By Ruth Ann Ruiz
The Post Newspaper Features Editor
In less than a decade, the Tutu Live Krewe has become somewhat synonymous with Galveston’s Mardi Gras celebration. So who could be better to help celebrate the grand opening of the Galveston County Museum’s permanent Mardi Gras gallery? None other than members of the Tutu Live Krewe.
The Tutu Live Krewe ladies, dressed in their Marid Gras parade costumes, looked intently at the historic Mardi Gras items and enjoyed snapping selfies.
Of course, a good time to celebrate the opening of a Mardi Gras gallery was just as the city was ushering in the Mardi Gras festivities on Friday. The Galveston Regional Chamber of Commerce provided a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the opening.
The museum is tucked away at the east end of the first floor of the county building at 722 21st St. in Galveston. It is one of Galveston’s hidden gems and has been in this location for three years. Initially the museum only brought out historic Mardi Gras costumes as a rotating exhibit once a year.
With enough input from museum visitors, a decision was made to provide a yearlong Mardi Gras Gallery.
“People would come in and ask to see Mardi Gras items all the time,” said Museum Director Jodi Wright-Gidley. “We are very excited about this. We get new donations coming in all the time.”
Included in this year’s exhibit, in the form of a sequined appliqué on a once-used Mardi Gras cape, you will see Humpty Dumpty falling off his wall. You will see Cinderella’s carriage and castle on another cape. The exhibit is filled with the magic of brightly colored, sequined velvet capes, gowns, masks, butterfly wings and other items featured in past Galveston Mardi Gras celebrations.
Wright-Gidley estimates the museum has more than 100 Mardi Gras-related artifacts in its possession.
“The gallery will rotate displays each year right about the time that Mardi Gras season opens,” she said. “We plan to expand and rotate artifacts as our collection grows. We’re always looking for new pieces that connect to Galveston County’s rich Mardi Gras heritage.”
If you are cleaning out closets and find Marid Gras costumes or other Mardi Gras items, reach out to the museum through the Contact page of the website included below. The Galveston County Museum just might have a place for your family’s history.
The museum has many other exhibits on display, including artifacts from the Great Storm of 1900, a hurricane that took the lives of thousands of people and destroyed many businesses and residences in Galveston and on the mainland. The storm was so catastrophic that Galveston did not celebrate Mardi Gras for at least 10 years while reconstruction of the city took place.
Also on permanent display are the history and artifacts of U.S. military bases and activity in Galveston County. There are many exhibits of interest to the history of Galveston County, with intriguing artifacts for visitors to spend time enjoying.
There is no cost to visit the museum, but hours are limited to Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Maybe, just maybe, enough visitors will suggest that Tuesday and Thursday be added to the museum hours.
If you would like to know more about the museum, visit its website at https://www.galvestoncountyhistory.org/.
