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.
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The National Mounted Warrior Museum plans have been underway for over
ten years. The groundbreaking ceremony was held in November of 2020.
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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.
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Projected Grand Opening is scheduled for July 2024. The Museum is
hosting Open House Thursdays to allow the public to see the progress.