♦ Museum and Camp Ford: Free Admission ♦
Society museum visits and tours are FREE for all. However, if your group is larger than 8 people, please make an appointment so that we can provide you with better service. All archival research MUST be scheduled in advance.
Appointments for museum tours and archival research must be scheduled at least 48 hours in advance. Archival research appointments are available Tuesday to Friday, from 10 AM to 4 PM.
For Museum Tours and Office Information: click here to contact us
For Archives questions, donations and/or research: click here to contact us
The Smith County Historical Society, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, was founded in 1959 by individuals and business firms dedicated to discovering, collecting, and preserving data, records, and other items relating to the history of Smith County, Texas. They joined together in a rewarding effort to preserve the fascinating stories of Smith County’s past in the many areas of historical preservation pursued by the Society.
Museum
Our museum is the proud home of the Twentieth Century of Progress permanent exhibit, featuring a diverse range of our collections. We offer new temporary exhibits every 6 months to a year and encourage everyone to check our upcoming schedule! You can find us at 125 South College Avenue in downtown Tyler, just a stone’s throw from the Square.
Society Store
Explore our wide-ranging collection of intricately detailed maps, fascinating local history books, and the captivating Chronicles of Smith County, Texas. These items are all available for purchase through our online store, allowing you to delve into the rich history of Smith County from the comfort of your own home.
Archives
Looking to do some research? Why not schedule a visit to our archives? You’ll find a treasure trove of historical documents from Smith County, including newspapers, city directories, school records, photographs, maps, historical papers, rare books, and much more. We can’t wait to help you uncover the past!
After several years of work, the Index to Chronicles of Smith County, Texas, has finally been completed. This index thoroughly covers the names, places, events, and historical articles about Smith County since 1962. Remarkably, this accomplishment was achieved within just three years of the establishment of our esteemed Society.
If you are planning a trip to use our archives, please contact us via e-mail or call (903) 592-5993 to let us known what you are researching. We will schedule an appointment with you so that we can prepare the materials you need, making your trip easier and more productive.
One of the hidden gems of our collection is our many photos and photo collections. We have started to put a few of the more popular photos up in our society store and we will add more as we have time. The photo collections and a few details can be found at this link. Contact us for more information about any particular collection and to have us search for any image. Appointments for photo research take a minimum of 2 hours and must be scheduled at least 2 weeks I advance as there may be collections of negatives or slides that will need to be scanned in advance for viewing on the network.
Support the Smith County Historical Society
Memberships
Support the Historical Society and become a member today. Membership is open to all persons or organizations.
The society normally holds monthly meeting on the 1st Tuesday of each month in the Payne Auditorium starting at 6:30 pm to 7:00 pm social time and the regular meeting starting at 7:00 pm. At our regular meeting we offer a program about the history of Smith County and the East Texas area. The programs are free and open to the public.
To see upcoming meetings and events go to the following page. We hope that you enjoy the programs and please let us know if there is a topic you would like to hear and even present.
Donate
The Society not only accepts monetary contributions, but also donations of physical items. Materials collected by the Society include items such as photographs, books, maps, and business/personal documents, as well as artifacts ranging from Native American relics to vintage clothing and furniture.
Volunteer
The many functions of the Society require manpower, and the membership alone often cannot supply it all. Assistance is always needed with such activities as sorting and organizing archival material, answering the phone and greeting visitors.