Czech Heritage Museum and Genealogy Center

I had a lovely visit to the museum today. I ended up gabbing with the docent for a good 30 minutes, but we shared some interesting connections to the Czech culture (I am not Czech). One particularly impressive part of the collection was the assortment of marionettes that are a good 150 years old but still in great condition with intricate detailing. For the low admission fee, it's worth a visit.

Definitely a stop you shouldn't miss if you are in the area. My wife and I are from Czechoslovakia (it was that when we were born), but you don't have to be to thoroughly enjoy this small museum and its beautiful exhibits.

Ken, the proprietor, will walk you through the history, enlighten you with cool stories of other visitors, and you'll definitely get a lot of recommendations for other Czech-and-Slovak-related sights and activities in the area, such as dance halls, or stores and restaurants with delicious Czech foods. I never knew Texas has such a rich Czech and Slovak history.

The museum itself is very small, so if you only have an hour or two to spare, you can easily get through it, if you walk and read fast.

The museum was not busy at all on Saturday around 1pm (there were only 2 other people there). It's definitely suitable and exciting for kids too, but keep in mind that there are things within reach they shouldn't touch and handle.

The exhibits on 'loutky' (puppets), 'kroje' - the traditional clothing, and old farm and household equipment from the Old World is pretty neat to see (in great condition, too).

They dedicated a few exhibits to the Sokol athletic movement, Tomáš Gariggue Masaryk, Václav Havel, Ján Hus and other statesmen, and influential figures.

Really cool place. Lots of fun things to learn about and cool things to see inside.

Very well educated staff. Found out my family came over on a boat and ported in Galveston. It was very well put together with a lot of Czech paintings and art. I really enjoyed myself and plan on being back for another visit real soon.

Great museum run enthusiastically by good people
Great place to find out more about history of Texas.

Staff retains a wealth of local and Czech national heritage knowledge. Great space and flow for the museum with well curated objects of historical significance. Excellent museum tucked inside Temple, TX.

Susan was excellent. Very knowledgeable and we talked all things from Czech history. Nice little musuem, $4 fee but worth it to see some Czech hertitage, costumes and stories. Go and look up your ancestors city from the old country and see Bout the family name.

This is a little gem of a museum. If you're at all interested in the story of the Czech and Slovak people who emigrated to Texas, you should stop in. Most of the displays can be touched (Please leave the Edison Gramophone cylinders alone... those are out in the open, but are irreplaceable!) and a few of the really old machines are in working order. They include a 9 minute video that's full of information, and some really nice artifacts. If you have any interest in genealogy, and are of Texas Czech descent, you also might want to visit. Finally, the gift shop has some cute pieces. For $4 a head, you get a knowledgeable guided tour. Totally great way to waste an hour and a half or so.

I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to the Czech Heritage Museum. The Czech people have contributed much to the culture of central Texas, so I thought it would be worth a trip to learn more about their presence and history in the area. I was not disappointed in the least! The museum worker, Ken Lange, was very friendly and knowledgeable of both the history of the Czech lands and of Czech immigration to the US in general and Texas in particular. We greatly appreciated his sharing his heritage with us.

The collection was impressive, consisting of everything from paintings, informational exhibits about the founder of Czechoslovakia Tomáš Masaryk, first president of the Czech Republic Václav Havel, and the history of the Czech people, and a variety of items brought over by Czech immigrants, among other things. Especially impressive to me, as a linguist, was the goldmine of books and records in and about the Czech language. I could spend hours in that one room!

If you have any interest in Czech culture and history, or in the history and demographics of central Texas, please pay the Czech Heritage Museum a visit! It is well worth your time!

Had a great experience at this museum that was only a couple miles away from me. Everyone was very friendly and knowledgeable. I learned quite a bit of my heritage, and there's even a kolache place right next to it that is really good! For four dollars for admission it's really great, I suggest checking it out even if you're not of Czech lineage just because it's so fascinating.

Neat to check out the Czech history and the people there are super friendly and are happy to explain anything and everything and it is cheap to check out, I highly recommend taking a part of your afternoon to check it out. Very nice place to see. My GF ended up loving it too when I took her :)

This is a great museum. Built with love and will explain your heritage to you in depth. Fantastic place to learn about your Czech past and parts of the museum change.

Staff is extremely kind and knowledgeable. I learned a lot about my own family, and the museum itself has relics that you would usually see in larger museum. This place is a hidden gem in downtown Temple!

Excellent lesson in Czech history. Many wonderfully preserved items. The guided tour provided more background and stories. Very enjoyable! I am glad we stopped.

This small museum is a jewel! I had no idea what a pivotal role our Czech immigrants played in Texas history. The audiovisuals are wonderful and varied: short films, timelines, pioneer life artifacts, clothing and textiles, a large steamship model. Right next door is the Kolache Kitchen with a HUGE variety of these yummy treats and now serving lunch - smelled heavenly!

Susan is incredibly kind & a wealth of knowledge! I thoroughly enjoyed my visit because of her. I would definitely recommend visiting this local gem if you have the opportunity.

Small but very informative. The guide was extremely friendly and knowledgeable

The tour guide was very knowledgeable him being from Czech origins. The movie portion was informative, and the displays were very well coordinated. It was also very cheap.

It's a very very small museum but the person there made up for it. Very knowledgeable and friendly. All seven of us enjoyed ourselves and learned a lot.

Very interesting. Ken made it such an enjoyable experience.