Explore Texas

Welcome to Texas. Everything is bigger and better here, even the history! Come explore the thousands of historical, cultural, and natural treasures in the Lone Star State. We want to enrich your life through history, one visit at a time.

THC Historic Sites in Texas

Heritage tourists can learn more about the rich Texas history and experience real places and stories at one of the Texas Historical Commission (THC)’s historic sites.

From whitewashed ruins and Victorian mansions to sacred burial mounds and pivotal battlegrounds, the THC state historic sites exemplify a breadth of Texas history. View the 20 historic sites listed below or the highlighted sites to learn more.

Acton State Historic Site

In the small town of Acton, a statue of Elizabeth Crockett towers over Acton Cemetery marking the burial site of Davy Crockett's second wife, Elizabeth, who died in 1860. Today, Acton State Historic Site continues to preserve and pay tribute to the widow of one of the nation's most celebrated folk heroes.

People in historic dress lined up in front of a hill

Caddo Mounds State Historic Site

More than 1,200 years ago, Caddo Indians known as the Hasinai built a village and ceremonial center 26 miles west of present-day Nacogdoches. Today, three earthen mounds still rise from the lush Pineywoods landscape at Caddo Mounds State Historic Site, where visitors discover the everyday life and the history of this ancient civilization.

Casa Navarro State Historic Site

Located in the heart of downtown San Antonio, Casa Navarro State Historic Site celebrates the life of rancher, merchant, and Texas patriot José Antonio Navarro at his original 1850s limestone and adobe home.

Large gazebo with a tree in the foreground

Confederate Reunion Grounds State Historic Site

On the edge of the Navasota River, Confederate Reunion Grounds State Historic Site commemorates a place where Confederate Civil War veterans and families reunited from 1889–1946. Today, it remains a gathering place for living history events and family reunions, and features an 1893 dance pavilion and Civil War-era cannon.

Eisenhower Birthplace State Historic Site

Located in the heart of Denison, Eisenhower Birthplace State Historic Site showcases the home where the 34th U.S. President Dwight David “Ike” Eisenhower was born in 1890. The visitors center celebrates Ike with memorabilia and exhibits featuring his many accomplishments as president and war hero.

Fannin Battleground State Historic Site

Fannin Battleground memorializes the brave soldiers who fought the Battle of Coleto Creek on this site in 1836 during the Texas War for Independence. After surrendering to Mexican forces, Col. Fannin and his men were ordered to be executed in nearby Goliad, inflaming the Texas cause and spurring the battle cry, “Remember Goliad”!

Fort Griffin State Historic Site

Holding command over the Southern Plains, Fort Griffin served as one in a line of western defensive forts from 1867 to 1881. Remnants of the fort remain today at Fort Griffin State Historic Site, which is also home to the Official State of Texas Longhorn Herd and offers camping, fishing, hiking, stargazing, and living history.

Fort Lancaster State Historic Site

Spanning 82 acres in the Pecos River valley, Fort Lancaster State Historic Site commemorates the vestiges of one of four posts established in 1855 to protect the military route between San Antonio and El Paso. Visitors wander through ruins of 25 permanent structures and enjoy the sights, sounds, and wildlife of West Texas.

African-American man dressed as a soldier standing with a horse

Fort McKavett State Historic Site

The remains of a 150-year-old fort beckon visitors to one of the best preserved examples of a Texas Indian Wars (1850–1875) military post. Experience early West Texas life through of the infantrymen, Buffalo Soldiers, women, and children who lived at what Gen. William T. Sherman once described as "the prettiest post in Texas."

Mansion with a driveway lined with palm trees

Fulton Mansion State Historic Site

Rising above the Aransas Bay, Fulton Mansion State Historic Site must have appeared incredible in 1877, as it does today, with its mansard roof and ornate trim. Today, visitors to the restored home get a glimpse into the life of the affluent Fulton family in the late 1800s.

Landmark Inn State Historic Site

Landmark Inn State Historic Site offers a unique opportunity to celebrate Texas history. Quaint rooms provide comfortable historic lodging against a backdrop of red oaks and the lazy Medina River. Enjoy breakfast in the 1860s Vance House or relax in the grassy courtyard. Day visitors enjoy tours of the historic site and recreational opportunities.

Levi Jordan Plantation State Historic Site

Significant to the antebellum period of Texas and the tumultuous era of Reconstruction, this site hosted a sizable plantation operation and Greek Revival-style house. Today, the Levi Jordan Plantation provides a unique opportunity to understand the evolving agricultural history of the South and the early African American experience in Texas.

