I recently had the rather surreal experience of visiting a family-friendly historic site … without my family. On a press tour as a guest of the Washington County Convention and Visitors Bureau (www.brenhamtexas.com), I spent every minute alternating between soaking up the sights and sounds of Washington-on-the-Brazos without clamorous interruptions, and plotting to bring my three kids back as soon as possible for an educational experience I just knew they’d love.
(In case I’ve never mentioned it, my strategy for making any field trip exciting for my kids is to tell them that we’re going to visit an antique teapot museum. The actual destination is always way more appealing in contrast.)
Washington-on-the-Brazos, a two-hour westerly drive from Austin, offers three separate, contiguous attractions. Individual fees apply, but the best deal for most families is the $27 family pass, which gets everyone in to all three sites for the day. Texas State Parks Pass holders may nab an even sweeter deal, depending on family size.
Our group started off at the Barrington Living History Farm. Constructed around the re-created farm of Dr. Anson Jones, last president of the Republic of Texas, the farm is a great place to absorb a cultural history lesson and to dabble in farm life. On December 11, the Farm hosts “The Heart of Christmas is the Home,” featuring period crafts and activities (candle-dipping, country dancing, decorating with popcorn strings and evergreens, etc.), which may be the perfect alternative to the holiday rush. January brings a hog-butchering and a sewing extravaganza; check the “Special Events” section at www.birthplaceoftexas.com for details.
We moved on to the Star of the Republic Museum, which celebrates the ten years in which Texas was an independent Republic. If your kids yawn at the idea, wait until they catch glimpses of Chuck Norris’ jacket and pistol from Walker, Texas Ranger, or Mirabeau Lamar’s sword, or an 1850s schoolbook, or an explanation of how seldom folks bathed (sometimes once a year) and washed their clothes (once a week, and Dad got his dinner cold that day). Parents bitten by the history bug may appreciate the walk-through timeline – or the advertisement for Lydia Pinkham’s famous remedy for “female complaints.”
The crown jewel of the museum from a kid’s perspective is the hands-on history room, where young visitors can try on costumes, build a log cabin, thump drums, hear a story read aloud, and much more. I’ve seen much bigger museums with far less kid appeal.
In late February, the Museum is throwing a huge party to mark the 175th anniversary of the signing of the Texas Declaration of Independence. Staff members are trying to hunt down all living descendants of the signers, so check your family tree and mark your calendar.
Finally, the Washington-on-the-Brazos Visitor Center offers a gift emporium, a gallery, and a tour of the Independence Hall replica building, where our founding fathers hashed out their Declaration and Constitution while William B. Travis waited desperately at the Alamo.
If all this learning makes your crew hungry, swing by a delightful little joint called R Place, just outside the State Park. Housed in a vintage grocery, this is the place to find mouthwatering barbecue and the customary sides every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, with a special dinner menu on Saturday nights. It’s a tummy-pleasing way to celebrate that Texas heritage.
Hannah Diller lives and explores with her family in Central Austin. She can be found on the web at http://dillerhome.blogspot.com or at dillerh@gmail.com.
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