Day Trips: Corpus Christi Museum of Science and History, Corpus Christi
Museum’s many treasures include the remains of the oldest shipwreck in the U.S.
By Gerald E. McLeod, Fri., June 16, 2023
The Corpus Christi Museum of Science and History covers a lot of ground with the thousands of artifacts and specimens it has on display. This place is a treasure box for all ages.
Since 1957 the museum has grown into a major research institute and depository. The exhibits cover everything from the history of Whataburger, identification of seashells, how oil refineries work, dinosaurs, pioneer crafts, and Indigenous people to artifacts from the 17th-century French ship La Belle found in nearby Matagorda Bay.
"We try to connect Corpus Christi history with the broader world," says the museum's CEO, Karen Stevenson. Every area second- and fourth-grader is given an opportunity to tour the museum's wonders.
Right inside the front door are the remains of the oldest excavated shipwreck in the U.S. In 1554 a Spanish convoy of four ships left Mexico for Cuba. Only one arrived in Havana; the San Esteban and two others ran aground in a storm on Padre Island near today's Mansfield Cut. This was 132 years before La Belle sank.
Texas has nearly 2,000 reported historic shipwrecks in its waters, but San Esteban remains the oldest scientifically recovered shipwreck in the Western Hemisphere.
From the artifacts recovered in the 1960s and 1970s, many on display at CCMSH, scientists learned about 16th-century shipbuilding, weaponry, personal items, and navigational devices. On display is one of the world's oldest mariner's astrolabes, which were used to determine a ship's latitude. The extraordinary 469-year-old time capsule included gold bars, silver coins, and the remains of San Esteban's keel.
The Corpus Christi Museum of Science and History is at 1900 N. Chaparral St. in the museum district on the north side of downtown Corpus Christi. The doors are open daily until 5pm during the summer. Learn more at ccmuseum.com.
1,656th in a series. Everywhere is a day trip from somewhere: Follow “Day Trips & Beyond,” a travel blog, at austinchronicle.com/daily/travel.
