Reviews of San Jacinto Museum of History (Museum)

Teresa Bissi

Nice piece of history... Made you think as to how a penny got into the ledge on top

Dario Chavez

The San Jacinto Monument is another great place to visit or bring friends and family from out of town. The staff is very knowledgeable and friendly. My favorite part was the observation deck atop the obelisk, it was well worth the small fee. Once on top, one can see nice views of the Houston Ship Channel and the area around. On a clear day the Fred Hartman Bridge are visible as well. I've been a history buff for a long time, visiting the park and monument are like seeing a bit of history. I definitely recommend that you make the time to visit.

Mark Overman

Great place, birthplace of Texas

Bill Anz

Expensive elevator ride. Cost my family of four $22 just to ride to the top for an average view. If it wasn't for the view of the Texas it would have been a complete waste. If you're hoping to see the ship bring your own binoculars or a good 35mm with zoom/telephoto lenses otherwise it's a bit underwhelming. We paid the same amount to actually tour the ship which was FAR more worth it.

Amy M Vaughn

I get to now bring my children to a place I loved as a kid. Elevator is still a bit scary, there is a small fee. Museum has beautiful displays of Texas history. Gift shop is fun too.

Nataliia Kotenko

History of Texas, place of significance for all Texans, and theres military discounts for family

D F

The gift shop has great stuff and the artifacts are amazing.

Larry Oneal

I'm going to miss the battleship ...I hope they bring her back ..

Brooke

A diamond in the rough!!! Very cool sights and very cheap! I learned so much about Houston and areas of Texas! The sights are breathtaking and did not affect my fear of heights. The ride up is in a regular elevator. But there are even more things on ground level to learn.

Robert ČEP

Nice view to Houston Bay and historical place for Houstonian people.

Oscar Zertuche

Nice cool place to visit on a warm day

JD Lott

The exhibit inside is really interesting, maybe not the best for younger/less patient kids. I gave a 5 star because the monument is impressive! Great free place to visit.

Daniel Lambeth

Great day trip for anyone who wants to learn more about Texas history

Jeremy Little

Very open environment. Great place to take the kids for some educational fun and ride the elevator to the top. Loved looking at all the historical documents and soldier attire. Very nice to see Texas represented in such an important way.

Matthew Sanford

Loved the history this was made for

shandy copher

An amazing structure and the cost for the elevator ride is well-worth it! The view is astonishing. Excellent bit of history. :-)

Ben Hancock

Makes for a nice day trip depending on where you are in Houston. You sort of have to drive through a section of heavy industrial refineries to get out to it but it's worth it. Monument is interesting and you can pay a small fee to take an elevator to the top. I walked around here for a bit then headed out to San Leon for some oysters. Made for a decent day out.

Kim Hayes

Very sad but interesting place would reccommend.

Alli Spencer-Driden

I love that you can pay to ride to the top of the tower! Really neat park and museum!

Arif Siddiqui

Well established historical place, displayed and illustrated items related to the history.

Margaret Lucht

Great piece of Texas history. Visit the ship, it's fun to explore.

J B

Great place to take your kids to show them some State history. Go to the top of the monument. Beautiful views.

Brian Pinkley

Cool place except at the top. A/C must have been broken....

Ken Kehler

Excellent place to view an old battleship. Well worth the trip for both young and old.

B C

Liked visiting. I enjoy history. It's a shame to drive through roads lined with oil tanks to get there, though

Chris C

Museum was pretty interesting. The trip up the elevator might be worth it if it isn't crowded. On a busy day, its super cramped up there. I'd visit the museum again, but not the observation level.

Mycne Groce

Very amazing to see

Myron Martin

Remember the Alamo was a battle cry here at Jacinto! We really enjoyed the history of independence from Mexico for Texas here at the memorial, the movie provided a nice historical perspective! The monument provided a nice aerial view of the surrounding oil refineries and ships and a nice view of the USS Texas! And also you could envision how the battle took place many years before all the oil refineries were there!

