The Layland Museum came into existence through a gift in 1963. William J. Layland, a local businessman, had collected some 500 ethnographic items in the early 1900's. His heirs offered the items to the City of Cleburne.

The collection found display space on the second floor of the old Carnegie Library, known as the Cleburne Public Library at that time. School students were among the first to discover the artifact collection which included guns, fossils, Indian clothing, clay pottery, photographs, and game animal trophy mounts.

The Museum today is a department of the City of Cleburne. It serves as steward of records and events, and maintains archives documenting new construction, improvements and/or loss of historic structures, new roadways and bridges, as well as notable personages in the community. Though not the official City archives, the Museum preserves historic records of City governmental activities.

 Map and driving Directions to Layland Museum