The Selena Museum: The Best Way to Visit pre-1994 Corpus Christi

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If I’m being honest, my entire two week Texas roadtrip was planned around visiting the Selena Museum in the gulf town of Corpus Christi. While Corpus Christi felt really small and sleepy to me, I was just there for a day, and there’s surprisingly more to do there than meets the eye. So I’ll have to make a return visit to see more of the city, but this time, I was just there for the Selena Museum.

Yes, I plan entire vacations around visiting one seemingly irrelevant attraction that was actually pretty fundamental in my upbringing. In Cuba, it was eating at the original Sloppy Joe restaurant in Havana. In Idaho, it was staying in a giant potato hotel. If you’re new here, hi, I’m Kay. It’s just a thing I do.

Although I was too young to know to Selena’s music in real time, I grew up knowing Selena Quintanilla. After waking up to gospel songs and the vacuum on weekend mornings, we would settle into lunch with Entre A Mi Mundo in the background. I watched Disney movies with completely dry eyes, but bawled to the 1997 Selena movie when I wasn’t even in elementary school yet. To me, there will ever only be ONE Selena first-name-only, so when I found out there was there was an entire museum dedicated to her legacy, I knew I had to visit.

Getting to the Selena Museum

While I personally visited the Selena Museum as a day trip from San Antonio, which was far enough already (2 hours each way), it’s a little far for a day trip from Austin or Houston, the two other closest big cities. So, if you don’t want to stay IN Corpus Christi, the next best would be San Antonio (in my opinion), and just heading down for the day. Or a long weekend, depending on what you want to do in town.

• Address: 5410 Leopard St, Corpus Christi, TX 78408
• Hours: 10am-4pm, closed Saturday & Sunday
• Phone Number: (361) 289-9013
• Admission Costs: $5 adults (13+), $3 kids (4-12)

It’s important to note that The Selena Museum is CLOSED on “standard” weekends, Saturday and Sunday. So…please keep that in mind. It is also a very small museum, but knowing that it is run by the Quintanilla family, it makes sense. Thankfully, the price is also reflective of that, at only $5 USD. I’ve been to smaller and by far less interesting museums that were $10-$20 USD, so I’m grateful that the museum kept their prices largely accessible to those wanting to visit and pay tribute to the queen of Tejano music.

When you pull up to the Selena Museum, you’ll see the large sign first, then a small parking lot. Parking is free (or rather included), so park wherever there is space. I do want to note that there is a step to get into the museum, so that’s something to be aware of if you use a wheelchair or walking aid. I didn’t immediately see an alternative ADA accessible entrance, so I’d recommend calling ahead to ask.

Touring the Selena Museum

So, they don’t really tell you this on the website, but when you visit the Selena Museum, it’s not like a free-range go wherever typa museum. There are only guided tours. It wasn’t clear to me if they are set up at specific times like every hour/half-hour, but I don’t think so. It seemed like it was just based on how many people showed up, but also I wasn’t paying attention to the time so don’t quote me on that.

When you first enter, you pay at the front desk (card accepted!) and then you’ll wait in a little lounge area until the tour starts. We waited bout ten or fifteen minutes, and by the time the tour started, two other small groups (2-4 people each) had joined. In all, our tour had about 10 guests.

I usually hate museum tours, but perhaps because this one was small, or because I was already extremely interested in the content, I quite enjoyed this tour. The Selena Museum is actually situated in Selena’s old studio – like where she actually recorded music and everything! You’ll move through each room and the guide will give more in-depth information about Selena’s childhood to her early music career to her family dynamics and marriage, and lastly her murder. It’s really a whirlwind of emotions. I didn’t know I could feel awe, hope, and heartbreak all at the same time.

I’ll save all the juicy details so you can enjoy them on your own visit, but I will say that my favorite room was the recording studio. It’s so surreal to be standing in the exact same spot as her. In the Selena movie starring Jennifer Lopez, they actually used the same studio for filming. In fact, it’s STILL an operational recording studio. I lowkey wanted to touch the microphone but…I didn’t know if that would be like weird or anything.

Would that have been weird??? Let me know in the comments hahah.

You’ll end the tour in a giant showroom of all of Selena’s costumes she used on tour, awards, figurines, and even her CAR. You have as much time as you want in this room, so take your time studying the intricate details of her most notable belongings. The costumes were by far my favorite, and I basically spent most of my time imagining myself in them haha. There is also a small gift shop, which had a few t-shirts and CDs, but not much else. And then…that’s it! The Selena Museum will only maybe take you an hour TOPS for the whole thing.

I lowkey wish they would have Selena’s clothing line (to shop) and whatnot, but I get that it’s a recording studio first and foremost.

Other Selena Memorials and Sites in Corpus Christi

Since I had driven all the way out to Corpus Christi and only spent 45 minutes at the Selena Museum, I figured I might as well explore the city a bit. And, unsurprisingly, there are a few other Selena memorials and sites to see around town.

Selena’s Gravesite

The first I went to was Selena’s Gravesite. Chris Perez and the Quintanilla family buried Selena Quintanilla in a private ceremony at Seaside Memorial Cemetery in Corpus Christi on April 3rd, 1995. Still, hundreds of thousands of people held memorials across the country during the same time.

