All Historic Site Events

Join us weekends in June for our very popular Villa de Austin Photoquest!

Our Villa de Austin Photoquest is a scavenger hunt activity with clues leading visitors to each of our outdoor buildings representing real buildings that existed in the town 200 years ago. With each clue comes a photo prompt to complete it! This activity is perfect for families, friends, or even amateur...

10a-4p

Preserving food was one of the biggest jobs in the spring and summer for the times of year when food is not as plentiful. Join us while we preserve food from the garden and discuss methods of filling our larder for the future months. Contact Barb King at barbara.king@thc.texas.gov or 936-878-2214 x248 for more information.

Calling all knitters and crocheters! Join us to celebrate World Wide Knit (& Crochet) in Public Day at the San Jacinto Battleground. You bring the yarn, we’ll provide the water, and we’ll celebrate in the shade at the San Jacinto Battleground.

When: Saturday, June 10; drop in between 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Where: Outside the San Jacinto Monument, under the trees. See below...

In 19th century Texas, before the mass production of everyday items, making your own traditional handicrafts at home was a common occurrence for rural families, and though it was predominantly done for practical purposes, often the product conveyed an individual's unique flair and style. 

Make your way to the Kreische house to learn more about the rural crafts that would have been...

BOOM! Have you ever wondered how to load a cannon or seen one fired? This weekend, visitors to the San Jacinto Monument can learn how to load a cannon and watch regular cannon demonstrations. It will be a blast, literally!

When: Saturday, June 10; 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.; cannon fire will be on the hour and the half hour

Where: Outside the San Jacinto Monument

Ages: All...

After his victory at the Alamo, Santa Anna and his army are on their way, you must quickly decide what to take on your journey and make your way to safety with the help of your friends and family. This is the Runaway Scrape Escape, the newest program at the Star of the Republic Museum. Guests, ages 10 and up, must use teamwork and problem-solving skills to decipher puzzles and riddles to get...

10a-4p

Preserving food was one of the biggest jobs in the spring and summer for the times of year when food is not as plentiful. Join us while we preserve food from the garden and discuss methods of filling our larder for the future months. Contact Barb King at barbara.king@thc.texas.gov or 936-878-2214 x248 for more information.

Guests will be provided all the supplies they'll need, including plants and a container, to make their very own fairy garden. Join us for a fun afternoon of whimsy!
$15 per fairy garden. Reservations and prepayment are required. For reservations or questions please call 903-935-3044.
 

Barbara Judkins, the Site Manager and principal cook, is venturing into uncharted territory by experimenting with recipes from 19th century cookbooks. It's risky but could yield great results or turn out to be a culinary blunder! Stop by and see what happens. For June we decided to kick up the flavor game with some herb infused oils and vinegars.  One recipe we will be using is a...

Join us for a FREE Father's Day celebration of Dads, Dads-to-be, and the Dads we've found (or who found us) on life's way!

On June 17th from 9:00-11:00, the Sam Bell Maxey House will be celebrating with complimentary donuts, milk, coffee, and yard games as we celebrate! We'll also have a fun scavenger hunt kids can do with their dads in the house.

This event is rain or shine,...

Fort McKavett was more than just a military outpost. It was a community of workers, contractors, tradesmen, and businessmen whose talents built and maintained the fort. Come see our volunteers work many unique trade skills that would have helped maintain this frontier installation! For more information, contact Rhett Kearns at Rhett.Kearns@thc.texas.gov or at 325-396-2358.

Do you have the urge to create something, but don't know where to begin? Join us once a month for our Make-A-Thing class where we provide the materials and the know how to jump start your creativity. From fans to sugar skulls and everything in-between, we offer a wide range of projects that you can take home and embellish to your heart's content!

September's project is fan-making....

Fort McKavett was more than just a military outpost. It was a community of workers, contractors, tradesmen, and businessmen whose talents built and maintained the fort. Come see our volunteers work many unique trade skills that would have helped maintain this frontier installation! For more information, contact Rhett Kearns at Rhett.Kearns@thc.texas.gov or at 325-396-2358.

