Our Purpose
The Naranjo Museum was established in 2011 by the Naranjo Foundation with the purpose of maintaining and promoting a museum of the highest excellence. Educating children and the general public about the world’s history is our highest priority, through programs created and implemented by museum staff.
By maintaining low cost admission the Naranjo Museum allows education to be financially accessible to the general and rural public. The Naranjo Museum serves an estimated 60,000 children from 200 schools in the East Texas region. Previously, students and families would travel 120 miles to visit a natural history museum.
Our Function
- Research and acquisition of specimens for the permanent collection to further the public’s scientific knowledge of natural history.
- Preserve artifacts, fossils and objects of cultural and scientific value in the museum collections. Maintain records regarding identification, location and historical value. Assure the museum’s collections security and protections from deterioration and damage. Utilize best practices as defined by the Alliance of American Museums to guarantee the authenticity of specimen on display at the museum.
- Inform the general public on objects in the collection, visiting exhibits, and programs through relationships with local schools, dissemination of information to media, and events open to the public.
Our Mission
The mission of the Naranjo Museum of Natural History is to provide access to natural history artifacts and exhibits about ancient cultures, the natural world, and universe.
History of The Museum
They roamed the Earth for 165 million years, they were larger than life and dominated the landscape, then in a flash they were gone. Though they became extinct more than 65 million years ago, dinosaurs – their habits, their size and their power continue to fascinate us. Unfortunately their history is hidden by physical elements and often remains buried, but their story is one that needs to be told and shared.
In 1960, Dr. Neal Naranjo began a lifelong quest to find and preserve dinosaur bones. Each new fossil he collected laid the foundation for the Naranjo Museum of Natural History.
Today the Naranjo collection contains several thousand fossils and is as comprehensive as it is diverse. It includes a 26-foot tall Hadrosaur and a four-inch long Coelacanth; a nurturing Einosaur mother with her child and ferocious Tyrannosaurus Rex life-size replica; a fully-grown Woolly Mammoth and multiple unhatched dinosaur eggs.
With a meticulous eye for rare finds, the Naranjo Family has built a collection that rivals most urban museums. Now with ongoing dinosaur digs in two states and access to new fossils, the collection has outgrown its current space.
A Word From The Museum Founder
Thank you for your interest in a museum that has taken a lifetime of collecting and dedication to build. Through years of exploration, a sincere passion for pre-historic life, and a commitment to the education of inquisitive minds, this museum has become a reality.
As a boy, I enjoyed looking for arrowheads in the forests of East Texas, and I have carried this passion for exploration and history with me throughout my life. Just like me, the fondest memories for many children are playing with a favorite toy, looking at the world with wonderment, and enjoying the enormity of seeing their first dinosaur.
The goal of the Naranjo Museum of Natural History is to bring that experience to as many children and adults as possible. For decades I have collected fossils, artifacts, and geologic minerals that add to my mosaic of history. Over the past few summers, my son, experts in paleontology, and a motley crew of dinosaur hunters, have joined me in excavating dozens of fascinating specimens. Finding our first virtually complete skeleton in Montana was the thrill of a lifetime, and each new find expanded our interest and our collection.
But I realized early on that these fossils and the stories they represent would be meaningless unless they were shared. So a few years ago, I began introducing the collection to Lufkin students and the community, giving presentations and displaying the many fossils in classrooms. After seeing their interest and hearing the recurring exclamations of “wow!” and “cool!” I knew I had to build a permanent home for this collection; a place where families, children and adults could come and learn more about prehistoric time.
The truth is, this museum has been 50 years in the making. It started with one child eager to explore his backyard and has grown into a network of teachers, parents, scientists, and community leaders determined to recreate that experience for children and adults alike.
I hope you join me and bring pre-history to life in East Texas for thousands of children and curious minds.
Sincerely,
Dr. Jennings Neal Naranjo
Founder & CEO, Naranjo Museum of Natural History