BLUEBONNETS AND BLUE BELL DREAMS
Plan a visit to Brenham, the seat of Washington County, and visions of bluebonnets and Blue Bell ice cream will dance in your head. Wildflowers proliferate in springtime; tours of Blue Bell Creameries, producer of Texas’ favorite ice cream since 1911, end with a complimentary serving. A Texas Main Street city, Brenham’s lively downtown is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Pick up a map at the Visitor Center for a walking tour past antiques stores and gift shops, restaurants and cafes, bed and breakfast inns and the massive 1940 Washington County Courthouse. Get a taste of local history at the Brenham Heritage Center, housed in the former post office, a 1915 Classical Revival structure. Adjacent to the museum is a horse-drawn, Silsby steam-powered fire engine, purchased for the fire department in 1879. The C.W. Parker antique carousel resides in Firemans Park a few blocks north of downtown. Rescued from a field in 1932, the carousel was restored and is housed in a 16-sided building constructed by the WPA in 1935.
Brenham was founded in 1844 and prospered as a cotton, retail and wholesale hub thanks to a railroad line, German immigrant farmers, and Jewish merchants. The town celebrates its German heritage at Maifest each spring; Brenham’s Jewish past is preserved at the oldest Orthodox synagogue in continuous use in Texas, B’nai Abraham. Built in 1893, it resembles a rural Gothic-style church with a Hebrew-inscribed cornerstone. But fire and water also are part of this bucolic community’s history. In 1866, occupying federal troops burned a city block after a clash with Brenham residents. That incident and conflagrations in the 1870s led to construction of 27 public and private cisterns that collected rainwater to fight fires and for household use. A Texas Archeological Landmark, this network of underground cisterns is interpreted at Toubin Park, which features a restored cistern dating to the 1880s.
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Forest Trail Region
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Independence Trail Region
African American Catholic Community
17370 Sweed Road Brenham, TX 77880 (936) 878-2910
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Brenham, TX 77880
Independence Trail Region
Antique Carousel at Fireman’s Park
910 N Park Brenham, TX 77833 (979) 337-7250 Website
Antique Carousel at Fireman's Park910 N Park
Brenham, TX 77833
Independence Trail Region
Antique Rose Emporium
10000 Farm-to-Market 50 Brenham, TX 77833 979-836-5548 or 800-441-0002 Website
Antique Rose Emporium10000 Farm-to-Market 50
Brenham, TX 77833
Independence Trail Region
The Barnhill Center at Historic Simon Theatre
111 W Main St. Brenham, Texas 77833 Website
The Barnhill Center at Historic Simon Theatre111 W Main St.
Brenham, Texas 77833
Independence Trail Region
Barrington Plantation State Historic Site
23400 Park Rd. 12 Washington, TX 77880 (936) 878-2214 Website
Barrington Plantation State Historic Site23400 Park Rd. 12
Washington, TX 77880
Independence Trail Region
Blue Bell Creamery
1101 South Blue Bell Road Brenham, TX 77833 (800) 327-8135 Website
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Brenham, TX 77833
Brenham Fire Museum109 South Market St.
Brenham, Texas 77833
Independence Trail Region
Brenham Heritage Museum
105 South Market Street Brenham, TX 77833 (979) 830-8445 Website
Brenham Heritage Museum105 South Market Street
Brenham, TX 77833
Independence Trail Region
Eben-Ezer Lutheran Church of Berlin
356 South Berlin Rd. Brenham, TX 77833 (979) 836-6706 Website
Eben-Ezer Lutheran Church of Berlin356 South Berlin Rd.
Brenham, TX 77833
Independence Trail Region
Giddings Stone Mansion
2203 Century Circle Brenham, TX 77833 (979) 836-1690 Website
Giddings Stone Mansion2203 Century Circle
Brenham, TX 77833
Independence Trail Region
Glissmann’s Gift Gallery & Historic Drug Store
106 West Main Brenham, Texas 77833 Website
Glissmann's Gift Gallery & Historic Drug Store106 West Main
Brenham, Texas 77833
Independence Trail Region
Independence Baptist Church and Texas Baptist Museum
10405 FM 50 Independence, TX 77833 (979) 836-2929 Website
Independence Baptist Church and Texas Baptist Museum10405 FM 50
Independence, TX 77833
Independence Trail Region
John P. Coles Home
10270 T. S. Saul Rd Independence, TX 77833 (979) 251-9227 Website
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Independence, TX 77833
Independence Trail Region
Old Baylor Park at Windmill Hill
Sam Houston Road and Hwy 50 Independence, TX 77833 (979) 830-0230 Website
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Independence, TX 77833
Independence Trail Region
Historic Cisterns at Toubin Park
208 South Park Street Brenham, Texas 77833 Website
Historic Cisterns at Toubin Park208 South Park Street
Brenham, Texas 77833
Independence Trail Region
Washington County Courthouse
100 East Main Street Brenham, TX 77418 (979) 277-6200 Website
Washington County Courthouse100 East Main Street
Brenham, TX 77418