Join us at the museum to try your hand at activities and skills needed by kids during the Republic era. This month, we’ll be exploring Tin Punching from 11-4 or until supplies run out. Contact Jennifer Parsley  at 936-878-2461 x 238 or jennifer.parsley@thc.texas.gov

German Texans in La Grange and all around the German belt loved to gather for a good time, and often played for luck and chance in casino halls and vereine meetings. Learn about the types of gaming that would have been played within German circles, including nine-pin bowling, "42," and Skat.  

All games will be played in the Kreische House formal parlor. Informal tours will also be...

Do you know where General Santa Anna set up his camp during the Battle of San Jacinto or where General Houston was shot? How about where the Surrender Tree was located? Discover the San Jacinto Battleground like you've never seen it before on a staff-led van tour of the battlefield. Tours start shortly after the showing of Texas Forever!!

When: Tours start at 12:45 p.m., 1:45 p.m. and...

Military historians often fall into the trap of looking at battle from the bird’s-eye view of the commanders. After all, they are the ones making the decisions and often leaving the most detailed accounts. However, this perspective ignores the experience of the rank-and-file soldiers on the ground. In "San Jacinto: The Experience of Battle," renown Texan historian Stephen Hardin uses countless...

Join us weekends in June for our very popular Villa de Austin Photoquest!

Our Villa de Austin Photoquest is a scavenger hunt activity with clues leading visitors to each of our outdoor buildings representing real buildings that existed in the town 200 years ago. With each clue comes a photo prompt to complete it! This activity is perfect for families, friends, or even amateur...

Do you know where General Santa Anna set up his camp during the Battle of San Jacinto or where General Houston was shot? How about where the Surrender Tree was located? Discover the San Jacinto Battleground like you've never seen it before on a staff-led van tour of the battlefield. Tours start shortly after the showing of Texas Forever!!

When: Tours start at 12:45 p.m., 1:45 p.m. and...

Looking for fun? Come join Starr Family Home and Table Ready for a night of board games.  Grab your friends and family and head over to the Blake House on the site of the Starr Family Home, every third Tuesday of the month, 4:00-7:00pm. Board games will be set up in the Blake House for all to play. Guidance and instructions provided. 

Join us weekends in June for our very popular Villa de Austin Photoquest!

Our Villa de Austin Photoquest is a scavenger hunt activity with clues leading visitors to each of our outdoor buildings representing real buildings that existed in the town 200 years ago. With each clue comes a photo prompt to complete it! This activity is perfect for families, friends, or even amateur...

San Augustine, Texas – On Saturday, June 24, Mission Dolores State Historic Site will host a free program with Dr. Francis X. Galan, author of the award-winning book, Los Adaes: the First Capital of Spanish Texas.

Galan, Associate Professor of History at Texas A&M University-San Antonio, will be discussing what he discovered about the history of Mission Dolores during his research...

Do you know where General Santa Anna set up his camp during the Battle of San Jacinto or where General Houston was shot? How about where the Surrender Tree was located? Discover the San Jacinto Battleground like you've never seen it before on a staff-led van tour of the battlefield. Tours start shortly after the showing of Texas Forever!!

When: Tours start at 12:45 p.m., 1:45 p.m. and...

Why are old recipes so strange? Join us at the Magoffin Home State Historic Site Visitor Center as we discuss this and look at the role food played in the daily lives of 19th Century El Paso. This month's recipe comes from the El Paso Cookbook published in 1898. Call 533-5147 to reserve your spot!

Cost: $5

COOKING CLASS SCHEDULE 2022-2023

September- Postre de Arroz...

Join us for a fun mosaic coaster craft at the Maxey House! 

Saturday, July 1 at 10:00 am
$5 per person
All ages are welcome!

Reservations required: https://bit.ly/sbmh-mosaics

Learn more about the celebrations of the Independence Day on the Bluff. Activities include 4th of July themed tours, ice cream making, a crafty activity, and more. Details to follow.

Fort McKavett was more than just a military outpost. It was a community of workers, contractors, tradesmen, and businessmen whose talents built and maintained the fort. Come see our volunteers work many unique trade skills that would have helped maintain this frontier installation! For more information, contact Rhett Kearns at Rhett.Kearns@thc.texas.gov or at 325-396-2358.

Noah Smithwick described the Texas Army that marched on Bexar in 1835 by saying, “Words are inadequate to convey an impression of the appearance of the first Texas army as it formed in marching order. Nothing short of ocular demonstration could do it justice. It certainly bore little resemblance to the army of my childhood dreams.”

