School Programs
Bring your students to where Texas became Texas! Our school programs are designed to align with Texas curriculum standards and provide hands-on learning experiences that bring history to life. From exploring farm life to discovering the dramatic events of the Texas Revolution, our educational tours offer students the opportunity to step back in time and connect with the stories of the people who shaped our state. Tours can be customized to fit your schedule and can be combined for a more comprehensive experience.
Self-Guided Washington Townsite Experience
Grades: Pre-K–12
Capacity: 10 or more students
Timing: 45 minutes, Wednesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Site: Washington Townsite
Cost: $2 per student. One chaperone for every 10 students is free; additional adults are $8 per person.
What did the town of Washington look like in the 1830s,1840s, and 1850s? What has happened to it since then? This self-guided tour option adds another dimension to a visit to Washington-on-the-Brazos, where Texas became Texas.
Farm Friends with Sallie and Charlie Jones
Grades: Pre-K–3
Capacity: 10–200 students
Timing: 1 hour, Wednesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Site: Barrington Living History Farm
Cost: $2 per student. One chaperone for every 10 students is free; additional adults are $8 per person.
Explore Barrington Living History Farm through the eyes of Sallie and Charlie Jones, the children of Anson Jones, the last president of the Republic of Texas. Through hands-on and up-close experiences, we consider the roles of plants, animals, and the people who oversaw them in carrying out day-to-day farm life.
Revolution-on-the-Brazos!
Grades: 3–12
Capacity: 10–55 students per 1.5 hours
Timing: 1.5 hours, Wednesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Site: Independence Hall
Cost: $2 per student. One chaperone for every 10 students is free; additional adults are $8 per person.
The town of Washington once stood where a highway and river met as a business center and the cradle of the Texas Republic. Through interactive activities, students learn about early businesses like the Robinson Ferry, the Washington settlement's growth into a community, important decisions in the creation of an independent nation, and the citizen soldiers who bravely fought during the Texas Revolution.
Anson Jones: Statesman and Farmer
Grades: 4–6
Capacity: 10–200 students
Timing: 1.5–2 hours, Wednesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Site: Barrington Living History Farm
Cost: $2 per student. One chaperone for every 10 students is free; additional adults are $8 per person.
Anson Jones held a variety of jobs during his career. Tour Barrington Living History Farm and explore examples of his work life as a figure in politics and a farmer in the Texas cotton economy.
Barrington and the Changing Shape of Texas
Grades: 7–12
Capacity: 10–200 students
Timing: 1.5–2 hours, Wednesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Site: Barrington Living History Farm
Cost: $2 per student. One chaperone for every 10 students is free; additional adults are $8 per person.
Tour Barrington Living History Farm and learn about the "Architect of Annexation," Anson Jones. In doing so, students will discuss how a 19th century farm once reflected the political and economic changes to both Texas and the wider world.
School Tour Reservations
School tour reservations should be made six weeks in advance by using the school tour request form. At the time of booking, please inform staff of any accessibility accommodations you may need. Up to 5 sensory bags, designed with neurodivergent students in mind, are available upon request at the Star of the Republic Museum.
Tours of Barrington, Washington-on-the-Brazos, and the Star of the Republic Museum (opening spring 2025) can be combined. The cost for one site is $2 per student, for two sites is $4 per student, and for all three sites is $5 per student. One teacher per ten students is free. Additional adults are required to pay $8 per person. This cost covers your tour fee and provides you with the ability to use our covered pavilions for free on a first-come, first-served basis unless a private group reserves those spaces.
Tours are on dirt paths and require the use of stairs at some locations. Please indicate the need for an accessibility ramp at the time of booking. Tours are outdoors and continue rain or shine. However, whenever thunder and lightning are present within eight miles, Barrington Living History Farm and the Washington Townsite Experience will close until 30 minutes after the last episode of thunder or lightning. Alternate activities will be arranged by the education coordinator.
Outreach Programs
Pack Your Wagon
Audience: 2nd-7th grades and adults
Capacity: 15-200
Timing: Wednesdays, 30 minutes per session
Cost: $5 per person
If you're traveling to Texas in 1830, what do you think you need? Join us for an interactive wagon loading experience as we think about the choices settlers would have to make on their way to Texas, and some harder choices they would have had to make a few years later during the Runaway Scrape.
Feeding Livestock with Purpose
Grades: K-3rd grade
Capacity: 20-200 students
Timing: Wednesdays, 35 minutes per session
Cost: $5 per person
Feeding livestock is more than a necessity; it is a science. Discover the key to meeting the physical adaptations of our heritage breed animals and the physical demand of their jobs on the plantation.
Washington Township: A Land Speculation Activity
Audience: 4th and 7th grades, adults
Capacity: 20-200 people
Timing: Wednesdays, 45 minutes per session
Cost: $5 per person
Take part in Washington's Town Lot Auction! Learn about Washington-on-the-Brazos' rich history, the people that lived there, and the challenges they faced as they helped develop the 19th-century town.
Outreach Reservations
Outreach programs are offered on select Wednesdays throughout the year to groups within 75 miles of Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historic Site. Outreach programs can be modified to fit auditorium style programming or individual classroom style experiences. Modification may require the removal of certain program aspects if the group is large.
Only one outreach program can be scheduled at a time. Multiple sessions of the outreach program can be scheduled on the same day by the same school.
To see all available dates and complete a reservation request, please visit our Outreach Request Form.
Other Education Opportunities
Looking for educational programs outside of a traditional school visit? More options are listed below.
Homeschool Programs
Homeschool Day happens twice a year at Washington-on-the-Brazos, once in the fall and once in the spring. Interested in learning more about these days and other family-friendly homeschool events? Email jordan.lucier@thc.texas.gov and ask to join our homeschool email list for updates.
Interested in an educational tour for your homeschool students? Use the school tour request form above and select the mixed-age range option!
Scout Programs
We are currently working to revitalize our Scout Programs. Check back later for more information.
College & University Research
The Star of the Republic Museum has both their collections and a public research library. Most of our collection can be found on the Portal to Texas History. Looking to schedule research opportunities through the collections lab, archives, or public research library? Schedule an appointment with amanda.cagle@thc.texas.gov.
Teacher Workshops
We are currently working to revitalize our Teacher Workshops. Interested in learning about future workshops and teacher resources both in and out of the classroom? Email jordan.lucier@thc.texas.gov and ask to join our teacher email list.
Adult Tour Reservations
Review our Plan Your Visit page for information on rates and scheduling.