Texas State Preservation Board

The Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum, in partnership with the Texas Historical Commission, will prepare for the permanent installation of the 17th-century French shipwreck, La Belle. The ship, once commanded by French explorer Robert de La Salle, is a major archeological discovery in North America that has produced an array of artifacts including the ship’s hull, three bronze cannons, thousands of glass beads, bronze hawk bells, pottery, and the skeleton of a crew member. The project will update scholarship and expand interpretation of the La Belle story and its artifacts; implement programming and facilitate visitor viewing during the reassembly of the ship; produce a fully immersive media program, Desperate Voyage; develop a special traveling exhibit to celebrate the installation of the La Belle; and expand partnerships and collaborations with regional Texas museums along the La Salle Odyssey heritage trail to increase public awareness and heritage tourism.