Our Holiday Heritage Bucket List
Whether you're a newcomer to the state or a 5th-generation Native Texan, our Holiday Heritage Bucket List will have you…
Spotlights on upcoming events, quirky trip themes, fascinating histories, and behind-the-scenes explorations of the history, heritage, and culture of Texas. Read about it and then get out there and experience it for yourself!
Our Holiday Heritage Bucket List
Whether you're a newcomer to the state or a 5th-generation Native Texan, our Holiday Heritage Bucket List will have you…
Texas Roots of Thanksgiving: The Story of San Elizario
Did you know the first Thanksgiving celebration on American soil took place in the Lone Star State? The first Texas…
“Hei” From Clifton and Bosque County
Our Holiday Heritage Bucket List
Whether you're a newcomer to the state or a 5th-generation Native Texan, our Holiday Heritage Bucket List will have you…
Hill Country Trail Region
Our Top 10 Under-the-Radar Hispanic Heritage Sites
Hispanic history in Texas features more than just missions and murals (although who can resist the picturesque ruins of a…
Brazos Trail Region
Texas Traditions and Pigskin Passion
It's a known fact: high school football in Texas is an institution. Woven into the fabric of Texas culture for…
Brazos Trail Region
Soda Fountain Season
Soda, POP, fizzy juice, LOLLY WATER, sodey dope, BELLY WASH, seltzer, COKE, and tonic. Is your tongue tingling yet? It's…
Brazos Trail Region
Dan Moody vs. the KKK: The Texas Case That Led to the Klan’s Demise
In the summer of 1919, the emergence of the second wave of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) marked the resurgence…
Hill Country Trail Region
History Lovers Guide to San Marcos
San Marcos has a rich and unique history. What would you expect from an area considered the longest continuously inhabited…
Brazos Trail Region
Explore the Sites and Stories of Remarkable Texas Women
In honor of Women's History Month, we're celebrating the inspiring stories of remarkable Texas women who shaped our state's rich…
Hill Country Trail Region
James Avery Artisan Jewelry: A Kerrville Legacy
The Hill Country town of Kerrville is home to a Texas treasure and symbol of craftsmanship—James Avery Artisan Jewelry. Founded…
Haunted Heritage and Horrible Histories
From the macabre mourning practices of the Victorian era to the ghostly tales of settlers roaming the Texas wilderness, these…
Forts Trail Region
Looking for Texas History in the Trees
These giants, some of them ancient, have silently observed more history than we could ever record.
Hill Country Trail Region
Your Guide To Historic Austin
Whether you're visiting Austin for fun or for business, we hope you've built in some extra time to experience the…
Hill Country Trail Region
Step Back In Time While Visiting Boerne, TX
Boerne History. Long before Boerne became a popular tourist destination, it was an undeveloped region populated by Native Americans. In…
Hill Country Trail Region
The Fight for Independence: The Texas Revolution
Everyone remembers the Battle of the Alamo, the famous but failed attempt by Texans to hold their line of defense…
Brazos Trail Region
Presidents Day in Texas: Remember Success, Tragedy, and Leadership of U.S. Presidents at These Historic Places
There is an interesting collection of Texas destinations to visit with compelling connections to several former commanders in chief. Texas…
Brazos Trail Region
The Past Is All Around You. We Can Show You Where.
You know that feeling you get when you visit a place and you suddenly understand ... Something. Happened. Here. We…
Forts Trail Region
Relive Holiday Heritage at State Historic Sites
Unique holiday celebrations are happening at State Historic Sites all month long. Keep reading to learn more about candlelit historic…
Hill Country Trail Region
7 Hispanic Heritage Sites in San Antonio
Formerly part of Mexico and Spain, Texas has deep Hispanic roots. Much of the food, entertainment, and celebrations Texans enjoy…
Hill Country Trail Region
German Historical Sites in the Hill Country Region
German immigrants initially sought sanctuary in Texas from political and religious persecution. Many settled in the Hill Country, where the…
Brazos Trail Region
Top Picnic Spots with Texas History
As Texans continue to seek creative ways to explore our state safely, the Texas Historical Commission is offering ideas for…
Brazos Trail Region
Healthy Activities and Texas History at Our State Historic Sites
2021 presented new opportunities to explore activities and travel throughout the Lone Star State. Many of our state historic sites…
Hill Country Trail Region
Historic Road Trip: Fredericksburg to Johnson City
The Hill Country is the birthplace of former President Lyndon Baines Johnson and the home of descendants of thousands of…
Hill Country Trail Region
Historic Road Trip: San Antonio
When San Antonio visitors venture beyond the River Walk area, they find a remarkable range of heritage tourism sites in…
Brazos Trail Region
Historic General Stores in Texas
There are few things that feel more authentically Texas than stopping at a little general store and picking up some…
Brazos Trail Region
Visit Eight State Historic Sites to Experience the Republic of Texas Era
Step back in time and experience the period of the Texas Republic in person or virtually at one of these…
Hill Country Trail Region
Kerrville, Main Street City, Celebrates Its Musical Heritage
This spring, come to Kerrville for the music, stay for the history!
