Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historic Site — the hallowed ground where Texas declared its independence — has reopened following an ambitious $54 million renovation that transforms how visitors experience the state's founding story.
The site preserves the legacy of the brave signers of the Texas Declaration of Independence and illuminates daily life during the Republic era. Through vivid interpretation of early Texan society, culture, politics and agriculture, it connects past to present, ensuring future generations can draw wisdom from Texas’ formative years.
“This project, in partnership with the Washington on the Brazos Historical Foundation, is a major investment in one of the most significant places in Texas history,” says Texas Historical Commission Chairman John L. Nau III. “Our goal was to create a powerful, immersive experience that brings to life the events of 1836, and with these new elements in place, we’re doing just that.”
The reimagined site, developed with Richter Architects, renowned exhibit designers Gallagher & Associates, and fabricator Design and Production Inc., employs interactive, multisensory storytelling to forge deeper connections with Texas’ founding narrative. Clark Condon provided landscape architecture, while THC Architects and historian Michael Rugley Moore ensured historical authenticity in recreating the Washington Townsite.
Highlights of the Transformation
Renovated Visitor Center – A welcoming, fully accessible gateway featuring an immersive orientation theater with three floor-to-ceiling video walls, an archeology display of excavated townsite artifacts and The Washington Mercantile gift shop offering distinctive mementos.
Expanded Star of the Republic Museum – Six new galleries trace Texas history from pre-Republic days through annexation, brought to life through commissioned artwork, dramatic murals and enhanced accessibility features.
Washington Townsite Experience – A collection of meticulously recreated historic structures surrounding the replica Independence Hall (standing since 1969). Visitors can explore Sam Houston’s Presidential Office, the Morris Family Log Cabin, Heath’s Carpenter Shop and Rucker’s Drug Store —which houses a fascinating archeology exhibit examining the town’s eventual decline. Together, these buildings illuminate not just Texas’ birth in 1836, but the full decade of Republic existence and Washington’s role as both cradle and resting place of Texas independence.
The beloved Barrington Living History Farm and Independence Hall continue as cornerstone attractions, rounding out a complete portrait of Texas’ revolutionary period.
