By Louis Zylka
The 830 Times
Friends and families can enjoy summer activities and see the exhibits for free at the Whitehead Memorial Museum, 1308 S. Main St., on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
On Saturday, the Whitehead will be open for the final day in its Del Rio Museum Days series, which is an annual series of events taking place every Saturday in July. During the past month, children got to partake in chalk art and other arts-and-crafts workshops during the first weeks of July.
Michael Diaz, executive director at the Whitehead, spoke with The 830 Times about Del Rio Museum Days and their significance to the community. Diaz said the Museum Days series started a “few years back” as a way to invite residents of Del Rio and Val Verde County to visit the museum for the first time without charge.
“Our admissions may not always be that high, but for (a local resident or out-of-town visitor), Museum Days is a good opportunity for someone who may be having financial barriers from stopping at the museum to visit the museum for free of charge,” Diaz said.
This weekend’s Museum Days activities will focus on water slides, and Diaz said there will be two water-slide set pieces, one for younger children and the other for older children. Diaz mentioned the event is perfect for children and families to visit the museum while enjoying the summer weather. To enjoy the activities, children are required to bring their own swimwear, towels and sunscreen.
Other games that will be available at the Whitehead include ring tossing, plastic axe throwing and miniature basketball hoops as well as cornhole tossing (a regular outdoor game held at the museum).
During the Museum Days, the Whitehead’s exhibits will be open for people to view. When asked what the Whitehead’s most important attractions are, Diaz said the museum is known for the grave site of Judge Roy Bean, the Cadena Nativity Scene collection and information on the county’s local vineyards.
“(The Whitehead staff) invites the community (to Museums Days). If (someone) has never been to the museum, we invite them to come and visit. If they have been here before, we welcome them back, and we just hope they have a good time learning about our history and having family-friendly fun,” Diaz said.
Diaz said guests need to follow regular rules when seeing the museum’s artifacts, and parents will also have to sign a safety waiver form for their children before using the water slides.
