Armstrong Browning Library

Opened in 1951, the Armstrong Browning Library research center and museum houses the largest collection in the world of papers and artifacts dedicated to the lives of Victorian poets Robert and Elizabeth Barrett Browning. Visitors can not only view manuscripts written by the couple, but also decorative arts, sculpture and paintings owned by the couple. Throughout the year, a number of temporary arts and letters exhibits are on view.

How to get to the Armstrong Browning Library:
The library is located at the corner of 8th Street and Speight Avenue, on the campus of Baylor University. The easiest access is from Interstate 35 (exit 17th-18th Street form the North and University Parks Drive from the South)

Parking at the Armstrong Browning Library:
Visitor parking spaces are available on both 8th Street and James Avenue.

Hours and admission at the Armstrong Browning Library:
Monday - Friday: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Saturday: 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Admission to the museum is free.

Must see/do at the Armstrong Browning Library:
Don't miss the collection of jewelry and household goods belonging to the Brownings. These pieces include Robert Browning's signet ring and a brooch of Elizabeth Barrett Browning that was fashioned from her father's seal. There's a gorgeous pair of silver candlesticks from the couple's Italian home. Sixty-two stained glass windows (believed to be the largest collection of secular stained glass in the world) illustrate the couple's poetry.

Other places to see/things to do near the Armstrong Browning Library:
The Official Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum is a five-minute drive from the library and offers a comprehensive history of the legendary law enforcement agency, including arms, photographs, and nearly 400 pieces of memorabilia dedicated to the Lone Ranger TV series and movies. At the Waco Mammoth Site, visitors can see the largest collection of mammoth bones in situ, remnants form a herd that once roamed the area.

Author's bio: Holly Beretto is a Houston-based writer covering the arts, food and wine, travel and interesting personalities for a variety of local and regional publications. She is currently at work on her first book, a pictorial history of St. Michael Catholic Church, to be published by Bright Sky Press in late 2015.