Buddy Conyers

Great monument explaining Texas history. Too bad the surrounding battlefields are no longer maintained. Weeds over your head in many areas. Texans should be outraged one of our most historical sites are in this condition. No longer live in Texas but was very surprised. Again the monument area was nicely maintained

Daniel Bellamy

It appears that it's being updated so it is hard to truly rate. I did enjoy what I did see though. Nice to still see a lot of people interested in our history.

Andrea Mays

Even though I went through Texas history in school, actually going to places like this really drive home the importance of the sacrifices our forefathers made. Texas parks and wildlife department have done a marvelous job in the management of this property, presentation of the facts, an outstanding display of artifacts, pictures and paintings, period clothing and tools ... these are all on display inside the museum on the bottom floor of the monument. There is even a 3+ mile path you can walk to retrace the different battleground and significant moments

Tanya Horak

Great place to relax away from work.

Jerry McSpadden

This is a great place to learn about the history of the Battle of San Jacinto. The museum has any things to see and read about the History. Very well laid out and usually is not very crowded

Shirley LaFerney

Very nice. Ride the elevator to the top a d have a great view.

Marc Ness

This place is a must see. For all of the non-Texans (I am definitely one), this is eye-opening about how the US was formed in this part of the continent. For Texans, this will be a point of pride with some balance. I am proud of Texas, and Texans, after this. Even as a small-s socialist.

John Taton

Love the elevator ride!

Viridiana Zepeda

You can never take an ugly picture because th is placeis picture perfect. I love it!

George Floyd

Nice collection of artifacts

Ryan W

Mega expensive to tour and ride. Must pay extra to ride an elevator up to a tiny room.

Luis Ledesma

Great place to walk and historic museum and staff

Anahi Soto

History always interesting. 6dll to go in the elevator that takes you five hundred plus ft in the tower. There's a gift shop, displays with belongings and facts about the war. The tower itself amazing, there's facts engraved on the tower, which were individually carved...must go...

James Perkins

So historical. So many interesting artifacts. Magnificent view from the top.

James Templeton

Beautiful monument and great staff

Raul Zepeda

A place everyone can visit and learn about Texas History

Ruben Kan

Nice little museum at the base of the monument. Many artifacts are viewable free of charge. They have a theater showing films for a little extra. Going up the monument in the elevator costs $6. Very educational for anyone interested in Texas history.

Stephan Shaffer

As a new Texan this monument visit and museum was so educational and helped boost my pride in this great state. Beautiful prairie land and inspiring monument to the battle that help found the great Republic of Texas. Great place for education, picnicking and enjoying family time.

Tim Grier

Lots of Texas history. Wonderful place to visit.

Sandi Wilson

Being a native Texan I love everything about our history. The view from the top is breathtaking. The movie is spectacular & well presented & the displays are phenomenal. Everyone who works there is very friendly & knowledgeable. It represents the major turning point in our history. Take the school age kids so they can learn how it really was.

Adrianne Moss

Cool place good history

Noah D

It’s an awesome must stop and see part of Texas history. The size and scale of the monument is truly impressive!

Scott Baylor

Loved it. Very well done

Katrin Kinderknecht

It was a nice place. There's a museum inside but I didn't visit it. You can also use the elevator to the top of the building.

mr duck and miss duck

School trip with grandson. We both enjoyed it.

Mel A. P.

I remember coming here as a kid. I recently had guest from South Africa and decided it might be of interest to them. There was enough information for non-Texans and persons form out side of the USA to learn a good bit about Texas early days. There are several options for visitors, including the ground level musem (part of which is free). On a nice day one can walk the grounds to visit some of the landmarks or maybe just take a moment to sit and enjoy next to the reflecting pool.

Troy Suza

It's a great spot to show the history of Texas. It's very clean and a/c is blasting, the monument is very Awe inspiring but I can't help but feel it just needs something else there to get more people coming or to make it all around amazing, maybe some tours or recreations of the war or another monument or something.

