If you take a ride out to Carthage, you?ll find that the town is extremely proud of its country music heritage and native son, Tex Ritter. The Texas Country Music Hall of Fame and the Tex Ritter Museum, a 13,000 square foot state-of-the-art museum open year-round, honors Ritter and many other Texas-born country music legends.
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The Texas Country Music Hall of Fame and the Tex Ritter Museum is located in Carthage.
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More than 500 visitors come to visit these amazing exhibits, including this showcase of country star Dale Evans.
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A lifelike mannequin of country star Jim Reeves sits in this radio studio displaying the KGRI equipment Jim used when he got his start in Henderson in the 1940s.
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"Country music fans are so loyal," said Tommie Ritter Smith, not only the president and CEO of the museum, but also a relative to the late Tex. "They come here because they are country music fans and fans of Tex Ritter. Their dedication to country music artists is almost unreal."
This August marks the 11th year that the Hall of Fame will be inducting a new legend. All of the inductees are honored with a plaque and a place in the museum telling their life stories and accomplishments. The list includes the names of Kris Kristofferson, Gene Autry, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Tanya Tucker and Dale Evans, just to name a few.
The larger-than-life stars who are inducted never act like huge legends. In fact, Tommie said it's quite the opposite.
"I don't think of them as stars, but as special friends. The bigger their celebrity, the nicer they are," she said. "One of the neatest things was when Marty Stewart came to visit. He's a huge collector and he wanted to see the museum. He walked in and stood just in awe, and all he said was 'wow.' I guess he just walked in thinking it would be some rinky-dink museum, but it's first-class."
As you walk into the museum, you'll take a step back to old country classics. For example, the exhibit on Cindy Walker gives insight into the songwriter from Mexia who wrote Roy Orbison's "Dream Baby," along with many other popular hits, while Brownsville-born Kris Kristofferson has an exhibit showing off a few songwriting awards and pieces of clothing he popularized. And, of course, in the center of the exhibits is the story of Tex Ritter who rose from farm boy to popular music icon. The exhibit is complete with old journal entries, rhinestone jackets and record albums.
After you take a stroll through the exhibits, leave by way of the gift shop. There you can pick up anything country, from record album purses to CDs of your favorite country music crooners.
"It's a great experience for anyone who loves country music and Tex Ritter," Tommie said. "I encourage everyone to come see this first-class facility."
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Where: 300 W. Panola St., Carthage, TX
When: Open Mondays through Saturday, 10 am to 4 pm
Directions: From Longview, take I-20 E and exit US-59 S. Turn right onto W, Panola St., and drive straight until you reach 300 W, Panola St. The building is located about three blocks off of the main square.
Contact: Call 903-693-6634
Cost: $5/adults and $3/children
