Texas Historic Sites

• The Alamo

300 Alamo Plaza San Antonio, TX 78205 (210) 225-1391

<www.thealamo.org>: The reconstructed Spanish mission and outpost recalls Texans’ famed 1836 fight for independence. Operated by the Daughters of the Republic of Texas, the complex includes an old church, museum, library and gardens.

• Dallas Heritage Village

Old City Park 1515 s. Harwood St. Dallas, TX 75215 (214) 421-5141

<www.oldcitypark.org>: Visit homes, shops and a working farm where costumed interpreters depict life and work in the 1860s. In all, the park features 38 relocated and restored buildings dating from 1840 to 1910.

• Frontier Texas

625 N. First St. Abilene, TX 79601 (325) 437-2800

<www.frontiertexas.com>: Relive 18th- and 19th-century Texas frontier action — including gunfights and Indian attacks — through the cutting-edge technology offered at this state-of-the-art facility.

• Galveston Island

Galveston, TX

<www.galveston.com/attractions>: This island getaway offers visitors much more than fun in the sun. Among the isle’s many historical sites and museums are the Galveston Railroad Museum (409-765-5700), where you can see restored railcars and a depot; Lone Star Flight Museum (888-354-4488), which houses restored planes; and Texas Seaport Museum (409-763-1877), where the 1877 tall ship Elissa is docked. Visitors also can enjoy magnificent restored Victorian homes, including the 1859 Ashton Villa (409-762-3933), 1886 Bishop’s Palace (409-762-2475) and 1895 Moody Mansion (409-762-7668).

• National Ranching Heritage Center

3121 Fourth St. Lubbock, TX 79409 (806) 742-0498

<www.depts.ttu.edu/ranchhc>: Near the Texas Tech University campus, this museum and historical park depict the evolution of ranching and pioneer life between the late 1700s and early 1900s. The 38 relocated and restored structures include windmills, a blacksmith shop, a bunkhouse, a dugout house and an elegant mailorder ranch house.

• Sam Houston Park

The Heritage Society 1100 Bagby St. Houston, TX 77002 (713)655-1912

<www.heritagesociety.org/ths.html>: This downtown Houston attraction features eight restored homes dating from 1823 to 1905, as well as an 1890s church. When you tour these buildings — which include a pre-Civil War home, a rowhouse and more — you’ll see period furnishings from each structure’s era.

• San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site

3523 Battleground Road LaPorte, TX 77571 (281) 479-2431

<www.tpwd.state.tx.us/park/sanjac>: On April 21,1836, “Texian” troops defeated the Mexican army here to achieve Texas independence. Today, visitors can conquer a museum, research library and the restored battleship Texas.

• Washington on the Brazos

12300 Park Road 12 Washington, TX 77880 (936) 878-2214