4 Star Places To Visit in Gonzales, Texas, United States (18)

1. 4.5 Palmetto State Park (186 reviews)
   - My old stomp'n grounds during the 80's oil boom sure has changed.
   Wednesday: 8:15 AM - 4:45 PM State Parks
   
   
   State park known for its lush plant life and excellent bird watching. See more..
   
2. 4.5 Old Jail Museum (131 reviews)
   - Interesting little museum
   Wednesday: 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM Spent 1-2 hours Speciality Museums
   
   
   We stopped by on our way to Shiner, TX. Wasn’t expecting much, but had some extra time and decided to stop in. Surprisingly, it was very entertaining. We had 6 teenagers with us and they all enjoyed it. The guide was very knowledgeable and entertaining. It only took us about a 1/2 hour. See more..
   
3. 4.5 Gonzales Memorial Museum (100 reviews)
   - Great little museum
   History Museums
   
   
   See the actual cannon marking Texas independence. Many interesting artifacts and a very knowledgeable museum director. New reflecting pool being built. Souvenirs are reasonably priced. They have just started an entrance fee of $5 per person. See more..
   
4. 4.5 Texas Heroes Square (19 reviews)
   - Great walk
   Spent < 1 hour Historic Sites
   
   
   Took early morning walk around square and saw old homes easy walk side walk uneven so you must've careful about 1 mi around area lots of history firehouse,jail,courthouse, courthouse square neat old filling station See more..
   
5. 4.5 Pioneer Village Living History Center (11 reviews)
   - A Walk Through Life in Pioneer Times
   Wednesday: 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM Spent 1-2 hours Historic Sites • Points of Interest & Landmarks
   
   
   The Pioneer Village Living History Center provides a wonderful experience of what life was like in Texas at the turn of the 20th century. Children and adults will enjoy visiting this collection of houses and buildings from the 1800s and early 1900s. All buildings are from Gonzales County, TX. Our tour was led by a very personable young guide who shared her extensive knowledge of the 15 buildings on the property. Although our visit didn't include volunteers in period clothing demonstrating skills and crafts of the era, we thoroughly enjoyed our time there. There is a handicap entrance available for quicker access. It's separate from the main entrance. Call for information and directions. Be prepared for a lot of walking. The School House and Gift Shop are air-conditioned. All others are not. The Pioneer Village Living History Center is a treasure in Gonzales, TX that's well worth a visit. See more..
   
6. 4.0 Independence Park (8 reviews)
   - Great RV Park
   Spent More than 3 hours Parks • Playgrounds
   
   
   What a surprise. We were tired and just looking for a decent place to spend the night in our RV that wouldn't cost us an arm and a leg! What a great surprise to happen along the Gonzales Parks and Recreation Dept RV Park at Independence Park. We camped in Site 6 and had full hook-ups (water, electric, and sewer) No Cable or Wi-Fi, but no problem. Our antenna picked up stations from San Antonio so we had great reception and plenty of channels to watch. I had my smartphone that tethered to our computer and iPad, so we were all set. This was one of the quietest RV Parks we have ever been to! It was wonderful and we had the Guadalupe River flowing right next to the campsite, so it was lovely. All this for only $25! I would definitely recommend and I will be back! See more..
   
7. 4.5 San Antonio Distillery (7 reviews)
   - A must stop
   Wednesday: 2:00 PM - 8:00 PM Distilleries • Distillery Tours
   
   
   My wife and I are from San Antonio and we had gone up to Houston for couple of days and we diced to stop into shiner Texas and tour the brewery. Well to our surprise it was closed Saturday of Memorial Day weekend. So on the way back we tried to stop in at templin bar in Gonzales TX. Well strike two it is permanently closed. Well we saw a Rum distillery down the street and decided to go in for one drink. Wow was this a diamond in the rough. Great service and fresh made cocktails from our wonderful bartender. She started us off with a free shot of their rum and it was smooth. Then we had a strawberry daiquiri, mojito and a pina colada. All freshly made and nothing frozen wow they are great. As we were sitting there a man came up to the bar. We started taking and had a great conversation with him come to find out he was the former owner of Templin bar. This was a great two hours of our day with great people and Rum! This place was great we will be back very soon. See more..
   
8. 4.0 Discoveries From the Past (7 reviews)
   - Architectural antiques
   Speciality & Gift Shops
   
   
   A wonderful collection of stained-glass windows and old wooden doors as well as many other items. See more..
   
9. 4.5 The Lynn Theatre (7 reviews)
   - Movies at a Bargain Price
   Theaters
   
   
   Great hometown movie theater with first run movies. No need to drive into San Antonio or Austin. The Lynn will be all that you ever wanted in a theater and the snack bar will not deplete your wallet. See more..
   
10. 4.0 Runaway Scrape Oak (6 reviews)
    - HIstoric Sam Houston Oak/Runaway Scrape Tree
    Spent < 1 hour Historic Sites
    
    
    Out Hwy 90 8.5 miles from Gonzales just past the Peach creek off on a dirt road, you can drive by and see this tree and the Braches House (1840s) from a distance. The Box House is now privately owned as is the land, so at best this is a respectful drive-by opportunity outside the property's gates and fences, The tree is where Sam Houston is said to have taken a rest after ordering the burning of Gonzales following the news of the Alamo during the runaway scrape. See more..
    
