The Angleton School History Center is one of a kind.

In a partnership with the school district, the Angleton Alumni Association has helped create an exhibit of thousands of photos and artifacts spanning the 100-plus years of AISD. It is a hands-on site where children can touch an old mascot costume, researchers can look through old yearbooks and newspapers and alumni can relive their school days while browsing through memorabilia.

The History Center, which opened in November of 2012, is located in the old library on the Downing Road site.  Shelves have been rearranged and areas have been designated to showcase the high school, junior high, each elementary, sports, band and choir, journalism, and the old Marshall campus.   In addition to displays on shelves, notebooks are full of photos and clippings for each year and each campus.

Special areas highlight those named to the Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame and the Athletic Hall of Fame.  Nearby are books, artwork and CDs created by alumni.

The site has school newspapers and yearbooks dating from the early 1900s to present and includes bound copies of the Angleton Times from 1964 to 2004.

Special displays are set up for former students who died during wartime and lists are posted naming all the fair queen reps, homecoming queens, valedictorians, drum majors, FFA presidents, school board members and much more.  Visitors often remark that it is impossible to see everything in there in one day.

The majority of the artifacts have been donated by former students and teachers.

The History Center is open to visitors every Wednesday afternoon from noon until 5 p.m.   It is also open for special programs and most classes are including a visit as part of their reunion plans.   Students make field trips and use it for special projects.  Visitors from other school districts have scheduled tours while planning for their own sites.

Events are a big draw for the History Center.  The Alumni Association hosts 90th birthday parties for former teachers and has a Yea! No School Today! brunch for retired teachers on the first day of regular school each year.  Social and civic groups can schedule meetings there to have programs on the History Center.

The Alumni Association board meets there every third Sunday afternoon.

(For more photos from the History Center, see the Angleton Schools History Center page on Facebook)