New Military History Museum Planned at Marine Military Academy in Harlingen

Photo of Iwo Jima Monument, a well-known landmark at the Marine Military Academy.

HARLINGEN, Texas - The Texas Historical Commission announced plans for a new military history museum in Harlingen that will highlight the stories of Rio Grande Valley residents who served in the U.S. armed forces from World War II through modern conflicts.

The 13,000-square-foot museum, expected to cost about $20 million, will be built at the Marine Military Academy, according to state officials.

The project was announced during a dedication ceremony Feb. 19, the 81st anniversary of the start of the Battle of Iwo Jima, at the academy campus.

The museum will be located next to the Iwo Jima Monument, a well-known landmark at the Marine Military Academy. The monument was sculpted by Dr. Felix W. de Weldon nearly a decade after World War II and was later gifted to the academy in 1981. The sculpture served as the cast for the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial in Arlington, Virginia.

Texas Historical Commission Executive Director Joseph Bell said the museum will help preserve and share the stories of veterans from the Rio Grande Valley.

“This museum will be a place where the stories of Rio Grande Valley veterans come to life,” Bell said in a statement. “Future generations will be able to understand the values and sacrifices that define us as Americans.”

Before construction begins on the new museum, officials plan to renovate the existing museum building on the academy grounds to house administrative and education offices. The structure previously served as a wing headquarters when the site operated as the Harlingen Army Air Field during World War II.

Renovation work is expected to begin in spring 2026 and finish in 2027, according to the commission.

Construction of the new museum is scheduled to begin in early 2027, with completion anticipated in 2028.

The Marine Military Academy, founded in 1965, is a private military school for boys in grades 7 through 12 and offers college preparatory coursework along with a Marine Corps Junior ROTC program.

The Texas Historical Commission is the state’s historic preservation agency and oversees dozens of historic sites and heritage programs across Texas.