The cemetery is open 24 hours a day, and unless you visit near Selena Day (April 16th, her birthday), Fiesta de la Flor, or another festival that would bring people to Corpus Christi, then there most likely will not be crowds. Like most things in the city, the cemetery isn’t huge, and finding Selena’s gravesite is pretty simple. The gravesite has an iron gate around it to protect from vandalism.

Though modest (for what you might expect anyway), her gravesite is very beautiful, adorned with white a purple flowers. There wasn’t anyone else there when I visited.

Mirador del la Flor

Mirador del la Flor is a life-sized monument of the late singer, sculpted by H.W. “Buddy” Tatum, a Corpus Christi artist. Loved that they commissioned a local artist. She is leaning against a concrete pillar looking towards the Corpus Christi Bay. I love that there is always music playing at the monument.

“City of Corpus Christi
Selena Memorial

Dedicated May 25, 1997
Selena Quintanilla Perez
1971-1995

Selena was referred to as La Flor (the Flower)
and identified with La Rosa Blanca (the White Rose).
When you view La Rosa Blanca, you feel her presence nearby.
Selena’s stage is now silent
Yet her persona enriched the lives of those she touched
And her music lives on.”

It’s quite a peaceful little monument, overlooking the boats that are docked in the bay. When I visited Corpus Christi, it was cloudy and a little cold (it started raining on our way out), but I imagine it’s really nice when there’s good weather. Just down the Bay walkway, there are five painted white rose murals dedicated to Selena.

Swantner Park

There’s nothing inherently special about this park, and it’s not fenced at all so I wouldn’t necessarily recommend bringing your dog, but it is a nice little green space. Most importantly though, you’ll recognize it as one of the movie scenes! Yup, Swantner Park was a filming location!

You may not know how to do the washing machine dance, but no one will fault you for trying! The Quintanilla family frequently visited the park, especially when Selena was a child. If you’re not a fan of recreating dance moves, it’s still a nice spot for a picnic!

South Texas Walk of Fame

Similar to the Hollywood Walk of Fame or even the Walk of Fame in Tijuana, the South Texas Walk of Fame immortalizes famous musicians hailing from South Texas (or had a big impact on South Texas). OF COURSE, you have to visit to see Selena’s star!

It’s small, but very lovingly done. You’ll find the stars outside of the Texas Surf Museum. I’d personally recommend starting outside of Water Street Oyster Bar & Sushi Bar. I wish the area had a little more to it, like live music or vendors or just…yanno, MORE, but alas, it’s still a cute spot. Along with Selena, you’ll also see the stars for Michael Nesmith, Freddy Fender, and George Strait.

Hi-Ho Restaurant

As a favorite restaurant of the Quintanilla family, the famous Hi-Ho Restaurant is basically an extension of the Selena Museum. In fact, her father is still a regular! You’ll see dozens of pictures of Selena and the fam, as well as signed photographs from Eva Longoria and other South Texas stars.

Since you’re there already, you might as well pick up some food too! Hi-Ho serves some of the best Tex-Mex in the area, and the prices are all super affordable. There’s not a single item on the menu over $10! The staff is perhaps the best part, and you’ll feel like family by the time you leave! It’s the perfect add-on to your trip with the Selena Museum.

Corpus Christi Museum of Science and History

Yes. Selena is even in the Corpus Christi Museum of Science and History. You didn’t think her excellence would only be in the Selena Museum did you?? The museum has a small exhibit on the late-singer, Selena Remembered, and offers deeper insight to the different methods that the city remembers Selena. If you’re interested in more info on her monument, Mirador del la Flor, you’ll definitely want to check this out!

Selena Auditorium

Okay, okay, it’s not like….THAT much of a must-see, especially compared to the Selena Museum, buuut this auditorium was named after the late singer and features a ton of live music performances and shows. So if you are looking to spend a few hours in Corpus Christi, be sure to check out their event page to see if your trip overlaps with any shows. The auditorium itself is beautifully done, and the fact that Selena’s name is on it is just icing on the cake!

Days Inn

Ermmm, this one is more for the dark tourism enthusiasts, but you can visit the hotel where Yolanda Saldívar fatally shot Selena. I personally didn’t visit, and the hotel didn’t “memorialize” the incident, so you won’t see remnants of the shooting or anything – but there’s still that surreal feeling of knowing what went down. Kinda like when people drive by Lorraine Motel where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr was assassinated. Or the walking tour in Dallas, Texas that points out where JFK was assassinated.

The Selena Museum: Conclusion

In my soul, there is only one-name Selena, and that’s Selena Quintanilla. Her impact on the music industry was incredible, and having the opportunity to witness such an amazing tribute to her legacy at the Selena Museum will always hold a place in my heart.

In fact, I will go as far as to name the Selena Museum, and exploring her other monuments around Corpus Christi, as the highlight of my entire Texas trip. If you’re in South Texas, I cannot recommend enough stopping by the Selena Museum. And if you’ve never seen the movie – FIX THAT IMMEDIATELY!!!

Are you a Selena fan? What’s your favorite song? Let me know in the comments below so we can bond over music! Is the Selena Museum on your bucket list? If not, it should be! But if you’ve already been to the Selena Museum, I’d love to hear about your experience!

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