Museums are places where people come to know themselves and others come to know them. McAllen’s McAllen Heritage Center (MHC) is the only museum dedicated to the city’s history.
Located in the heart of downtown, the museum is housed in the former U.S. Post Office building, built in 1934. Designated as a State of Texas Landmark, the building features exhibits of local culture and history with no entrance fee, making it accessible for everyone.
The MHC was chartered in 2006 by Elva M. Cerda, Rick de Julio, Dr. Nedra Kinerk, Helen Snider, Spurgeon Brown, and other board members responsible for organizing the McAllen Centennial Celebration in 2004, which celebrated the city’s 100-year history. Due to large attendance and community interest in the Centennial events, Cerda and the core committee members felt a widespread interest in the city’s history, inspiring the move to create the museum.
Given her family’s past and a lifelong interest in history, Cerda holds a personal connection to the city. “My grandfather moved the family here from Falfurrias in 1916 in a covered wagon, searching for a better life. Many of my family, my father included, worked for the city of McAllen. He retired after 45 years of service. I was fortunate to have been born and raised in McAllen, actually very close to downtown, and I love McAllen.”
Since opening, the museum has accomplished much to be proud of while overcoming many challenges. Initially, the museum exhibits comprised only a third of the building, but by 2012, it was fully occupied, and in 2020, an important renovation was completed.
Part of the museum’s purpose is also to recognize the achievements of local individuals, businesses, and artists.
Some talented local artists in McAllen may need additional venues to display their work. MHC features an area in the museum called the Artists Corner. It has hosted many local artists to display their selected work. The museum looks forward to continuing these programs.
Today, Cerda and MHC leadership plan to take the museum even further with plans to build an annex building to supplement the current museum space. This expansion is part of their commitment to providing historical enrichment and beautifying the downtown area.
“The annex is really important to us, to our future and growth. The space needs are critical. We have many items in our collection storage areas that we cannot display simply because we don’t have room,” said Cerda. Requests and more items for the collections are received consistently, thus adding to the additional space needed.
Currently, the MHC is raising funds for the project, with the City of McAllen committing to fund two-thirds of the construction cost. Additional funding has been secured, but funds to meet the museum’s required portion are still needed.
The expansion has faced challenges such as increased construction costs, which is why Cerda states that community support is so important for the center’s development.
“Fundraising in this day and age is hard. We have a wonderful city that backs us up, and they see and appreciate the vision. We encourage our community to know about us, to value history, to come to downtown McAllen, and to support the McAllen Heritage Center,” said Cerda.
For more information about MHC, please call (956) 687-1904, visit mcallenheritagecenter.com, or follow social media pages.
