Washington on the Brazos State Historical Park - Washington, Texas Historic Park with Museums

Washington on the Brazos State Historical Park is located between Brenham and Navosta off State Highway 105 in Texas. Covering 293 acres the park features three main attractions, Independence Hall, Barrington Living History Farm and the Star of the Republic Museum. There is also a visitor center, which is free of charge and contains exhibits about the Texas Revolution, a gift shop, conference center and an education center.

Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historic Site is famous for being the place where the signing of the Texas Declaration of Independence took place in 1836. The park encompasses the site of the historic town of Washington, which was capitol of Texas from 1842 to 1845 as well as the home of the last president of the Republic of Texas, Anson Jones. The site is the center each year for the Texas Independence Day Celebration directed by the Washington-on-the-Brazos State Park Association.

The land was acquired by deed from private owners in 1916 and was transferred to the State Parks Board from the State Board of Control by the Legislature in 1949. More land has since been acquired by deed from private owners in 1976 and 1996. Currently the park is maintained by Texas Parks and Wildlife with the Star of the Republic Museum in managed by Blinn College in Brenham.

The park facilities and grounds are open to visitors free of charge every day from 8am until sundown, while the Visitor Center is open daily from 10am to 5pm. The Gift Shop offers a wide selection of publications relating to Texas as well as educational materials. The Conference Center is available to rent and can accommodate up to 300 banquet-style and 400 auditorium-style, while for smaller gatherings the park's Education Center is available to rent.

The Star of the Republic Museum has been open since 1970 and has exhibits, presentations and a library reflecting the history, cultures, diversity, and values of early Texans during its years as a separate nation between 1836 and 1846. It opens to the public seven days a week, from 10am to 5pm. Independence Hall was the site of the adoption of the Texas Declaration of Independence and a representation of the original hall is available for daily guided tours.

Barrington was the historic home of Anson Jones, which was moved to the park in 1936 and has now been transformed into Barrington Living History Farm. It provides visitors first hand experience of how working on a farm in the 1850s might have been like. Visitors are encouraged to participate in the work of the farm such as learning how to drive oxen, planting and harvesting crops, spinning or making soap.

The park grounds along the Brazos River provide a beautiful setting for picnicking, sightseeing and bird watching with 26 picnic sites and two covered pavilions, which can be reserved through the Customer Contact Center. Restrooms and water fountains can be found at the Visitor Center, the picnic area and in the Star of the Republic Museum.