AUSTIN, Texas — Tucked inside central Austin lies Camp Mabry, an active military post that many local residents hear about during daily weather forecasts without fully realizing its deep history. Jeff Hunt, Director of the Texas Military Forces Museum, recently discussed the rich past and present of the base, as well as the museum dedicated to preserving its legacy with Inside Austin host Brian Fitzgerald.
Established in 1892, Camp Mabry serves as the oldest military post belonging to today's Texas National Guard. It originally opened as a training site for the Texas Volunteer Guard outside the city limits, but Austin eventually grew around the 500-acre installation. Over the decades, the post has hosted drill competitions, polo matches, and public battle reenactments. Today, the installation acts as the headquarters for the Adjutant General of Texas, the Texas Army National Guard, the Texas Air National Guard, the Texas State Guard, and the 36th Infantry Division.
"Camp Mabry has always been a centerpiece of Austin," Hunt said. "When you have a hurricane, you have wildfires, we have floods, those sorts of natural disasters that happen in Texas, and the Texas Guard is responding to help its fellow Texans, this is the nerve center where that response comes from."
The Texas Military Forces Museum, housed in a 45,000-square-foot former World War I mess hall built in 1915, features 26,000 square feet of exhibits tracing Texas military history from 1823 to current operations. In 2024, the site welcomed over 51,000 visitors spanning 90 countries. Among its historic collection are military vehicles, weapons, uniforms, and unique artifacts such as cigarettes taken from Hermann Göring’s desk and a field cap belonging to German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel.
Beyond static displays, the venue hosts dynamic living history events featuring working tanks, jeeps, artillery, and blank-firing weapons demonstrations. Hunt noted that these immersive displays help bridge generations, often prompting veterans to share long-held memories with their families.
"You see the years just melt away from them," Hunt said. "They tell us stories that they've never told their family, and their family is standing there with their mouths sort of agape listening to these stories and learning about their father or their grandfather's service in a way that they've never done before."
The museum is open to the public free of charge seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with outdoor exhibits accessible from dawn to dusk. Members of the community can support the non-profit organization through volunteer work or contributions to the Texas Military Forces Historical Foundation.
INSIDE AUSTIN AIRS EVERY SUNDAY AT 6 a.m.
