Museum offers glimpse of Texas’ fight for freedom


On the east side of Harris County there sits a plot of land not more than a mile wide and a couple of miles long which played a key role in the independence of Texas and the development of the entire Southwestern United States.

It was at San Jacinto that an army led by Sam Houston defeated Santa Anna, thus winning Texas’ independence. The U.S.’s annexation of Texas in 1845 led to the Mexican American War of 1846-48. Mexico’s defeat added the territories of California, Arizona, New Mexico and part of Nevada, Colorado and Utah to American soil.

A 570-foot monument now stands on the site of that battle. In the base of the monument is a museum which documents Texas’ history going back to precolonial Mexico. A large portion of the museum is dedicated to the Texas Revolution and early days of the Republic.

The museum, which charges no admission fee, also had artifacts from Texas’ involvement in the U.S. Civil War and well as postwar Texas. History buffs can also see the events unfold on the silver screen in the film “Texas Forever.” Admission to the film is $4 for adults, $3.50 for children under 12 and seniors 65 and older.

For a fee of $4 visitors can take an elevator to the observation deck nearly 500 feet in the air, where they can get a bird’s eye view of the ship channel and surrounding area.

The San Jacinto Monument and Museum are located at 3523 Battleground Rd. in Deer Park. Park hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., open seven days a week.