Construction underway for Flying Queens Museum in Plainview

PLAINVIEW, Texas (KCBD) - If one picture is worth a thousand words, museums speak volumes. Construction is underway for the long-awaited Flying Queens Museum. The museum will be free to the public.

“It’s perfect now, to have something in Plainview, where it all began,” said Gary Vaughn, Executive Director of Marketing at Wayland Baptist University.

The museum commemorates the Wayland Baptist University Women’s Basketball team and coaches and the future they forged for women’s basketball.

Former players, coaches and fans came together to fund the museum from the Hutcherson Flying Queen Foundation.

“Back in the 40s and 50s, and long before Title IX, we were awarding scholarships to women to come play basketball!” Vaughn said.

Wayland women coaches made lasting impacts, setting new standards for women’s basketball, by making the women’s game more equal to men.

“Used to be you could only go to half court, and our coaches back then fought for... changes to the rules! and they got it done!” said Vaughn.

The unique name comes from the Harvest Mill Plant. The company sponsored the team and flew them to locations so they would be better prepared to play.

Dreams of a memorial fit for the Queens have been in the works since the team made the Hall of Fame in 2019.

Each aspect of the museum is thoughtfully and carefully measured, with the people of Plainview working hard to make it happen.

As visitors enter the museum they step onto the hardwood floor, as if they were on the basketball court. Overhead is a 3-D plane soaring through time. LED sensor lights come on as you walk through the hallways of the museum, lighting the way through history.

“And it will tell stories on the side of the wall of the coaches and the players who have made a difference,” said Vaughn.

At the entrance to the display room, automatic doors open for a grand entrance. In the center is the trophy and jackets from the Naismith Hall of Fame.

This innovative museum honors those who have built this legacy but is about something much larger. It is about showcasing the heart and heritage of Plainview, Texas.

A legacy immeasurable, lessons everlasting. The Flying Queens live on and that’s something to be proud of.

Plainview faces the future while honoring the past.

The museum is anticipated to be open in 2023.

Copyright 2022 KCBD. All rights reserved.