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.
Snapshots of History: The Washington Townsite Experience
Grades: Pre-K–12
Capacity: 10 or more students
Timing: 1 hour to 1.5 hours, Wednesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Site: Washington Townsite
Cost: $5 per student ages 4 and up. Can be combined with other tour options for no additional charge.
Walk down the streets of Washington, the once capital of the Republic of Texas. Explore the recreated buildings, the trades and skills of the people who worked there, and the town’s history. This self-guided tour option adds another dimension to a visit to Washington-on-the-Brazos, where Texas became Texas.
Snapshots of History: Barrington Living History Farm
Grades: Pre-K–12
Capacity: 10 or more students
Timing: 1 hour to 1.5 hours, Wednesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Site: Washington Townsite
Cost: $5 per student ages 4 and up. Can be combined with other tour options for no additional charge.
Visit the home of Anson Jones and see where STEM meets history. Learn about Texas’ last president, his careers as a politician and doctor, and the crops grown on his farm. See the heritage breed animals and heirloom plants maintained by staff to showcase 1850s farming. The agricultural component of the tour provides an opportunity to compare and contrast the differences between communities, both historical and modern.
Old and New
Grades: Pre-K–3
Capacity: 10 to 25 students per session.
Timing: 1 hour to 1.5 hours, Wednesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Site: Star of the Republic Museum
Cost: $5 per student ages 4 and up. Can be combined with other tour options for no additional charge.
What is old is new again! Students will explore museum artifacts to learn how objects of the past compare to objects of the present. Guided conversation and STEM activities will introduce students to Texas history with hands-on exploration and contextual learning.
The Texas Revolution and its People
Grades: 4-6
Capacity: 10 to 60 students per session
Timing: 1 hour to 1.5 hours, Wednesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Site: Star of the Republic Museum
Cost: $5 per student ages 4 and up. Can be combined with other tour options for no additional charge.
Students will practice their observational skills on a slow-look guided tour of the museum with a deep dive into four primary source objects. Afterwards, students will conduct a multidisciplinary exploration of people’s lives during the Texas Revolution.
The Texas Revolution in Objects
Grades: 7-12
Capacity: 10 to 60 students per session
Timing: 1 hour to 1.5 hours, Wednesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Site: Star of the Republic Museum
Cost: $5 per student ages 4 and up. Can be combined with other tour options for no additional charge.
This slow-look tour is an opportunity for students to learn about Texas history through primary source objects. Through a mix of engaged discussion and self-driven exploration, students will explore the lives of people who lived during the Texas Revolution.
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 can be combined for no additional charge. The cost is $5 per student. One teacher per 10 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 has reserved 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.dartez@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.dartez@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.