Going back in time at Blanco’s Buggy Barn

The Buggy Barn Museum in Blanco provides an up close look at how humans moved from one place to another and hauled the goods that sustained them in the century before automobiles appeared.

The museum houses more than 200 unique buggies, carriages and wagons from the 1860s to the 1900s. You’ll find everything from farm wagons to a Roma wagon to fine buggies and carriages. There’s even a fire wagon with hoses attached and a child’s sleigh.

Owned and operated by Dennis Moore and family, the Buggy Barn seeks to preserve horse drawn vehicles for the history they provide and for use by filmmakers and other enthusiasts.

The museum consists of an indoor space with the finest specimens on display and a covered barn where other examples are parked side by side. Many have signs that explain their history and use, while others reference the films and television series in which they appeared. No two are alike.

On special occasions, some of the working stagecoaches, buggies and other roadworthy vehicles are hooked up to a team of horses and used in festivals and other community events. These specimens are kept working by an Amish community in Indiana. Buggy rides can be arranged ahead of time by appointment.

Behind the museum is the Pine Moore Old West Studio which is part of the Buggy Barn complex.

Built to closely resemble a frontier town, Pine Moore is available to rent for the movie and television industries. Day visitors can walk through the elaborate set and browse the saloon, the barber shop and dentist’s office, the church, the jail and gallows and saddle shop. There is a blacksmith at work on Saturdays.

Pine Moore can be used for parties and other group events, such as Junior Proms and musical performances. It is the site of numerous videos and commercial photography shoots.

Admission to the museum and Pine Moore is $12 for adults, $10 for seniors and vets, and $8 for children. Both are open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. To learn more, visit buggybarnmuseum. com or check out their Facebook page.