Four World War II veterans attended the reopening of the George H.W. Bush Gallery at the National Museum of the Pacific War in Fredericksburg. The remodeled history museum is one of the best in the state.
Texas Historical Commission
After 40 years, the bloom might be off the Austin event’s rose, at least for those who have participated in the global festival and conference — or even just tolerated it — for decades.
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Grieve not. There are plenty of ways to enjoy the Texas spring without SXSW. We offer some handy trips within driving distance of Austin that offer history, art, music and nature.
Living history in full costume at Washington-on-the-Brazos
Costumed characters teach early Texas skills at Washington-on-the-Brazos several days a week. The Texas State Historic Site, where the Declaration of Independence was signed, now includes multiple buildings that approximate the townsite.
Texas Historical Commission
If your family enjoys even a bit of Texas history, take them to Washington-on-the-Brazos. The site of an early settlement at the conjunction of the Brazos and Navasota rivers is best known as the site of the March 2, 1836 signing of the Texas Declaration of Independence.
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During modern times, the Texas State Historic Site has served as prime picnic grounds that accommodated the Star of the Republic Museum, an ample visitors center, a replica of the Republic of Texas capitol building, and broad meadows fringed with forest where the original townsite stood.
In addition, the attached Barrington Farm offered the President Anson Jones home where living-history participants worked the vegetable garden and baked bread in a detached kitchen, among other tasks.
After a $57 million redo, Washington-on-the-Brazos is reborn with multiple new buildings that flesh out the townsite as carefully documented by archaeologists, historians and others. Several days a week, it becomes a center for even more costumed living history. The museum, too, has been thoroughly redone.
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Tickets are now required for Wednesdays through Sundays when historical demonstrations take place. No tickets are needed for the lightly staffed visitors center and grounds Mondays and Tuesdays. Top individual tickets go for $10 and there are all sorts of discounts. — Michael Barnes
23400 Park Road 12, Washington. 936-878-2214, thc.texas.gov/historic-sites/washington-brazos.
World-class art and a Frida Kahlo blockbuster in Houston
First look at the “Frida Kahlo: Making of an Icon” at the Museum of Fine Arts Houston in Houston, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026.
Houston Chronicle/Hearst Newspap/Houston Chronicle via Getty Imag
A day trip to the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston offers a reset with artistic weight. Among the draws is the return of “The Sugar Shack” by Ernie Barnes, which graced the cover of Marvin Gaye’s “I Want You.” Also, the museum’s sprawling “Art and Fashion: Statement Pieces” exhibition, on display through March 15, shows 36 designer ensembles from houses like Chanel, Balenciaga and Louis Vuitton.
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The headliner, however, is “Frida: The Making of an Icon,” on display through May 17. The exhibition brings together more than 30 works by Frida Kahlo alongside over 120 pieces by artists across generations, tracing how Kahlo’s image evolved from painter to global symbol.
All-access daily tickets are typically priced between $20 and $24. On Thursdays, general admission to the museum’s permanent collections is free, though blockbuster shows require a discounted ticket. —Ana Gutierrez
1001 Bissonnet St., Houston. 713-639-7300, mfah.org.
A modern take on the WWII Asia-Pacific Theater in Fredericksburg
The George H.W. Bush Gallery and the surrounding grounds at the National Museum of the Pacific War are packed with “macro-artifacts” from the museum’s vast historical collections.
Texas Historical Commission
All told, the National Museum of the Pacific War, located in the charming Hill Country tourist town of Fredericksburg, might be the best history museum in Texas. It’s time to visit.
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The six-acre campus of the Texas State Historic Site, since 2003, showcases a couple dozen distinct elements that include the newly refitted George H.W. Bush Gallery, which is, as the American-Statesman reported in December, in many ways the core of the campus.
Originally opened in 2009, this miraculously up-to-the-minute exhibition space tells the story of the Asia-Pacific Theater of World War II in room after room of dynamic displays, personalized stories and smart interactive elements. Reopened on Dec. 6 after several months of intensive work, the Bush Gallery now feels more accessible, rational and emotionally powerful.
Don’t skip, however, the separate Admiral Nimitz Gallery. It was here that Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, commander in chief of the U.S. Pacific Fleet during World War II, grew up.
His family ran a hotel on Fredericksburg’s main stem. Born in 1885, Nimitz did not want a museum dedicated to his service and instead insisted that the proposed site tell stories of the ordinary people affected by the war at home and abroad. The hotel, restyled to echo its look during the admiral’s childhood, nowadays does tell his life story. That’s a good thing. It includes his role in accepting the formal surrender of the Japanese Empire aboard the USS Missouri on Sept. 2, 1945.
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Truth be told, you could spend a couple of days on the museum’s campus: $26 general admission. The museum offers numerous ticket discounts for age, etc. Children under 9, for instance, visit for free. Closed Tuesdays.
Save time to walk up and down Fredericksburg’s main drag to sample wine, food, art and more history. — M.B.
311 E. Austin St., Fredericksburg. pacificwarmuseum.org/visit
The ‘Selena Effect,’ ‘Lonesome Dove’ and more in San Marcos
“The Selena Effect” celebrates the late Tejano star Selena Quintanilla-Pérez as a cultural figure and pop icon with rare photos, outfits and fashion sketches.
René Guzman/San Antonio Express-News
One of the hidden treasures of San Marcos is the Wittliff Collections, located on the seventh floor of the Alkek Library on the Texas State University campus (check the website for parking advice).
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The big recent news out of this museum and research trove, focused on writers, photographers and musicians, was the acquisition of the Taylor Sheridan Archive. The papers of the square-jawed TV actor, writer and producer have not yet been cataloged, but you can learn more about what’s coming to campus at the Wittliff.
The current exhibitions include “Discoveries: Photographs by Geoff Winningham,” “The Selena Effect” and “Spirit of The Wittliff in 40 Objects,” as well as a small but powerful permanent exhibit on “Lonesome Dove.” Collections co-namesake Bill Wittliff wrote the screen adaptation for the iconic miniseries based on Larry McMurtry’s novel.
You should be able to do all four shows in less than 90 minutes. Ask questions. It’s a research spot, so everybody there is eager to help.
Afterward, wander around campus, or along the San Marcos River and Spring Lake Natural Area, as well as around downtown and the courthouse square, where you’ll find several excellent eateries. All of this — except lunch and parking — are free. — M.B.
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601 University Dr., San Marcos. 512-245-2313, thewittliffcollections.txst.edu.
Birding 101 during spring migration all over Central Texas
A marker telling the story of the golden-cheeked warbler is one of the popular attractions at Wild Basin Wilderness Preserve. Photo by Pam LeBlanc
Austin American-Statesman
Always wanted to try birding? You are in luck. Spring migration has begun. In addition to the scores of resident species, dozens more visit Central Texas on their way back north after the winter.
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Except for grackles, pigeons, house sparrows and other annoyingly social types that adore the company of humans, most birds will be found in green spaces far from the SXSW noise and crowds in or near downtown.
More luck: During the pandemic, we tracked down some of the best birding spots in the region. All you need are high-quality binoculars or a camera, especially one with a telephoto lens.
Although I visited Hays, Bastrop and Williamson counties during that tour, I spent most of my time in Travis County. All by itself, the county makes up a big stretch of ecologically varied land. Birding in Big Webberville Park on the county’s eastern edge is like visiting Mississippi, while Milton Reimers Ranch Park in far western Travis County might as well be New Mexico.
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Here are some other good spots for birding around Austin: Hornsby Bend Bird Observatory, Commons Ford Ranch Metropolitan Park, Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge and Roy G. Guerrero Colorado River Metro Park.