Editing Beaumont, Texas (section)

== Culture ==

=== Arts and theatre ===
[[File:Art Museum of Southeast Texas.jpg|right|thumb|Art Museum of Southeast Texas, notice the last remaining column from the Perlstein Building.]]
[[File:2014-10-11 Beaumont, Tx., French Trading, Historic homes 014.JPG|right|thumb|John Jay French Museum]]
[[File:Mcfaddin ward house.jpg|right|thumb|[[McFaddin-Ward House]]]]
Beaumont hosts many museums and buildings open for tours within the [[Southeast Texas]] region. The [[Art Museum of Southeast Texas]] (AMSET), with its Perlstein Plaza, was dedicated in memory of pioneer real estate developer Hyman Asher Perlstein (1869–1947), who arrived in Beaumont in 1889 as a poor Jewish immigrant from Lithuania and eventually became one of the city's major builders.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.isjl.org/history/archive/tx/beaumont.html|title=ISJL – Texas Beaumont Encyclopedia|publisher=Encyclopedia of Southern Jewish Communities}}</ref> The museum stands on the site of the Perlstein building, which was the tallest structure between [[Houston]] and [[New Orleans]] when it was erected in 1907. Only one column still remains from the building. AMSET, formerly the Beaumont Art Museum, exhibits 19th–21st century American art with a collecting focus on Texas art and Folk Art and offers 10–14 educational programs in any given year. Admission is free, and is the only museum open seven days per week. Likewise, [[Beaumont Children's Museum]] started in 2008 and opened in 2012; the museum moved to a temporary location in 2015 to the [[Beaumont Civic Center]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Beaumont Children's Museum|url=http://www.beaumontchildrensmuseum.org/|publisher=Beaumont Children's Museum|access-date=January 19, 2015}}</ref> [[Babe Didrikson Zaharias Museum & Visitor Center|Babe Didrikson Zaharias Museum]] is another notable museum dedicated to the life of the Beaumont native and accomplished athlete.

The [[Beaumont Art League]] is the oldest non-profit art gallery in the area, operating for 70 years. The two gallery spaces (at the old Fairgrounds on Gulf Street) host art exhibitions and juried shows year-round, including the notable BAL National Exhibition (formerly the Tri-State Show), which attracts artists from across the country. Within the city, the historic Chambers House, built in 1906, this home is open for tours. It is filled with period furniture, personal items, and artifacts used in the home.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://chambershouse.org/|title=The Chambers House - A Historic House Museum in Beaumont, Texas|website=The Chambers House|accessdate=June 3, 2021}}</ref>

Among other museums, Clifton Steamboat Museum opened on October 26, 1995. The theme of the museum is "Heroes... Past, Present, and Future", honoring military and civilian heroes. The Clifton Steamboat Museum consists of a {{convert|24000|sqft|m2}}, two-story museum. Exhibits bring to life the wars fought in Southeast Texas and Louisiana, as well as the Steamboat Era, World Wars I and II, Korea, and Vietnam. Upper art galleries of the museum feature original bronze sculptures; Native American artists, wildlife, and frontier paintings from famous artists. A special gallery in the museum is dedicated to the [[Boy Scouts of America]]. This gallery features many historical scouting artifacts, some dating before the 1960s. The tugboat, ''Hercules,'' {{convert|36|ft|m}} high, {{convert|22|ft|m}} wide, and {{convert|92|ft|m}} long, is included on the museum tour.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cliftonsteamboatmuseum.com/|title=Clifton Steamboat Museum|website=museum|accessdate=June 3, 2021}}</ref>

[[Dishman Art Museum]] is the university art museum of [[Lamar University]]. The museum features 19th and 20th century European and American Art, as well as Tribal Art from Africa and New Guinea. Nearby [[Edison Museum]] (about inventor [[Thomas Edison]]) and the [[Fire Museum of Texas]] (home of one of world's largest [[fire hydrant]]s) are also located within the city. Antique fire trucks and equipment at the Fire Museum of Texas chronicle the history of firefighting in Texas.

The [[McFaddin-Ward House]] was built in 1905–1906 in the Beaux-Arts Colonial style and is located in the [[Oaks Historic District (Beaumont, Texas)|Oaks Historic District]]. The structure and its furnishings reflect the prominent family who lived in the house for seventy-five years. This very large historic home has a substantial carriage house. The complex has a substantial permanent collection of antique furniture and household items. Educational programs focus on history and are geared toward children and adults. [[Spindletop-Gladys City Boomtown Museum]] includes several reconstructed buildings reminiscent of the original Gladys City. The buildings contain artifacts from the period. The [[Texas Energy Museum]] of Beaumont opened on January 10, 1990, the anniversary of the Spindletop gusher.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=2019-04-16 |title=Texas Energy Museum |url=https://downtownbeaumont.org/2019/04/16/texas-energy-museum/ |access-date=2022-06-29 |website=Downtown Beaumont Cultural Arts District |language=en-US}}</ref>

[[File:Jefferson Theatre.jpg|right|thumb|upright|Jefferson Theatre]]
[[Jefferson Theater (Beaumont, Texas)|Jefferson Theater]], built in 1927, is a historic theater that presents live musical and stage performances as well as limited revival screenings of classic films. It is listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] (NRHP) and recognized also as a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark. Founded in 1953 as the Beaumont Symphony Orchestra, the [[Symphony of Southeast Texas]] has been performing several performances each year since then. Several guest artists including [[Van Cliburn]] and [[Ferrante & Teicher]] have appeared with the symphony.

