Phil Collins' Alamo Museum Opens in Texas Amid Authenticity Controversy

The Alamo Collections Center in San Antonio, Texas, is set to open in spring 2023, housing a collection of over 400 artifacts related to the 1836 Battle of Alamo donated by Genesis drummer Phil Collins. The museum, designed by New York-based firm Gensler with a $20 million investment, will initially display only about 50 pieces. Collins began collecting in the early 1990s, donating the collection to Texas in 2014 to support a public museum project at the Alamo and other 18th-century Franciscan missions, now a UNESCO World Heritage site. However, the project has faced delays due to authenticity concerns: a 2021 book, 'Forget the Alamo: The Rise and Fall of an American Myth,' alleged that many items are forgeries. Additionally, critics accuse the Texas government of prioritizing the $400 million site redevelopment over local healthcare, leveraging Collins' fame to secure funding. The full museum, costing $150 million, is expected by 2026. Curator Ernesto Rodriguez defends the collection and thanks Collins for his generosity.