Hill Country Trail Region
Barbecue And Brew
My husband Josh and I have never been the type to frequent chain restaurants or order the same take-out week…
Hill Country Trail Region
All Aboard: A Trip on the Hill Country Flyer
My wife and I are always looking for fun family activities to do with our seven-year-old son, Parker, especially anything…
Part 6: Texas Heritage Trails at 50: New Directions
On several occasions private sponsors helped make the Trails materials available. At the outset, in 1968 and 1969, Pearl Brewing…
Part 5: Texas Heritage Trails at 50: Travelers Take to the Trails
Communities blessed by inclusion wrote to thank the governor, but there were also predictable and numerous and complaints regarding omission…
Part 4: Texas Heritage at 50: Launching the Trails
The team came to see the roadway as a designated system of existing highways complemented by new construction, where recreational…
Part 3: Texas Heritage Trails at 50: Planning the Trails
It was the carefully organized papers of Professor Urbanovsky that the university archivist recalled, that cracked open the door and…
Brazos Trail Region
Part 2: Texas Heritage Trails at 50: Texas Takes Action
Although tourism had emerged in the 1950s as the state’s fifth largest industry, Texas could not by law use tax…
Part 1: Texas Heritage Trails at 50: Beginnings
To those who care about preservation, travel, and local history, this phenomenal transformation has an interesting history of its own…
Hill Country Trail Region
Going With The Flow
Water Recreation
Texas may have a reputation as dry, dusty cowboy country but that’s only because Hollywood westerns don’t usually feature waterskiing…
Hill Country Trail Region
Something Old, Something New: Adult Getaway in the Texas Hill Country
“I think it’s crooked,” I said to my husband, Sean, as I examined the painting I had hung a few…
Hill Country Trail Region
Two-steppin’ in the Cowboy Capital of the World
The man I’m dating wears starched pink Ralph Lauren shirts, pressed khakis and brown loafers—every day. I have 12 pairs…
Relaxed Romance in Boerne
Small town charm? Check. Fine dining and specialty shops? Check. Two checks later and my husband and I were raising…
Hill Country Trail Region
New Adventures in New Braunfels
It was the summer after second grade for me, and my older brother, Jake, just finished fifth grade. Our family…
Hill Country Trail Region
Feathered Love
Many years ago, among the endless deep greenery of a cloud forest in Honduras, I fell in love with birds…
Hill Country Trail Region
Tranquility, Canoes and Outdoor Theatre
Newly licensed driver. Baseball player. Photography enthusiast. Yoga instructor. What do these have in common? They’re all members of my…
Hill Country Trail Region
Making Memories Outdoors
When we moved to Texas last year, my husband, Mike, and I didn't know much about the little town of…
Hill Country Trail Region
German History, Wildflowers and Peaches
With a long weekend coming up, my husband, Karl, and I decided to take the kids on a family trip…
Hill Country Trail Region
Texas Hill Country Wildflowers
Texas in springtime rivals some of the most beautiful natural environments in the world thanks to a collection of species…
Hill Country Trail Region
Hill Country Escape
Hill Country Trail Region
Catching Up In Kerrville
I am fortunate to have three good friends I’ve known for years—Sharon, Julia, and Nancy. Although we all live in…
Hill Country Trail Region
Where “Rustic” Meets “Relaxed”
Today’s second homes are largely designed for recreation and relaxation, attributes that suggest an affluent society with plenty of leisure…
Walking and Driving Tours
Texas may be a big state, but it is best experienced by stories offered up in its neighborhoods and town…