Harlingen, TX – The Texas Historical Commission (THC) and the Marine Military Academy (MMA) are inviting visitors to get a glimpse into a new military heritage center in Harlingen through the opening of a temporary visitor center. The site is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The temporary space, located at 320 Iwo Jima Blvd. in Harlingen, is a small sample of what will be featured in a planned state-of-the-art visitor complex honoring military heritage in South Texas.
As part of the development, the historic Wing Headquarters/Operations Building, originally built to serve the Harlingen Army Air Field, is being refurbished to serve as the administrative and interpretive headquarters for the future complex.
While construction is underway, visitors can explore the iconic Iwo Jima Monument and browse military-themed items in the gift shop. The Iwo Jima Monument, sculpted by Dr. Felix W. de Weldon nearly a decade after World War II, was gifted to the MMA in 1981. The monument on display at the MMA is the original cast that was used to create the monument at Arlington National Cemetery.
Once the refurbishment is complete, work will begin on the new heritage center. The new center will usher visitors to the adjacent monument.
The new facilities are slated to open by summer of 2028.
About the Marine Military Academy
The Marine Military Academy, which was founded in 1965, is a private military school for boys from Grades 7-12. It offers college preparatory and Marine Corps Junior ROTC programs.
About the Texas Historical Commission
The Texas Historical Commission is the state’s official historic preservation agency. It preserves, operates, and manages 42 state historic sites, the Texas Heritage Trails Program, Texas Main Street Program, Texas Historic Courthouse Preservation Program, and many more heritage tourism and historic preservation initiatives across the state. The Texas Historical Commission’s mission is to protect and preserve the state’s historic and prehistoric resources for the use, education, enjoyment, and economic benefit of present and future generations. For more information, visit thc.texas.gov.
