Texas Energy Museum

The Texas Energy Museum in Beaumont, Texas boasts one of the most elegantly curated and educational collections among those featured by The Drillings. Extensive displays dive deeply into the science of petroleum with explanations of hydrocarbons, the refining process, and an interactive display comparing the viscosity of different varieties of crude oil. Practical displays demonstrate modern petroleum technology include a diagram of the drilling, casing, cementing, and perforating processes to create a well, the cross section of a Christmas tree, and other pieces of equipment used in modern rigs, refineries, and transportation. Among the historic collection housed upstairs, is a life-sized oil field set with a mannequin explaining life in the early oil fields and the Spindletop gusher.

The overall collection is leans heavily on glossy diagrams over original artifacts, yet this is forgivable as a more immersive experience of the historic Beaumont is readily available at Spindletop Gladys City Boomtown Museum across town.