Rumaldo Gonzalez

Great place to visit

Jennifer Rodriguez

Loved all the history...

Patrick Smith

Great piece of history.

Kristopher Pastrano

The exhibits were very informative and interesting. They cover time periods all the way from pre-colombian to modern day. It was not crowded the day we went. There are also trails around the battleground site for hiking or biking.

Tiffany Hicks

Took my girls for a Texas History day, they loved it, and we are planning on going again.

Jennifer Bullard

Beautiful monument. Informative exhibits. Great place to visit with your family.

Olivia Allen

Very nice monument and museum. We couldn't tour the battleship due to time but drove around the area and looked at markers showing what happened during the battle. The dioramas were my favorite part. The woman in the elevator was such a sweetheart and gavr us information on how many floors and such.

Dan Hooks

Peace & quiet neat artifacts

Whitman Fallis

If you are a fan of Texas history, this is a must visit location. The first thing you need to do is to go to the visitor center (at the bottom of the tower) and check out the museum. Don't waste your money on the paid advertisement by the local oil companies. You shouldn't have to pay to check out their "exhibits". Love the industry, I just don't get that they are trying to capitalize / monetize a historical monument. After doing the cool video, you should now be prepared to actually see where the Texas heroes fought and what the battlefield looked like from their view. Go to both the Texan and Mexican sides of the battlefield. It's very accessible via car. They have done a great job marking everything.

Andy Sirianni

A really cool place, that sadly i didn't know much about until we get there. Lots of good history and you can take most of it in with a quick stop. A great and quick ride to the top to look over the harbor and also a couple of smaller exhibits down at ground level. I'm not sure if there was a wheel chair accessible ramp thought o get up to the main doors.

Peter Bell

Great place to see. The monument is immense and well worth the 6 dollar price to visit to top.

frankie reyes

Always a great place to bring your family and relax for a while. Very informative and the staff is extremely friendly to everybody plus are you supporting historic Texas monument just by visiting and investing some time and money here highly recommend five stars love it!!!

JONATHAN CHEN

Very historic museum. Let students understand the modern history of the United States.

G Oleg

A quick but thorough education on independence of Texas and surrounding states

Chris Killgore

Lots of history to see and read about. Some pretty cool artifacts. Nice view from the top.

Annabelle Roman

I love historical places. Even if it takes a long hours of travel as long as I ended up here. I love to experience and visit the all places with these memorable place. It was worth it.

Kar Leong Low

Nice place to look at the history of the war. Do not go up to the observation tower if cloudy. I paid to go up and couldn't see the outside forgetting that it was cloudy

Tammy Emert

This was our second time going but first time going up to observation deck. Had a great time. It is a great piece of history! Easy access for wheelchair service.

jessica blevins

Was a beautiful place to go and view with the family. And an amazing elevator lady I can't recall her name but she was fabulous!

Sandra Curtis

Enjoyed the plan on returning, hope to stay longer. Learned a lot of interesting facts about the independence of Texas at the museum.

Kerry Bradley

The Battle at San Jacinto, recognized by historians as one of the most significant in world history, freed Texas from Mexico and allowed the United States to acquire the huge southwest territory. The Museum and Monument commemorate Gen. Sam Houston’s victory over the larger army commanded by Santa Anna which gave Texas it’s freedom. The displays inside are well presented. The trip to the top of the Monument and views from there are not to be missed. The film about the Texas Revolution is a great introduction to Texas history for all age groups. We enjoyed touring the battlefield as well with the audio descriptions of the site.

Brandon DeHay

One our favorite sites to visit!

Nate Pennings

This was a really interesting place- and many of the exhibits are free.

