The San Jacinto Battleground, San Jacinto Museum, and San Jacinto Monument tell the story of the final battle of the Texas Revolution. A visit to the Monument brings this pivotal moment in Texas' history alive for students of all ages.
Planning Your Field Trip
Field trips are offered Wednesday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Field trips typically last two hours, and groups should plan on arriving 30 minutes before your start time for check-in and orientation.
Field trips consist of a virtual pre-visit lesson; Texas Forever!! The Battle of San Jacinto, a 35-minute video presentation; a group activity in our exhibit space; an elevator ride to the observation deck at the top of the monument; and a post-visit activity.
Group Requirements
Groups must have a minimum of 10 students to quality for the field trip rate. We require a minimum 10:1 student to teacher/chaperone ratio. Group size (including chaperones) determines the organization of each field trip:
- Fewer than 50 participants: stay together as one group for all three on-site field trip activities (movie, exhibit activity, elevator)
- 50-100 participants: stay together for the movie, then divide into two groups for alternating on-site field trip activities (exhibit activity and elevator)
- 100-200 participants: divided into two groups; one-half to watch the movie, the other half divided into two subgroups for alternating on-site field trip activities (exhibit activity and elevator).
*If your group is larger than 200 participants (including chaperones), please contact us to ask how we can accommodate your group.*
Things to Consider
Teachers and chaperones are responsible for supervising students during their visit and facilitating the activity in the main exhibit gallery.
No food or drinks are allowed inside the Museum, and no food is permitted inside or on the Monument. Backpacks and lunches should be left on the bus.
There are picnic areas available for eating lunch at the San Jacinto Battleground, including next to the Monument.
Students are welcome to visit the Museum Store but must be accompanied by a teacher or chaperone in groups no larger than 20.
Please contact our staff with any questions regarding booking a field trip to the San Jacinto Monument. They can be reached by phone at 281-479-2431 or by email at san-jacinto-battleground@thc.texas.gov.
School Program Options
We offer four different programs. Each program is TEKS-aligned for 4th grade social studies but can work for a wider age-range as well.
Texas Revolution Celebrities (recommended for 4th grade)
Who helped shape the Texas Revolution and the outcome of the Battle of San Jacinto? What were they like? What did they do? In this program, we will look at some of the notable figures who were part of the last battle of the Texas Revolution. This program will introduce students to a wide variety of primary sources and deepen their knowledge of the Texas Revolution and the Battle of San Jacinto.
Discovering the Battle of San Jacinto in Primary Sources (recommended for 7th grade)
The Battle of San Jacinto was a pivotal moment in Texas history, but it happened long before anyone alive now was born. How do historians know what happened during the battle? One of the major ways is by studying primary sources, things like letters, journal entries, artifacts and maps that were created during the time period or by people who were involved in the events. In this program, students will learn what primary sources are and have a chance to analyze some primary sources from the Battle of San Jacinto.
Visualizing the Runaway Scrape (recommended for 4th and 7th grade)
As the Texian and Mexican armies marched toward San Jacinto, terrified Texians abandoned their homes and fled east toward safety. This panicked evacuation of women, children, the elderly, and enslaved people was known as the Runaway Scrape. In this program, students learn about the people who participated in the Runaway Scrape, their experiences, their motivations, and some of the hardships they endured.
The Battle of San Jacinto & the Birth of Texas (recommended for classes that have not covered the Texas Revolution and the Battle of San Jacinto)
The 18-minute Battle of San Jacinto changed the course of Texas history forever. General Houston's victory at San Jacinto and the capture of General Santa Anna the next day secured Texas' independence from Mexico, paving the way for eventual statehood. In this program, students will learn about what happened in the battle, the people who fought in it, and discover what they can learn from what participants left behind.
If you are not interested in a pre-visit lesson, pick the Battle of San Jacinto & the Birth of Texas program.
Reservations
Field trip reservations must be made two weeks in advance. Time slots in the spring fill up quickly, and we encourage schools to make reservations well in advance.
To reserve your field trip time, visit our registration page. Pick your field trip based on the size of your group, then select a date and time. You will receive a confirmation email with further information about your trip and your pre-visit lesson after registering.