Open Tuesday-Friday for pre-booked field trips and tours. Open Saturdays for General Admission.

The George Ranch Blog

20 Jan2017

The Many Faces of Coffee

By Daniel KelloggChuckwagon Interpreter Tomorrow: come out to the 1860s Chuckwagon camp to explore the roots of coffee and its variations by delving into the history of one of America’s favorite drinks! You can learn about coffee production of old as well as the many substitutes used when coffee beans were unavailable. Brief History of Coffee...

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12 Jan2017

Embassies and legations when Texas was its own country

By Matthew DriggersHistoric Houses and Group Tours Lead Interpreter During my 16 years working at the George Ranch Historical Park, I’ve been asked a lot of questions. Many overseas guests want to know if Texas was really like John Wayne movies; other visitors are fascinated with the Republic of Texas and the years the...

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21 Nov2016

Workshop Schedule for Christmas in the Park

Christmas in the Park kicks off on Saturday, December 3! Though most activities (including the hayride, wassail and Treehouse Story Time with Santa) are included with general admission, special holiday workshops will be held every Saturday for those wanting to dive deeper into the Christmas traditions of the many cultures that created Texas! Cost:...

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30 Sep2016

Ranch Life: Cow Hunts, Beeves and the History of Cattle Drives

BY SARAH LERCHGeorge Ranch Historical Park Intern Tomorrow, the George Ranch Historical Park will recreate a centuries-old tradition—rounding up cattle and bringing them to market! Roundups Traditionally, a roundup (or “cow hunt”) was held over a period of several weeks from late spring to early summer and again in the fall. Henry Jones, who...

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13 Sep2016

GRIT Volunteers: Our Biggest Crew Yet!

By Hannah MosesPrograms & Volunteer Coordinator This year was our biggest student summer volunteer crew yet. Eighteen students completed the summer program — including some first-timers and some in their third summer with us! The acronym GRIT (George Ranch Interpretive Teen) really captures the essence of volunteering at the Ranch — a strong character and...

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27 Jun2016

An American Tradition

By Krystal Willeby, Director of Programs July 4. Independence Day. America’s birthday. By any of its names, the anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence in 1776 holds a special place in our country’s history and heritage. As we make our plans for this July 4, let’s take a moment to look to...

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01 Jun2016

Hands-On Summer History!

School’s out for summer and if you’re looking for a great day trip with the kids, we’ve got some fun activities planned every week! Every day at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., we will host the Hands-On History Hour. These special hands-on experiences will be offered throughout the Park and will rotate on a...

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25 Jan2016

Cattle Branding in Texas

By CHRIS GODBOLDCurator of Collections Cowboys have branded cattle in Texas since it was a Spanish colony. Early Texan colonists used initials, numbers or pictures on their brands. Brands were used to mark ownership of livestock. Ranchers could claim any non-branded livestock found on their property. Texas counties began registering brands in the days...

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14 Dec2015

Last-Minute Gift Guide

‘Twas the week before ChristmasAnd we’ve given a thoughtTo some last-minute presents —Some historic, some not! Stuffed longhorns and cowboy hats,Ornaments and books,Our gift shop has everything —Come take a few looks! Check out our gift guideAnd here’s a good reason:Support Texas historyThis holiday season! George Ranch Historical Park Ornaments:featuring the 1830s Jones Stock Farm and 1890s Davis Victorian...

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08 Dec2015

Postcards and Christmas Decorations in Victorian Texas

By CHRIS GODBOLDCurator of Collections​ People living in mid- to late-Victorian (1870-1901) and Edwardian (1901-1910) Texas enjoyed sending postcards. Folding greeting cards, while available, were not widely sent; early postcards were printed with artwork, an advertisement or left without a design on the front. Photos were not added to postcards until around 1900. Soon...

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