CLEBURNE, Texas — There are all sorts of exhibits and museums dedicated to America’s favorite book, the Bible. But America’s second favorite book? There’s only one place that goes to such great lengths in tribute.
Surprisingly, right after the word of God, Americans love Gone with the Wind, at least according to one nationwide poll.
While there are other places dedicated to the best-selling novel, none are quite as spectacular as the Gone with the Wind Remembered museum in Cleburne.
“This is the largest collection in the world of Gone with the Wind,” said Vicky Rogers, owner of the museum.
The museum houses more than six thousand pieces of Gone with the Wind memorabilia.
Rogers runs the place and before it was a museum it was just that: a collection. Her collection.
“We had this collection in our house,” she said.
It began, innocently enough, with a tiny Scarlett O’Hara doll.
That doll led to another doll, and another doll and eventually so much more.
“It just got big and bigger and bigger,” Rogers said.
It became so big her house could no longer contain it.
“There’s no Gone with the Wind at home,” Rogers laughed. “My husband forbids it so I had to put it here [in the museum].”
They converted an old grocery store in Cleburne into a museum to house her collection.
Although she has a signed first edition and copies of the book in almost every language, the majority of her collection is from the movie.
Rogers has dresses, headdresses, sketches of dresses, props, pictures, posters and so much more.
However, when the museum opened in 2014, Rogers didn’t think anyone would come.
For good reason. Tourists aren’t exactly flocking to Cleburne and an entire museum dedicated to one book is oddly specific.
And yet, she’s been overwhelmingly surprised.
“In 10 years there’s been thousands of people come through that door from all over the world. Literally. Who knew?”
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