Texas State Museum Celebrates Year of the Horse with Bonsai Exhibit

The Texas State Museum of Asian Cultures & Education Center is marking the Lunar New Year with a daylong celebration welcoming the Year of the Horse, running today from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at 1809 N. Chaparral St. in Corpus Christi. Organizers programmed a mix of performances, hands-on activities and a dedicated bonsai exhibit to connect visitors to Asian cultural arts.

A lion dance team from San Antonio opened the festivities and the schedule includes powerful drumming by the Corpus Christi Taiko Club, Kamishibai storytelling, lantern stations and interactive lion-dance lessons. The museum also offers calligraphy and origami stations, a lineup of cultural performances and local vendors and food trucks. The event is described by the museum as offering interactive activities for all ages, with the bonsai exhibit highlighted as a central attraction.

Admission follows the museum’s regular general-admission pricing: adults $6.00, senior and military $5.00, students $4.00 and children ages 4–12 $3.00. The museum’s standard public hours are Wednesday and Saturday noon to 5 p.m. and Sunday noon to 4 p.m.; Monday and Tuesday are reserved for private events. For questions or details about the celebration call (361) 881-8827. The museum also asks visitors to follow its social pages on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok for updates and photos.

Membership perks are being promoted for February. A museum announcement states: “During February, anyone with a membership to the Asian Cultures museum will receive 50% off their admission fee to five other Corpus Christi attractions as part of the Land and Sea Partnership.” The announcement lists participating institutions as the USS Lexington Museum, Texas State Aquarium, Art Museum of South Texas, South Texas Botanical Gardens and Nature Center, and Corpus Christi Museum of Science & History alongside the Texas State Museum of Asian Cultures; the listing preserves the museum’s published wording.

The Corpus Christi celebration sits alongside larger regional Lunar New Year events the following weekend. Asia Society Texas will stage its Year of the Horse festival on Saturday, February 14, with a festival day from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and timed building entries. Asia Society Texas frames 2026 this way: “2026 is the Year of the Horse - a symbol of energy, freedom, and forward momentum. The horse also represents strength, grace, and determination.” That organization asks guests to check in at an entry tent because “timed building entry is enforced” and notes paid parking in its lot across Southmore Boulevard and nearby public-transit access.

Houston’s 30th Annual Texas Lunar New Year Festival also takes place Saturday, February 14, at the Alief Career Center with programming beginning midmorning. The festival organizers describe nearly three decades of statewide participation and say the event will be broadcast on STV Channel 21.8 and available through online and mobile broadcast partners.

For Corpus Christi visitors, the museum’s mix of live performance, hands-on craft stations and the bonsai exhibit creates an accessible way to mark the lunar calendar and explore living art. Expect family-friendly activities throughout the afternoon, and call (361) 881-8827 or check the museum’s social channels for last-minute updates and exact set times.