=== Tourism and recreation ===
{{Main|Downtown Beaumont}}The [[Beaumont Botanical Gardens]] is located near the entrance to the 500 acre [[Tyrrell Park and Cattail Marsh|Tyrrell Park]]. On its 23.5 acre grounds, it includes over ten themed gardens, the 10,000 sq ft Warren Loose Conservatory and a large collection of [[bromeliad]]s.<ref>[http://www.beaumontrecreation.com/parks_guide_and_map.htm City of Beaumont, Texas] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110905060241/http://www.beaumontrecreation.com/parks_guide_and_map.htm |date=September 5, 2011 }}. Beaumontrecreation.com. Retrieved on June 26, 2012.</ref> Additionally, [[Tyrrell Park and Cattail Marsh]] features botanical gardens and conservatory, the Henry Homberg Municipal Golf Course, a 900-acre cattail marsh nature area, and a 2.8 mile nature trail.<ref>{{cite web|title=Cattail Marsh|url=http://www.goldentriangleaudubon.org/focus-areas/cattail-marsh|publisher=Golden Triangle Audubon|access-date=October 24, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160102224214/http://www.goldentriangleaudubon.org/focus-areas/cattail-marsh|archive-date=January 2, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|author1=Gerald E. McCleod|title=Day Trips: Cattail Marsh, Beaumont|url=http://www.austinchronicle.com/columns/2015-02-13/day-trips-cattail-marsh-beaumont/|newspaper=The Austin Chronicle|access-date=October 24, 2015|date=February 13, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author1=Tammy McKinley|title=Waste Water Renews Marsh|url=http://www.beaumontenterprise.com/photos/article/Waste-Water-Renews-Marsh-816959.php#item-38496|publisher=[[Hearst Newspapers II, LLC]]|access-date=October 24, 2015|date=October 15, 2010}}</ref> There are also restrooms, shelters, the Babe Zaharias Drive Monument, baseball backstop, lighted basketball goals, benches, drinking fountains, {{convert|2.8|mi|km|adj=on}} nature trail, and picnic tables.

As downtown Beaumont is the center of business for the metropolitan statistical area, governance and night time entertainment within Southeast Texas, downtown features the [[Crockett Street]] Entertainment Complex with entertainment options from dancing, to live music to dining or a bar. In addition to the night time entertainment downtown also features a museum district with five distinct museums. Other entertainment and recreation venues located downtown include the following: [[Beaumont Civic Center]]; the Event Centre and plaza features include a twelve-acre great lawn for concerts and a walking path, and a 3,800 sq ft canopy with stage overlooks the great lawn, and a 14,000 sq ft canopy overlooks a two-acre lake with a thirty-five foot fountain;<ref>{{cite web|title=The Event Centre|url=http://www.beaumontcvb.com/listing/the-event-centre/1481/|publisher=Beaumont Convention and Visitors Bureau|access-date=November 24, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author1=Clay Thorp|title=Take a look inside Beaumont's new Event Centre|url=http://www.beaumontenterprise.com/news/article/Take-a-look-inside-Beaumont-s-new-Event-Centre-3697325.php|website=beaumontenterprise.com|publisher=[[Hearst Newspapers II, LLC]]|access-date=November 24, 2015|date=July 12, 2012|archive-date=November 25, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151125112029/http://www.beaumontenterprise.com/news/article/Take-a-look-inside-Beaumont-s-new-Event-Centre-3697325.php|url-status=dead}}</ref> and Beautiful Mountain Skate Plaza, opened in 2013.<ref>{{cite web|author1=Randy Edwards|title=Skate Plaza Grand Opening|url=http://www.beaumontenterprise.com/entertainment/article/Skate-Plaza-Grand-Opening-4740947.php#photo-5058071|website=beaumontenterprise.com|publisher=[[Hearst Newspapers II, LLC]]|access-date=November 24, 2015|date=August 21, 2013}}</ref> The park includes ledges, rails, banks, bank-to-bank, quarter pipes, and stairs. The park also has an amphitheater for other events.<ref>{{cite web|title=Beautiful Mountain Skate Plaza|url=http://beaumonttexas.gov/departments/parks-recreation/beautiful-mountain-skate-plaza-2/|publisher=City of Beaumont Parks and Recreation|access-date=November 24, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Beaumont Texas Skate Park|url=http://www.spaskateparks.com/projects/detail/beaumont-texas-skate-park|website=spaskateparks.com|publisher=SPASkateparks|access-date=November 24, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author1=Beth Rankin|title=Beaumont's long-awaited Beautiful Mountain Skate Plaza opens to rave reviews|url=http://blog.beaumontenterprise.com/cat5/2013/08/15/beaumonts-long-awaited-beautiful-mountain-skate-plaza-opens-to-rave-reviews/#photo-297171|publisher=[[Hearst Newspapers II, LLC]]|access-date=November 24, 2015|date=August 15, 2013}}</ref>