Art Gallery

The Texas Cotton Palace exhibit is a grand display to the pageantry and wonder of “The South’s Most Unique Exposition.” First established in 1894, it celebrated the importance of the cotton industry to the city of Waco, and soon turned into a two-week long event with entertainment such as automobile races, needlework competitions, and the Cotton Palace Ball. The exposition was ended in the 1930’s but was revived forty years later as the Waco Cotton Palace Pageant. On display in the exhibit are numerous dresses worn by participants along with numerous pictures and newspapers that detail its importance in Waco’s history.