Pioneer Museum has announced its First Weekend programming for June, set for June 5-6, 2026. Pioneer Museum and Vereins Kirche will be open from 10 a.m.- 5 p.m. both days. The Historic Gillespie County Jail, located at 117 W. San Antonio St., will be open with living history interpreters on Saturday, June 6.
More information can be found at pioneermuseum. org.
Friday Public Program
The complimentary Public Program, titled “Fredericksburg’s Glockenspiel Bell Tower” will be held Friday, June 5 at the Gillespie County Historical Society Sanctuary. The program will be a presentation from the Pedernales Creative Arts Alliance, the organization bringing a glockenspiel tower to Fredericksburg.
The vision of PCAA is to build a Glockenspiel Tower that stands as a testament to the shared history and the aspirations for the future. PCAA envisions creating a cultural legacy; a community hub for residents; a structure with architectural beauty while embracing history; and a place for educational outreach.
A glockenspiel typically involves bells, clocks, and animated figurines that tell a historical story or narration of an event in a region. For Fredericksburg, the Bavarian-styled tower will open to reveal the animated figurines performing their show accompanied by music.
Doors open at 3 p.m., with the program following from 3:30 to 5 p.m. The program will also be live streamed by FBG Live, generously underwritten by a grant from the Hill Country Historical Foundation. It will be available for viewing on YouTube and on pioneermuseum. org.
First Weekend Events
On Saturday, June 6, all are invited to experience living history at Pioneer Museum. Guests can see demonstrations from spinners, handwerkers and blacksmiths, talk with interpreters from Frontier History Company, participate in hands-on, family-friendly activities and museum scavenger hunt.
Tour the temporary exhibit, America’s 250th. This exhibit celebrates the 250th Birthday of the United States of America and the 180th anniversary of the founding of Fredericksburg.
This exhibit looks at how the United States developed over time, starting with the founding of the nation and its key ideas, moving through immigration and settlement, and ending with how American identity has changed across generations. It connects national history with local examples from Gillespie County.
Admission to this exhibit is complimentary and is located in the Damach-Besier building, the entrance to the Pioneer Museum.
The exhibit concludes at the end of July.
The Historic Gillespie County Jail will also be open to the public on Saturday, June 6. There will be living history interpreters onsite. Admission to the jail is included with regular museum admission or jail-only admission is $5 (cash only). Children ages five and under are free.
Shop the Museum Store – Book of the Month “Fredericksburg, Texas: The Second Fifty Years,” is the Book of the Month for June. This volume of Fredericksburg history was compiled by local historians to tell the story of our community for 1896 through the centennial celebration in 1946.
While Robert Penniger’s first volume was written by people who experienced the first 50 years, The Second Fifty relied heavily on written primary and secondary sources to complete this text 75 years after the centennial. Historians used newspaper from Fredericksburg and surrounding communities, as well as histories written by locals, and documents provided by descendants of those who shaped this area.
From 1896 to 1946, the community of Fredericksburg grew and modernized at a rate not seen in the little community prior. From global events, two world wars and the Great Depression, to more localized stories, such as the arrival and deconstruction of the railroad, and the planning of the first commercial peach orchard, the second 50 years were jam-packed.
This book includes history of Fredericksburg and Gillespie County up to and including May 1946.
The book can be purchased during regular museum hours, Monday- Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. or online at pioneermuseum. org.
Artifact of the Month The Artifact of the Month for May is a baseball jacket. The baseball jacket was worn by a member of the Fredericksburg Giants Baseball Team. The first organized baseball team in Fredericksburg was formed in 1909. Shortly after, two clubs, the “White Stars” and the “Tigers,” emerged and became known locally as the “uptowners” and “downtowners.” These rival teams helped lay the groundwork for what would eventually become the Fredericksburg Giants.
To learn more about First Weekend or the Gillespie County Historical Society and Pioneer Museum, go to pioneermuseum. org.
