Why the Official Home of the Texas Rangers Sits in Waco

Just off I-35 at Exit 335B, the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum holds a rare title. The Texas Legislature named it the official state historical center of the Texas Rangers. Waco serves as trustee, so a statewide story has a local home on the Brazos.

The museum is several things at once. The Homer Garrison Jr. gallery tells three centuries of Ranger history and holds more than 14,000 artifacts, from Colts to badges. There is also the Hall of Fame, a research center, and the working headquarters of Texas Rangers Company F.

That last part is the detail that sticks. While you read about Rangers from the 1800s, modern Rangers for Central Texas work down the hall.