LAREDO, TEXAS — The Webb County Heritage Foundation (WCHF) presents Ancient Landscapes of South Texas: Hiding in Plain Sight, an exhibition developed by the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley’s Community Historical Archaeology Project (CHAPS). The exhibition will open Friday, June 5, 2026, at the Villa Antigua Border Heritage Museum and will explore the geological history of South Texas and the Rio Grande Valley.

Tracing a 40-mile-wide corridor from the mouth of the Rio Grande to Laredo, the exhibition examines more than 200 miles of landscape shaped over 50 million years. Through artifacts, scientific research, and visual interpretation, the exhibition also highlights more than 15,000 years of human presence in the region, illustrating how natural forces and human activity have continuously shaped South Texas throughout time.

Visitors will have the opportunity to explore artifacts excavated throughout South Texas and learn about the unique natural landscapes of the Rio Grande Valley. The exhibition features material related to ancient shorelines, volcanic ash deposits, mammoths, giant oysters, petrified forests, rare zircon crystals, and thousand-year-old trees. It also examines the role of the Rio Grande in shaping life across the region and how modern activity continues to transform the U.S.–Mexico borderlands.

“We are excited to welcome this exhibition to Laredo and provide our community with the opportunity to explore the deep geological and cultural history of our region,” said Andrea Ordoñez, Director of Operations for the Webb County Heritage Foundation. “South Texas has such a rich history that often goes unnoticed, and this exhibition invites visitors to see the landscape around them in a completely different way.”

“Learning South Texas’ regional, natural, and cultural history is the idea behind the CHAPS program,” said Roseann Bacha-Garza, M.A., CHAPS Program Projects Director. “Through the development of our Ancient Landscapes of South Texas project, we have brought to light untapped cultural and natural resources and developed them for education, cultural heritage tourism, and community engagement. Our goal is to positively showcase a place that has been historically marginalized by reimagining its public profile, encouraging historic preservation, promoting a deeper appreciation of place, and increasing visitation.”

The exhibition was developed by the UTRGV Community Historical Archaeology Project team: Dr. Juan L. Gonzalez, Professor of Geology; Dr. Cristopher L. Miller, Professor of History; Dr. Russell K. Skowronek, Professor of Anthropology and History; and Roseann Bacha-Garza, Professor of Anthropology and CHAPS Program Projects Director.

Ancient Landscapes of South Texas: Hiding in Plain Sight will be on view from June 5 through September 24, 2026, at the Villa Antigua Border Heritage Museum, located at 810 Zaragoza St., Laredo, Texas. Admission to the exhibition is free and open to the public.

The opening reception will take place on June 5 from 6–9 p.m. at the museum. At 7 p.m., members of the CHAPS team will present a special program and documentary screening at American Legion Post 59. Both events are free and open to the public.

For more updates, follow the Webb County Heritage Foundation on social media at @webbheritage.