The National Museum of Funeral History in Houston, Texas is a great place to visit in March. As Houston’s rodeo season kicks off, the National Museum of Funeral History will showcase a unique way of sending off cowboys and cowgirls in style with the Last Tip of My Hat exhibition, which runs March 1–31, 2015.
On loan from Cowboy’s Last Ride casket company in Early, Texas, the custom made pine coffin featured in the exhibit is set amid a backdrop of a final sunset and reminds you of the old western days when a “simple pine box” was used for burials. “If boots and hats and roping and riding are your style, your last hoorah can reflect that,” said Genevieve Keeney, president of the National Museum of Funeral History. Visitors can also view the memorial folder from Roy Rogers’s funeral, as well as pay tribute to other fallen Hollywood cowboys and cowgirls in the museum’s Thanks for the Memories exhibition.
The National Museum of Funeral History, the largest educational center on funerary customs in the United States and perhaps the world, works to enlighten visitors on one of man’s oldest cultural rituals and celebrate the rich history of funeral service. As part of its mission, the museum also seeks to give guests an understanding of how every funeral can be customized to reflect the personality of the departed and all that was important to them. “That’s what Last Tip of My Hat is all about,” Keeney said. “It demonstrates how your final sendoff can be whatever you want it to be, leaving your loved ones with a life celebration that speaks to who you were.”
Spring Break is a great opportunity to visit the museum and check out the Last Tip of My Hat exhibit, as well as the museum’s twelve permanent exhibits, including the Fantasy Coffins exhibition, which also exemplifies the practice of customizing your final farewell. Originating from Ghana, West Africa, Fantasy Coffins features uniquely crafted coffins in a variety of shapes and animals – from a fish, canoe and leopard to a chicken, bull, crab and eagle and beyond. To the people of Ghana, death is not an end, but instead a transition to the spiritual realm of ancestors who have gone before. “The museum has the largest collection of fantasy coffins outside of West Africa,” Keeney said, “and the bull is perfect for rodeo season, too.” So for those who are interested in experiencing everything from Western heritage to African culture, there’s something for everyone at the National Museum of Funeral History. For more information, visit the website at www.nmfh.org. We hope to see you soon!