Clay County, Texas1890 Jail Museum& Heritage Center

Henrietta, Texas

Plan a Visit

One block west of the Clay County courthouse square, twenty miles southeast of Wichita Falls. Free to walk in, hard to forget.

Hours

Thursday & Friday10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Hours can change — call (940) 538-5655 to confirm before you drive out.

Admission

Freedonations welcome

The museum is run entirely by volunteers and funded by donations, memberships, and grants — every dollar left in the jar keeps the doors open.

Tours

By arrangementgroups & schools welcome

Special and group tours can be arranged in advance — call and leave a message, and a volunteer will return your call.

Getting Here

Finding the Jail

Clay County 1890 Jail Museum & Heritage Center
116 N. Graham St.
Henrietta, Texas 76365

The museum is one block west of the 1884 Clay County Courthouse in downtown Henrietta, where U.S. 287 meets U.S. 82 — about 20 miles southeast of Wichita Falls and about 95 miles northwest of Fort Worth.

Open in Google Maps
The museum’s roadside sign in a black iron frame: “Clay County 1890 Jail Museum & Heritage Center,” with silhouettes of a county map, longhorn, plow, oil derrick, and cowboy.
Look for the sign on the museum lawn.Clay County Historical Society

Good to Know

What to Expect

  • A volunteer will greet you. The museum is run by the Clay County Historical Society’s volunteers, and many of them know the stories firsthand. School groups are a special priority.
  • Give it time. Between the sheriff’s quarters, the cell block, the gallows, and the basement collections, an unhurried visit can easily fill an hour or two.
  • Ask about “The Barn.” The annex next door — wagons, farm equipment, and a printing press — is shown on request.
  • Historic building. The jail is an 1890 two-story structure with a basement. Questions about accessibility? Call (940) 538-5655 before your visit and the volunteers will help you plan.
The museum porch with its dark front door and potted plants, reached by a red-brick walk engraved with donors’ names.
The walk to the porch is paved with engraved donor bricks.Clay County Historical Society

Keep History Standing

Support the Museum

The Clay County 1890 Jail Museum & Heritage Center is operated by Clay County Historical Society, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit of unpaid volunteers, funded solely by donations, membership dues, museum-item sales, and grants. The society rescued this building from ruin — twice raising the money to restore and reinforce it — and your support keeps it standing.

The Society has also offered engraved bricks and pavers for the walk to the front porch — a lasting way to put a family name at the jail. Ask about them when you call.

Call About DonatingAsk About Membership