhibit in the museum relating how P.T. Barnum of Barnum and Bailey Circus got his start. Above is an exhibit with real shrunken heads from one of the island nations in Indonesia. You could read the whole description of how to make the shrunken heads.

Parts of the museum were oddities like you would find at a roadside attraction. Below, Bob appears to be perfectly comfortable standing sideways.

A shadow of my former self.

How could they?

Bill Negley, a Texan, was the first archer to collect all five African big game animals - elephant, rhino, lion, tiger and Cape buffalo - with no rifle back up.

Leopard

Black rhino

Leopard

Tiger

I found the rattlesnake rattle art to be quite fascinating. Enlarge to read about how all the rattles were acquired.

Below is art made from 637 rattlesnake rattles. This was given as a gift to Theodore Roosevelt in 1898.

The deer is made of rattlesnake rattles.

The Buckhorn Museum is on the second floor of the building. There are landings where you can look out over the restaurant and all the trophies lining the walls.

Polar bear over the restaurant

Barnacle antlers

I am fake petting a stuffed wolf (no touching).

The following is quite unique. Irish Elk have been extinct for a long time, but look at the size of those antlers in the second photo below!

Click to enlarge and read.

Musk ox

I "otter" take a picture of this one.

The fierce wolverine.

Mountain lion, puma, cougar, panther.

 And then there were fish...

Enlarge to read.

The mola mola

After we finished in the Buckhorn portion of the museum, we made our way to the first floor Texas Ranger Museum. Most of the displays were about individual Texas Rangers; my favorite was Ranger Jack Hayes who was the inspiration for Louis L'Amour. Louis L'Amour's book based on Ranger Hayes became the impetus for The Lone Ranger TV series. "Hi ho, Silver, awaaaaay!"

Bob posing with the Texas Rangers.

Love this artwork.

Display of Texas badges

Bonnie and Clyde's car

That was our museum date and we have now checked it off our list. Been there, done that, don't need to do it again.

In the heat of the afternoon, we walked around downtown for a few blocks, then made our way to the bus stop. The bus arrived to take us home within ten minutes.

Travel Bug out.