Texas Living History Week

 As part of the upcoming National Travel and Tourism Week, Texas Historical ommCission (THC) is hosting Texas Living History Week to encourage people to travel back in time at any of the 36 state historic sites operated by the agency. 

At these historic sites across the state, travelers can step back into history. During Texas Living History Week, May 7-13, tours and hands-on activities will demonstrate how earlyTexans spent their daily lives. 

From ornate Victorian mansions to everyday inns, frontier forts to 20th-century leaders’ homes, there’s a state historic site to fit every interest. See the full range of programs on the THC’s Texas Time Travel website: texastimetravel.com/livinghistoryweek. Anyone planning a day trip is encouraged to call in advance.  

Kreische house

On May 6, plan a visit to Kreische Brewery and Monument Hill State Historic Site for “In the Kreische Kitchen,” a tasty event dedicated to cooking traditional German Texas recipes of the 19th century directly from the site’s historic wood-burning stove. Guided house tours will also be available. 

On May 6-7, Barrington Plantation State Historic Site, located at Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historic Site, will host an event focusing on a woman’s daily duties in the 1800s. Follow our educators and lend a hand watering, planting, or weeding to help prepare the gardens for summer.  

National Museum of the Pacific War
Fredricksburg, Texas

The National Museum of the Pacific War is hosting a free living-history event on May 6 called “Outpost: Tales from the Home Front.” This short program will allow visitors to get up close and personal with details about life during the Pacific War and have the opportunity to interact with (and possibly handle) a few artifacts.  

Goodnight house

Visit Charles and Mary Ann Goodnight Ranch State Historic Site during the entire week where interpreters will provide an in-depth look at the Goodnights’ true personalities and particularities. Take a dive into larger-than-life insights of these legendary figures in Texas history.  

Fulton House

If you’re along the Gulf Coast, you can’t miss the opportunity to explore "Oakhurst,” the Fulton home at Fulton Mansion State Historic Site, May 9-13. The home was considered incredibly advanced during the 1880s due to its innovative features like central heating, gas lighting, and indoor plumbing.  

Fort McKavett

Fort McKavett State Historic Site is hosting living history days from May 11 to 13. Visitors can explore the remains of a 150-year-old West Texas fort, which is now considered one of the best preserved and most intact examples of a Texas military post of the era.  

Visit Starr Family Home State Historic Site on May 13 to experience historic food being prepared in a period kitchen. Starr Family Home staff will prepare homemade strawberry ice cream using a recipe from the 1887 White House cookbook. 

THC preserves and operates 36 state historic sites including American Indian sites, frontier forts and the homes of leaders and statesmen who lived in them. Many state historic sites and other heritage travel destinations are near historic downtown districts, where visitors can dine or shop at local businesses that make their communities unique.  

Information courtesy of Justin Minsker justin.minsker@thc.texas.gov

Photos from free sites