While Smithwick wasn’t with the army at San Jacinto (...

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We’re cooking desserts and discussing picnics and entertainment Dr. Jones might have seen around the 4th of July holiday. Contact Barb King at barbara.king@thc.texas.gov or 936-878-2214 x248 for more information.

Learn more about the celebrations of the Independence Day on the Bluff. Activities include 4th of July themed tours, ice cream making, a crafty activity, and more. Details to follow.

Every second Saturday of the month, we open the site two hours early just for cyclists. Come and bike the Birthplace of Texas without worrying about cars.

When: Every second Saturday; 7:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.

Where: Enter through the gates at the base of the reflection pool. There will be places to park your car outside the gates.

Ages: Cycling Saturdays are open to all...

The Sam Bell Maxey House State Historic Site invites city of Paris Hospitality to visit the Maxey House! Join us for a special tour of the Maxey House between Saturday, July 8 and Friday, July 14 from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm at no cost to you*. Site hours are Tuesday to Sunday, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm.

We hope to see you then!

*Free admission with city and/or work ID card.

Stretch your legs and honor the memory of the Texas Revolution with a bike ride at the battleground. Join us for a guided bike tour of the San Jacinto Battleground.

When: Saturday, July 8; 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Where: Meet by the entrance to the San Jacinto Monument; between the reflection pool and the Monument

Activity Level: Easy. Most of the route is flat with two...

10a-4p

Dr. Jones penned in his journal on July 13, 1854, that those enslaved– “Commenced taking corn blade fodder.” Although very few ears of corn were used to feed livestock, the dried leaves of the corn plants made excellent hay (fodder) that could be fed to them as needed to supplement foraging. Come pull and make “hands” (bunches) of fodder from our corn crop! Contact Ben...

Do you know where General Santa Anna set up his camp during the Battle of San Jacinto or where General Houston was shot? How about where the Surrender Tree was located? Discover the San Jacinto Battleground like you've never seen it before on a staff-led van tour of the battlefield. Tours start shortly after the showing of Texas Forever!!

When: Tours start at 12:45 p.m., 1:45 p.m. and...

Music was a central component to both Schuetzenverein events and everyday life within the community. From big brass bands to singing within the Kreische house, music shaped German Texan life for the La Grange Community.

In this special presentation, learn more about the history of German music in Texas and join us for some familiar tunes in the Kreische formal parlor. Presentations and...

10a-4p

Wear some old clothes and help us paint the house fence and kitchen interior with whitewash. A traditional part of spring cleaning increases the life of the buildings and fences. Contact Barb King at barbara.king@thc.texas.gov or 936-878-2214 x248 for more information.

Anyone else feeling the Texas heat yet? Beat the heat with a WATER BALLOON FEST at the Maxey House!!

Wear your bathing suits and join us at 10:00 am on July 15th as we toss balloons, enjoy some wacky water balloon races, and play some yard games after everyone dries off!

Give us a call at 903-785-5716 for more info!

Join us at the museum to try your hand at activities and skills needed by kids during the Republic era. This month, we’ll be making Ragdolls from 11-4 or until supplies run out. Contact Jennifer Parsley at 936-878-2461 x 238 or jennifer.parsley@thc.texas.gov

Music was a central component to both Schuetzenverein events and everyday life within the community. From big brass bands to singing within the Kreische house, music shaped German Texan life for the La Grange Community.

In this special presentation, learn more about the history of German music in Texas and join us for some familiar tunes in the Kreische formal parlor. Presentations and...

Stop by the San Jacinto Museum for a chance to play with replicas of 19th-century toys, weapons, tools, food, clothing, and much more. Learn all about the battle of San Jacinto and life on the Texas frontier, and imagine yourself in the shoes of a soldier or a frontiersman/frontierswoman.

When: Sunday, July 16; drop in between 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Where: San Jacinto Museum...

Pack up your lunch and join us at the Magoffin Home State Historic Site Visitor Center for the Brain Trust Brown Bag Lecture series. Every month a lecturer discusses a topic from history, including how it's preserved. Each lecture is a new topic ranging from an historic recipe to archiving family photos. You bring your lunch and curiosity, we will provide tables, chairs, and the scintillating...

