Museum of the Southwest announces July events, new exhibits, Planetarium shows

Museum of the Southwest is filling July with a slate of programming that ties together family activities, art exhibitions, planetarium shows and heritage tours as the Midland museum marks its 60th anniversary.

The museum’s July calendar includes expanded Blakemore Planetarium programming, weekly Family Fridays, a new exhibit opening midmonth, recurring tours of the Turner Mansion and a late-month Sci-Friday screening. The schedule also includes admission updates for Sunday visitors and military families.

A summer calendar built around the anniversary year

The July lineup is part of the museum’s broader public-facing anniversary campaign. Earlier summer programming already established the museum’s focus on family events, heritage offerings and rotating exhibits. July extends that effort with a mix of recurring weekly activities and one-day events aimed at drawing both regular visitors and first-timers.

The museum said the month’s schedule is designed to support its anniversary celebration while giving visitors multiple reasons to come back throughout July. That means there are daily planetarium offerings, Friday family programming, Saturday mansion tours and a series of exhibits that stretch well beyond the end of the month.

Planetarium shows and Family Fridays

The Blakemore Planetarium is offering six daily shows Tuesday through Saturday, including live Star Talks. Planetarium admission is included as part of the museum’s summer programming push.

Family Fridays continue every Friday in July from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. On July 3, the program expands into the Blakemore Planetarium with STEM activities led by Dani Tate, the museum’s STEM educator and outreach coordinator.

The museum said Family Fridays also include community partner activities, courtyard games, water tables and access to the Texas Backyard exhibit. The additions give the Friday events a wider mix of science, play and hands-on museum access for families with children out of school for the summer.

Exhibits on view and a new July opening

The museum’s exhibit calendar includes both an ongoing sculpture show and a new opening later in the month. “GIANT,” the Ken Womack sculpture exhibit, remains on view through September 13, giving July visitors a chance to see one of the museum’s summer art offerings while it is still on display.

A separate show, “The West Reimagined” by JC Spack, opens July 16 with a free public reception from 5:30 to 7 p.m. The exhibit runs through October 25. The museum’s announcement makes the Spack show one of the month’s key new arts events and places it alongside the longer-running “GIANT” exhibition in the museum’s summer lineup.

Mansion tours and end-of-month events

Beyond the galleries and planetarium, the museum is continuing Behind-the-Scenes Tours of the Turner Mansion every Saturday at 2 p.m. The recurring tours give visitors another option for engaging with the museum’s historic property and help broaden the July calendar beyond one-time openings.

The month closes with Sci-Friday on July 31, when the museum will screen the 1973 film “Westworld” beneath the planetarium dome. The event continues the museum’s sci-fi-themed programming and adds a one-night screening to the rest of the month’s more regular offerings.

SeptemberFest artist applications also close July 15, giving local artists a deadline to watch as the museum prepares for later programming.

Admission updates for visitors

The museum also announced changes to its admission schedule. Regular Sunday admission rates resume July 5 after Free Sundays end.

Military families continue to receive free admission through September 7 through the Blue Star Museums program. That makes the summer schedule especially relevant for households using the museum as a family outing destination during the school break.

The combination of exhibit programming, family events and admission policy updates suggests the museum is using July to keep its anniversary year visible across multiple audiences. For local families, it offers weekly activities and planetarium programming. For art visitors, it adds a new exhibit opening and a longer-running sculpture show. For history-minded guests, the Turner Mansion tours and anniversary framing give the month a broader institutional context.