NAVASOTA, Texas (KBTX) – For many Texans, the Fourth of July is about fireworks and family cookouts. At Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historic Site, it\u2019s also about standing where Texas\u2019 own independence story began, and marking a milestone in how the Lone Star State became part of the nation it celebrates.<\/p>\n
The Texas historic site, set on 293 acres of parkland along the Brazos River, is known as \u201cWhere Texas Became Texas.\u201d It is the place where 59 delegates met and signed the Texas Declaration of Independence from Mexico on March 2, 1836, launching what would become the Republic of Texas.<\/p>\n
From 1836 to 1846, Texas existed as a separate nation, before the question of annexation came to the forefront. Site staff say Washington-on-the-Brazos offers a \u201cbookended\u201d look at the Republic\u2019s decade-long history because discussions about joining the United States also took place there and were ultimately voted on in the property.<\/p>\n
This year\u2019s July 4 programming is designed to connect those chapters of Texas history with the national holiday, including a commemoration tied directly to the Lone Star being added to the American flag.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is also the 180th anniversary of when Texas was added to the American flag,\u201d said Chandler Wahrmund, assistant site manager for the Fanthorp Inn State Historic Site, which is part of the broader Republic of Texas Complex.<\/p>\n
A historic site with multiple stops<\/p>\n
Washington-on-the-Brazos includes several major attractions:<\/p>\n
Visitor Center:\u00a0The recommended starting point for guests. It features interactive exhibits presenting a timeline of the Texas Revolution and includes the Museum Store, with snacks and Texas-themed items. The Visitor Center is free and is where visitors can gather information and purchase entry tickets for the site\u2019s paid attractions.Independence Hall:\u00a0A replica building that sits on the spot where the Texas Declaration of Independence was signed, allowing visitors to visualize where that pivotal moment unfolded.Star of the Republic Museum:\u00a0A central museum on the grounds focused on the Republic era.Barrington Living History Farm:\u00a0A living-history area that interprets life in the Republic of Texas period through demonstrations and activities.<\/p>\n
The historic site is also the core of the Republic of Texas Complex, which includes Fanthorp Inn, a preserved 19th-century stagecoach inn in nearby Anderson.<\/p>\n
July 4 events across the grounds<\/p>\n
Staff say this year\u2019s July 4 celebration will include activities happening throughout the site, with scheduled programs at key times.<\/p>\n
According to site staff, the day includes:<\/p>\n
Flag raising ceremony at 11 a.m.Readings of the American Declaration of Independence at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.Star of the Republic Museum cockade-making,\u00a0creating patriotic lapel decorationsBarrington Living History Farm games,\u00a0including trap ball, a precursor to baseballTownsite activities at Hatfield\u2019s Exchange,\u00a0a recreated high-class bar from the period, with lemonade and other period-inspired nonalcoholic drinks for visitors<\/p>\n
Wahrmund said the day is a chance to revisit the country\u2019s founding words, and understand why they still matter.<\/p>\n
\u201cI love to read the words of Thomas Jefferson on the day, July 4th, to really understand why we exist as a nation,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Hours and admission<\/p>\n
Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historic Site will be open 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on July 4, and admission is free all day.<\/p>\n
Copyright 2026 KBTX. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"NAVASOTA, Texas (KBTX) – For many Texans, the Fourth of July is about fireworks and family cookouts. At…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":358182,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[18298,5799,124182,2419,2786,3811,27,29,28,2001],"class_list":["post-358181","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-texas","tag-brazos","tag-celebration","tag-fourth","tag-history","tag-holiday","tag-july","tag-texas","tag-texas-headlines","tag-texas-news","tag-washington"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/358181","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=358181"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/358181\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/358182"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=358181"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=358181"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=358181"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}