Do you know where General Santa Anna set up his camp during the Battle of San Jacinto or where General Houston was shot? How about where the Surrender Tree was located? Discover the San Jacinto Battleground like you've never seen it before on a staff-led van tour of the battlefield. Tours start shortly after the showing of Texas Forever!!

When: Tours start at 12:45 p.m., 1:45 p.m. and...

Join us in enjoying the natural landscape of the Bluff in this outdoor painting program. More details to follow. 

10a-4p

Fancy learning 1850s style? You can mind your manners and your ABCs for a period school lesson at the Jones’ home while getting ready to head back for your upcoming school year! Contact Barb King at barbara.king@thc.texas.gov or 936-878-2214 x248 for more information.

10a-4p

Fancy learning 1850s style? You can mind your manners and your ABCs for a period school lesson at the Jones’ home while getting ready to head back for your upcoming school year! Contact Barb King at barbara.king@thc.texas.gov or 936-878-2214 x248 for more information.

When Joseph Magoffin helped write the articles of Incorporation for El Paso, he helped shape the modern city. In this series, we will compare Joseph’s vision for El Paso to what is has become in the last 150 years. Guest speakers from municipal agencies will be invited to speak about their departments and let us know why and when we might need to call upon them to help us keep El Paso thriving...

Why are old recipes so strange? Join us at the Magoffin Home State Historic Site Visitor Center as we discuss this and look at the role food played in the daily lives of 19th Century El Paso. This month's recipe comes from the El Paso Cookbook published in 1898. Call 533-5147 to reserve your spot!

Cost: $5

COOKING CLASS SCHEDULE 2022-2023

September- Postre de Arroz...

On April 22, the day after the Battle of San Jacinto, Captain James Tarleton wrote a letter to his brothers describing the battlefield as “the most beautiful prairie, handsomely variegated with small groves of timber.” However, a lot has changed over the last 187 years. The San Jacinto visitors see today looks very different than the one where General Houston and General Santa Anna fought....

Stop by the San Jacinto Museum for a chance to play with replicas of 19th-century toys, weapons, tools, food, clothing, and much more. Learn all about the battle of San Jacinto and life on the Texas frontier, and imagine yourself in the shoes of a soldier or a frontiersman/frontierswoman.

When: Sunday, August 6; drop in between 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Where: San Jacinto Museum...

Every second Saturday of the month, we open the site two hours early just for cyclists. Come and bike the Birthplace of Texas without worrying about cars.

When: Every second Saturday; 7:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.

Where: Enter through the gates at the base of the reflection pool. There will be places to park your car outside the gates.

Ages: Cycling Saturdays are open to all...

10a-4p

There are 1,774 miles between Anson Jones’ hometown in Great Barrington, Massachusetts and where he lived in Washington, Texas. How did he get there? Long distance travelers in 19th century America have quite a commute! Stop by the house and see how folks like Dr. Jones embarked on their travels through Texas. Contact Barb King at barbara.king@thc.texas.gov or 936-878-2214 x248...

10a-4p

There are 1,774 miles between Anson Jones’ hometown in Great Barrington, Massachusetts and where he lived in Washington, Texas. How did he get there? Long distance travelers in 19th century America have quite a commute! Stop by the house and see how folks like Dr. Jones embarked on their travels through Texas. Contact Barb King at barbara.king@thc.texas.gov or 936-878-2214 x248...

Pack up your lunch and join us at the Magoffin Home State Historic Site Visitor Center for the Brain Trust Brown Bag Lecture series. Every month a lecturer discusses a topic from history, including how it's preserved. Each lecture is a new topic ranging from an historic recipe to archiving family photos. You bring your lunch and curiosity, we will provide tables, chairs, and the scintillating...

Do you have the urge to create something, but don't know where to begin? Join us once a month for our Make-A-Thing class where we provide the materials and the know how to jump start your creativity. From fans to sugar skulls and everything in-between, we offer a wide range of projects that you can take home and embellish to your heart's content!

September's project is fan-making....

10a-4p

According to one 1850s farming periodical, “Farmer Thrifty” kept a neat and well-maintained farm, while “Squire Slipshod” allowed his barn, tools, and fences to fall into filth and disrepair. Dr. Jones noted in his journal on August 5, 1847, that the enslaved “Cleaned up Barn & Stables.” – following the model of “Farmer Thrifty”. Join us as we tackle the seasonal maintenance...

