20 Years of Sparking Curiosity

Visiting the Mayborn Museum Complex is an experience unlike any other, especially when the first thing you see is a life-sized mammoth. Marking 20 years of sparking curiosity and inspiring lifelong learning, the Mayborn Museum celebrated a milestone anniversary on May 17 by officially unveiling and dedicating the life-size landmark for the community — stunning bronze mammoth sculptures that stand as timeless symbols of the Mayborn Museum’s commitment to inspire and educate generations.

“We are excited to share these magnificent bronze mammoth sculptures with our community,” Executive Director of the Mayborn Museum Charlie Walter said. “The sculptures represent years of collaboration and craftsmanship, and their installation symbolizes the Mayborn Museum’s unwavering commitment to inspire wonder and learning for generations to come. It’s not just a milestone; it’s a promise — to keep sparking wonder and learning for generations ahead.”

Renowned artist Tom Tischler, an Australian sculptor originally from Texas, paid great attention to the details — big and small — in collaboration with Pyrology Foundry & Studio and Howard Designs of Bastrop. 

The sculptures of a bull, a mother and a calf are based on real-life measurements from Columbian mammoth specimens found at the Waco Mammoth National Monument — the bull stands nearly 14 feet at the shoulder, with a head, trunk and tusks adding another 8 feet of height. An original partner in the excavation and preservation of the mammoth site discovered in Waco in 1978, the Mayborn Museum now serves as the official repository for the Waco Mammoth National Monument (a unit of the National Park System), storing all the paleontological and archaeological objects (and making them accessible to researchers) that have been removed from the site, as well as their associated documentation.

For over 20 years now, the Mayborn Museum has served as a beacon of natural science and cultural history in Central Texas. The bronze sculptures are part of the ongoing transformation of its Natural History Hall through Reigniting Curiosity, a visionary $16 million campaign. When completed, the museum’s natural science and cultural history wing, “Central Texas: The Crossroads of Time and Place,” will not only bring the museum’s exhibits up to date and offer visitors a hands-on, immersive experience; it also will be an exhibit in which every Central Texas resident can see themselves and explore the natural landscapes that drew people to the area.