11. 4.0 Eggleston House (6 reviews)
    - One of the Oldest Surviving Structures in Gonzales, TX
    Wednesday: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM, 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM Spent < 1 hour Historic Sites
    
    
    The Eggleston House is located just east of the Gonzales Memorial Museum. Built in 1845-46, this 'dog run' cabin is typical of the period. During hot Texas summers, the wide exterior hallway between the two enclosed rooms allowed for a welcome cooling breeze. Although you can't enter the rooms, they are both fully furnished and clearly visible through the plexiglass on the doorways. Admission is free. See more..
    
12. 4.5 Long Branch Saloon (2 reviews)
    - Open 7 days a Week
    Bars & Clubs
    The Long Branch Saloon in Gonzales is a fun place to make new friends, cool off and hang out. They have craft beers on tap, a full and ask about the ghost tour of Gonzales down town. See more..
    
13. 4.5 J.B. Wells Home (2 reviews)
    - Tours are not scheduled often
    Historic Sites
    
    
    My husband and I went by the 1885 J.B.Wells Home on a Tuesday afternoon. It was the home of James 'Jim' Bailey Wells., Sr. and wife, Josephine 'Josie' Henry Wells. Jim was born in Mississippi and came to Texas with his parents when he was a child. Josie was born in Gonzales County. The house was built by T.N. Matthews. The house is made of Florida long leaf pine lumber that was shipped from Florida to Indianola on Gulf steamboats then hauled on ox carts to Gonzales. The modern house for the times had fire escapes, lightening rods and indoor plumbing. The house has 15 rooms and original furnishings. The Wells family gave the house to the Daughters of the Revolution of Texas. There are tours occasionally but I was not able to find out the exact days/times that are on a regular basis. There were tours on October 2, 2021 from 1pm-6pm for $5. It certainly worth a drive by if you are on Gonzales. There are lots of historically houses within a few blocks. See more..
    
14. 4.0 Independence Square (1 review)
    - Very nice
    Wednesday: 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM Historic Sites
    
    
    My husband and I walked around downtown (and Independence Square) on a Tuesday afternoon. The square is approximate 1 acre (1 block by 1 block). The square is like a park, has well mowed green grass, benches, bushes and a Confederate statue. The square was mapped as Market Square in 1825, however, it was originally named Jail square in 1832. In 1909, a Confederate monument honoring Confederate soldiers killed in the Civil War was placed in the square and the square was renamed Confederate Square. A couple years ago, the square was renamed Independence Square. The buildings around square were built in the late 1800s. A 1903 fire station is located on one corner of the square. Public restrooms are located next to the fire station. Texas Heroes Square is catty-corner to Independence square. We enjoyed our walk around. See more..
    
15. 4.0 1898 Dunn Houston House (1 review)
    - Not sure how to tour/see the inside but it is awesome to see the outside
    Historic Sites
    
    
    My husband and I stopped outside the Dunn Houston House for a few minutes. I am not sure how to tour/see the inside but it is awesome to see the outside. James Dunn Houston arrived in Gonzales County in 1864. When he was 18 years old, he got in to the cattle business and started driving herds of cattle to Kansas. As a Cattle baron, he started building his home in 1895 and it was completed in 1898. The house has 15 rooms plus 5 bathrooms. There are lots of historically houses within a few blocks. See more..
    
16. 4.0 1902 Dr. J. J. Fouts House (1 review)
    - Beautiful. Private residence.
    Historic Sites
    
    
    My husband and I stopped outside the Dr. Fouts House for few minutes. It is a beautiful white painted house with large first and second floor porches in the front and huge oak trees. It is a private residence. Dr. Fouts started building his home in 1902. He was the son of a Florida sawmill owner so he had Florida cypress and pine shipped to Gonzales to build the home. Dr. Fouts graduated from Tulane Medical School and moved the Gonzales in 1890. There are lots of historically houses within a few blocks. See more..
    
17. 4.0 Oak Forest Bridge (1 review)
    - Nice walk over history
    Points of Interest & Landmarks
    
    
    My husband and I enjoyed walking across the 1913 Oak Forest Bridge on a Tuesday morning in August. The bridge was originally on CR-143 over the Guadalupe River but was moved and is now a part of a trail over Kerr Creek in near Gonzales City Park. Nice walk over history. See more..
    
18. 4.0 Historic Courthouse (1 review)
    - Very interesting
    Historic Sites • Points of Interest & Landmarks • Government Buildings
    
    
    Gonzales County historic courthouse was completed in 1896 after 2 years of building. It is a three-story building built with red brick and white limestone trim. The original cost was cost $64,450. It had extensive repairs in 1958 & 1997. The beautiful courthouse is located on the square in Gonzales. Gonzales has many historic sites to visit (most are free). It is certain worth a visit. See more..