People looking at a statue in a courtyard

Magoffin Home State Historic Site

A striking adobe structure, Magoffin Home State Historic Site explores the stories of a multicultural family who actively participated in U.S. expansion and settlement, military service, trade on the Santa Fe–Chihuahua Trail, Civil War turmoil and U.S.–Mexico relations. The 1875 home is a prime example of Territorial style architecture.

Japanese-style rock garden in front of a building

National Museum of the Pacific War

The National Museum of the Pacific War is dedicated to perpetuating the memory of the Pacific Theater of WWII in order that the sacrifices of those who contributed to our victory may never be forgotten.

Statue atop a monument in a field with trees

Sabine Pass Battleground State Historic Site

The location of a significant Civil War battlefield, Sabine Pass Battleground State Historic Site honors a small band of Confederate soldiers that prevented Union forces from penetrating the Texas interior in 1863. The site features a statue of Confederate Lt. Richard “Dick” Dowling and an interpretive pavilion illustrating the story of the battle.

Sam Bell Maxey House State Historic Site

Built in the High Victorian Italianate style in 1868, the Sam Bell Maxey House State Historic Site in Paris, Texas was the family residence of Sam Bell Maxey, a Mexican War veteran, Confederate general, and two-term U.S. senator. Maxey and his wife hosted many distinguished guests in this home, which was commonly regarded as a town social center.

Woman in a museum setting with personal objects and photos on display

Sam Rayburn House Museum

Step into the welcoming world of one of Texas’ best known statesmen, Sam Rayburn. One of the most influential politicians of the 20th century, Rayburn served in the U.S. Congress for 48 years. His 1916 home, now the Sam Rayburn House Museum, preserves his real stories with original furnishings, candid photographs, and personal belongings.

San Felipe de Austin State Historic Site

Commemorating the pivotal years of Texas’ history, San Felipe de Austin State Historic Site preserves the location where Stephen F. Austin established his colony in 1823. Walk in the footsteps of Texas’ early pioneers at what was once the social, economic, and political center, as well as the first capital of the provisional government of Texas.

Close-up of a piece of china on a table with people in the background

Starr Family Home State Historic Site

Nestled in the heart of Marshall, Starr Family Home State Historic Site maps the 150-year history of the Starr family in Texas. The site is composed of several elegant structures, including the Starr-Blake Home and the Maplecroft mansion. Period furnishings, clothing, and antiques trace the transition of four generations of the Starr family.

Varner-Hogg State Historic Site

Pecan orchards, magnolia trees, and generations of commerce encapsulate Varner-Hogg Plantation State Historic Site. The home tells the story of its owners: colonist Martin Varner, mogul Columbus Patton, and Texas Gov. James S. Hogg. This property hosted sugarcane production, rum distilling, and oil drilling as it transitioned through families.

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Texas Heritage Trails

The THC's award-winning heritage tourism initiative, the Texas Heritage Trails Program, encourages communities, heritage regions, and the state to partner and promote Texas' historic and cultural resources. These successful local preservation efforts increase visitation to cultural and historic sites, bring more dollars to Texas communities, and preserves the state's historic resources for the use, benefit, and enjoyment of future generations.

Get the Guides!

Order print copies of the 10 regional travel guides and thematic travel guides here.
Download PDFs of the travel guides here.

More about the Texas Heritage Trails Program

More Travel Destinations

The Texas Historical Commission, the state agency for historic preservation, administers a variety of programs to preserve the archeological, historical, and cultural resources of Texas.

Texas Courthouses

Texas has the largest and most diverse collection of county courthouses in the nation. The nationally recognized Texas Historic Courthouse Preservation Program is in the process of restoring the state’s most treasured historic landmarks.

More about the Texas Courthouses

Travel Themes

The Texas Historical Commission is a leader in implementing and promoting heritage tourism efforts in Texas. Enrich your life through real places that tell the real stories, one theme at a time.

Learn more about travel themes

First Lady's Texas Treasures

Texas First Lady and honorary chair Anita Perry, in partnership with the THC, is recognizing communities that have shown a high level of creativity and ingenuity in preserving their authentic Texas sense of place.

Paris (2013)
San Angelo (2012)
Brownsville (2011)
Nacogdoches (2010)
San Marcos (2010)
Waxahachie (2010)
Castroville (2009)
Georgetown (2009)
Mount Vernon (2009)

Learn more about the award program

Main Street Cities

Visitors can stroll the sidewalks and peruse shops in one of the region’s Texas Main Street cities. Partnering with the THC, each community works to revitalize its historic commercial area, often the heart of a town.