Fort Hood/Fort Cavazos has a long standing history tied to mounted warfare, mounted soldiers, and the units that support them. Soon the post will be home to a state-of-the-art facility to share that heritage. The National Mounted Warrior Museum is located just outside the main gate, has completed Phase 1 construction. The museum offers over 12,000 square feet of permanent gallery space, over 1000 square feet of temporary exhibit space, and a 4,900 square foot rotunda. The facility sits on 17-acres adjacent to the 1st Cavalry Division Horse Detachment and is projected to open to the public in July of 2024.
The heart of the Army is the men and women dedicated to its core values: Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity, and Personal Courage. These values are exemplified, through countless examples, in the narratives and themes explored in the National Mounted Warrior Museum. The mission of the museum is to honor their legacy through the preservation, conservation, and education of its representative artifacts and heritage material. In the museum, visitors will be able to recount the history of Fort Hood/Fort Cavazos and its units, the Mounted Soldier’s perspective, and the evolution of mounted warfare from the inception of the United States to present day.
The heroism and challenges of the mounted warrior will be explored through an immersive exhibit gallery full of interactive encounters. The gallery will also feature vehicle displays with tanks, tank destroyers, aircraft, and modern-day fighting vehicles all displayed in dynamic scenes portraying real life actions. Visitors will be able to experience educational and interpretive programming, special events, and rotating exhibits that further explore untold stories of Soldiers’ lives to include the personal, social, and cultural challenges they overcame in service to our Nation.
The museum is a joint effort between the U.S. Army and the National Mounted Warfare Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting the Mounted Warrior story. The U.S. Army is providing the location, exhibit work, administrative and infrastructural support. The Foundation has financially supported the construction of the phase II of the museum and will continue its fundraising role in support of further development, improvement, programming, and outreach.
The U.S. Army owns and operate the museum. The museum will be free, open to the public, and will not require a visitor pass visit the museum.
- The National Mounted Warrior Museum plans have been underway for over ten years. The groundbreaking ceremony was held in November of 2020.
- Building construction was completed in November 2021. Building was gifted to the U.S. Army from the National Mounted Warfare Foundation in the January of 2022.
- Projected Grand Opening is scheduled for July 2024. The Museum is hosting Open House Thursdays to allow the public to see the progress.