10a-4p

Why is it important to know how to write a letter? Diaries, journals, and correspondence all contain the voice of their authors and details for their reader. Learn how to send a letter in 1850 and try writing with a pen and ink. Contact Barb King at barbara.king@thc.texas.gov or 936-878-2214 x248 for more information.

Do you know where General Santa Anna set up his camp during the Battle of San Jacinto or where General Houston was shot? How about where the Surrender Tree was located? Discover the San Jacinto Battleground like you've never seen it before on a staff-led van tour of the battlefield. Tours start shortly after the showing of Texas Forever!!

When: Tours start at 12:45 p.m., 1:45 p.m. and...

Fort McKavett was more than just a military outpost. It was a community of workers, contractors, tradesmen, and businessmen whose talents built and maintained the fort. Come see our volunteers work many unique trade skills that would have helped maintain this frontier installation! For more information, contact Rhett Kearns at Rhett.Kearns@thc.texas.gov or at 325-396-2358.

Join us on September 2nd to celebrate and learn about Caddo culture and history in the ancestral homeland of the Caddo people.
Enjoy artisans, vendors, and other activities. Food vendor TBA (but, we are hoping the Alabama-Coushatta Pow-wow Club will be serving up Indian tacos)!
Cameras are permitted and lawn chairs and/or blankets are encouraged.
Admission is free, but...

The Sam Bell Maxey House State Historic Site invites city of Paris Finance, IT, Airport, City Clerk, Engineering, HR, City Manager, and City Attorney to visit the Maxey House! Join us for a special tour of the Maxey House between Saturday, September 9 and Friday, September 15 from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm at no cost to you*. Site hours are Tuesday to Sunday, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm.

We hope to...

Pack up your lunch and join us at the Magoffin Home State Historic Site Visitor Center for the Brain Trust Brown Bag Lecture series. Every month a lecturer discusses a topic from history, including how it's preserved. Each lecture is a new topic ranging from an historic recipe to archiving family photos. You bring your lunch and curiosity, we will provide tables, chairs, and the scintillating...

The San Jacinto Battleground is home to more than 200 species of birds, and the best time to see them is first thing in the morning. Every first Saturday of the month, we open two hours early so birders and photographers can enjoy early morning at the site. The site is open to vehicles, but we ask that visitors be respectful of those enjoying the wildlife and keep noise to a minimum.

...

The Sam Bell Maxey House State Historic Site invites city of Paris Public Works and Public Utilities to visit the Maxey House! Join us for a special tour of the Maxey House between Saturday, October 7 and Friday, October 13 from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm at no cost to you*. Site hours are Tuesday to Sunday, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm.

We hope to see you then!

*Free admission with city and/or...

Every second Saturday of the month, we open the site two hours early just for cyclists. Come and bike the Birthplace of Texas without worrying about cars.

When: Every second Saturday; 7:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.

Where: Enter through the gates at the base of the reflection pool. There will be places to park your car outside the gates.

Ages: Cycling Saturdays are open to all...

You are cordially invited to experience the vibrant spirit of the 1830s at the San Jacinto Fall Fandango on October 14, 2023, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.! In a frontier world where neighbors lived miles apart, social gatherings like a fandango were essential for socializing and forming tight-knit communities.

Try your luck in authentic historical games, experience period music while...

Vaquero: Genesis of the Texas Cowboy

Before an army could fight, it had to be fed! Soldiers in the Texas Army were usually supplied with the basic ingredients and had to make their own food out of what was provided.

In his memoirs of the Texas Revolution, Dr. Labadie wrote that the day before the Battle of San Jacinto, he “secured a small tin pan full, and having made it into dough, I threw it on the hot embers, and in...

The Sam Bell Maxey House State Historic Site invites city of Paris Fire, EMS, Police, and Municipal Court to visit the Maxey House! Join us for a special tour of the Maxey House between Saturday, November 11 and Friday, November 17 from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm at no cost to you*. Site hours are Tuesday to Sunday, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm.

We hope to see you then!

*Free admission with city...

Every second Saturday of the month, we open the site two hours early just for cyclists. Come and bike the Birthplace of Texas without worrying about cars.

When: Every second Saturday; 7:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.

Where: Enter through the gates at the base of the reflection pool. There will be places to park your car outside the gates.

Ages: Cycling Saturdays are open to all...