By Ariel Wright | Reporter
There are a number of locations around Waco that are accessible for students and potential weekend plans, like Baylor’s Mayborn Museum or the Waco Downtown Farmers Market.
Located on University Parks Drive, the Mayborn offers a diverse selection of exhibits showcasing elements of natural science. All Baylor students can access the Mayborn for free with their valid student ID, except for special exhibits and events that require a fee. The Mayborn has been around for 130 years and has played a fundamental role in establishing many scientific findings in Central Texas, including the pliosaur — a dinosaur native to the Waco area over 100 million years ago.
“You can come here and see some prehistoric animals from the Waco area, like the pliosaur, which is a marine reptile from about a hundred million years ago,” Charlie Walter, director of the Mayborn Museum, said. “We were underwater at that time in the Earth’s age, and we have fossils that will show you what life was like here that many, many million years ago.”
The Mayborn hosts a variety of finely curated exhibits that offer many interactive elements. From a room that guests can make giant bubbles in to another room designed to play with the elements of sound, there are an assortment of exhibits to attend.
“Come explore, because there’s always something here. The thing about a museum, you might walk past three exhibits that don’t connect with you, but then, boom, something may connect with you,” Walter said. “It could be something as simple as our bubble room, or you might want to just geek out in our space exhibit.”
An upcoming seasonal event hosted by the Mayborn is the Christmas Lights in the Village, an event showcasing the 1890s model village behind the Mayborn decorated for the holiday season.
According to the Christmas Lights in the Village website, the event will give guests the opportunity to take pictures with Santa as well as enjoy visiting with animals at the petting zoo.
A Waco library card can give access to other museums. Library cards provide access to all other major museums in the Waco area, including Mammoth National Park, the Dr Pepper Museum and the Cameron Park Zoo.
In addition, visiting local farmers markets is another weekend activity in Waco. The Waco Downtown Farmers Market hosts markets twice a week at two different locations, one on Wednesday evenings at the Bridge Street Plaza and the other in Downtown Waco every Saturday morning.
“Every week we have free music, which if students are interested in performing, they can reach out to us because we’re always looking for new, new acts and we do community booths,” Waco Downtown Farmers Market founder and director, Bethel Erickson said.
The Waco Farmers Market is hosting a number of holiday markets ahead of the holiday season. These markets will include more vendors than usual, offering visitors the opportunity to shop to their hearts’ content. The closest larger market date is Nov. 18, which is the 12th anniversary of the Waco Farmers Market. In celebration of the anniversary and in preparation for Thanksgiving, the market will include more vendor booths than normal.
“It’s something to do on a weekend that gets you off of campus or out of the Baylor bubble and into the Waco community that’s fun and festive, and yes, there are groceries and coffee and donuts,” Erickson said. “So you can feed yourself, be nourished, but you also get to see a slice of actual Waco life.”
