Brewery Museum
Historic Magnolia Ballroom Showcases Brewery Museum
The historic Historic Magnolia Ballroom nestled in downtown Houston at 715 Franklin features a “stout” museum of Magnolia Brewery artifacts.
The Museum
The collection artifacts have been donated by fans of the 1893 building, purchased from collectors across the U.S., found in small Texas towns, or given to the owner of the Magnolia Brewery Building by strangers who felt the items belonged “back home” at the former brewery location.
The museum features artifacts related to the Magnolia Brewery and the signature Magnolia beers, including Magnolia, Richlieu, Southern Select, Hiawatha and Grand Prize, such as large tin advertising signs, beer bottles, beer cans, metal cone beer cans and poster prints. The museum also displays souvenir items, such as: dishware, tape measure, spinning top, salt shakers, logo bottle openers and matchbook covers.
The collection at the Magnolia Brewery museum began in 1980 with items provided by John Moraida, Tim Womble, Marilyn Myers and Joe Baker. Each contribution arrived back at the brewery building with its own story.
Contributors
John Moraida
John Moraida gave a wooden Magnolia beer box, a large metal Magnolia beer sign and Magnolia beer bottle with cap. Moraida, owner of John's Flowers and Antiques in the Houston Heights historic area, came across the Magnolia Brewery items while frequenting antique sales around the state of Texas.
Tim Womble
Tim Womble contributed a large colorful Magnolia Beer tray showing a seated German couple with a pitcher of beer and glass in his hands, the Magnolia flower in her hand and the Magnolia emblem in the upper left hand corner. Womble had this item for many years in his kitchen and decided to give it back to the Magnolia Brewery building because he felt it was “coming home” and that it was a part of the Magnolia history.
The beer tray reads: Houston Ice & Brewring Co. Magnolia Brewery.
Joe Baker
Joe Baker gave a Southern Select old tin beer can with the bottle-type top. The can was found in a field on Baker's family ranch near Somerville, Texas.
Marjorie Smith
Marjorie Smith, of Bellville, Texas, called Marilyn Meyers, an associate of Bart Truxillo (current owner of the Magnolia Brewery building) to provide a framed Magnolia Brewery poster printed in 1908; the print hung in Smith's grandfather's store in Bellville, Texas.
