RAMblin ‘Round Texas: Buggy Barn Museum brings international interest, movie magic to Blanco

SPONSORED (All American Autoplex) – The Buggy Barn Museum in Blanco, Texas is a hidden gem in the Hill Country.

“I said, well maybe, I don’t have one like that, and it just continued to grow,” Dennis Moore, owner and curator of the Buggy Barn Museum said.

Originally graduating with a degree in education, Dennis has worked in the school system then had a career in construction, but has always had a passion for preserving history. He knows his own very well. Born and raised in Blanco, his ancestors were one of the first 3 families to settle in Blanco in 1852.

Dennis says he’s always had an interest in buggies, fondly remembering the time his father bought Dennis and his brother a buggy when he was six. Saying they rode all around town.

He’s come a long way since that first buggy.

“We have approximately 270, buggies, wagons, carriages, sleighs, and all kinds of western paraphernalia, 70 or 80 saddles, guns, and then we built an old west town in the back. Fully functional, from church to jail to saloon, general store,” Moore said.

But that didn’t happen overnight. It all started when his good friend, a prop master in Austin, called in a favor. They were doing a remake of this movie you may have heard of, True Grit, and needed some wagons.

From there, it only picked up speed.

“First one was there will be blood with Daniel Day Lewis. We went out to Marfa to work on that one. Rented them horses and wagons and they let me go work for a week. I liked it. Then True Grit. We had just about all of the carriages in it. In 21 we spent five months on Killers of the Flower Moon in Oklahoma. Then we went from that to 1883 and spent four months on that one,” Moore said.

Their most current project includes providing buggies for The Chosen series.

“So…it’s been fun. I’m about ready to turn it over to my daughter and let her run with it,” Moore said.

“He’s not going anywhere…he keeps telling me that and I keep saying you’re not going anywhere you’re staying right here,” Amanda Smith, Dennis Moore’s daughter said.

Amanda has been working alongside her dad since she was three. She and the Buggy Barn Museum grew together.

“Sometimes we have to take a step back because it doesn’t seem real at times. I told him the other day, I told him, ‘dad to you realize how far we’ve come?’ Smith said.

Now, she handles all the bookings, from museum tours to movie shoots to weddings and parties.

“We have people come from England, Russia, Africa, all over the world come and tour the museum several times a year because it’s their favorite spot. And then for filming-wise they come from all over, New York,  I’ve had from Africa, England, because they’ve heard about it and it’s really getting out there so it’s eye opening that they’re coming this far for us,” Smith said.

Both Amanda and Dennis only see the museum and their services expanding. To them it’s not work, it’s just fun.

“Every day’s a blessing,” Moore said.

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