Tia Bonham

The monument is really impressive. Good low-cost educational and also somewhat exciting excursion. The film is well produced and edited and presents a side of Texas history I never knew. It was pretty fascinating. The artifacts are awesome too. Its not a large museum. It's just enough. It was pretty cool to be able to go up to the observation deck. If anything. We took a large group of kids(61 to be exact) on a rainy day and they were extremely patient with us. If anything, I would recommend outdoor seating, but I also understand why they don't do that. It's a historical monument which should be reverenced more than a park or picnic grounds. The scenery on the way is, of course, the bread and butter of the Houston economy- oil refineries. Not picturesque, but the truth is, it forces you to remember this part of the backbone of our nations economic prosperity, so...The actual monument grounds are gorgeous and the view is amazing. We enjoyed the trip there. I recommend it. Plan to spend 2-3 hours here if you see the film, read about some of the artifacts, go up, and visit the gift shop.

Charles Lau

The historical significance of this place cannot be underestimated. Thanks to the victory of the San Jacinto battle, Texas gained its independence from Mexico. This led to the Mexican-American war where the USA won one-third of its present area (from Texas to California) from Mexico. Even though I'm a foreign visitor, I was moved by the impact of this decisive battle. The interesting museum and the excellent 35 minute film explain the history of Texas and the San Jacinto battle in great details and are highly recommended. The observation deck offers great view of the historical battleground and the surrounding waterways. (Unfortunately most of the areas around the battleground are occupied by petrochemical plants and industries.) The place is accessible by car only and there is no public transport. There is ample free parking around the monument.

Sabrina P

The children weren't very excited since we didn't use the elevator to go to the top floor. If prices would of been updated on the website perhaps we would of planned to spend more time here. Other than that pretty nice place to visit.

Aimee Lim

The view on the top is amazing . You will learn a lot of American history. This place is highly recommended for school children. We enjoyed visiting the battleship. Kind of neat place. The staff are friend and knowledgeable. Well maintained building. Price is very reasonable.

Chloe Estes

It was pretty cool to see it was a my first time there even considering I live near this place..

emma lanier

What a wonderful experience. If you love history and Texas, you will love the museum. The staff is friendly and passionate and know their Texas history. Everything really is bigger in Texas.

Paul Kaelin

Very historical, neat ecperience.

Melissa Z Prince

My kids loved riding the elevator to the top and they enjoyed seeing all the old weapons in the museum. They could not believe there was actually a battle at that very spot and they enjoyed learning about it.

Kathryne Malfa

I wish this was a bit more accessible for handicap folks. But it's a historical site so, it is what it is.

Christine Siverand

Had a great time and learned so much! Fantastic movie for all ages.

Angela Landers

This place is amazing great place to take family so much history.

viviana arriola

Yes. Great place. Very informative

Melissa Moses

Museum is the same. The trail was a joke. Over grown and some parts I could barely get though.

brianqb

Free for Active Duty families through September!

Debra Winstead

So much Texas history!! My 4 yr old grandson loved it!!

Duane Dixon

Was neat to see the final battleground for Texas Independence. The spire is magnificent, the observation deck was fun, the movie was good, sadly, however, I wanted more from the museum. All in all it was a good experience but the Alamo has much more. Seeing as San Jacinto was the final and defining battle for Texas Independence I expected more from the museum.

Larry Parrish

Texas breed so this place has a lot of memories for me.

John Doe

Awesome Texas history. This is where we got Texas.

Tammy Hollingshead

Must see! A lot of history. Nice museum inside.

Jet7Black Jet7Black

An impressive monument. Free museum inside with hundreds of artifacts. Very informative. Beautiful setting... Great place to learn more about Texas history! Awesome place to go to do some sightseeing lots of wildlife and birds to photograph hiking trail is extremely overgrown with all sorts of stuff. Watch where you step!

Steve Treviño

I loved the park, the grounds, the battleship. The tower gives a great bird's eye view of the grounds. The museum was fantastic with many items of the past. I wish the gift shop in the tower had more items for sale. They do not even sale flags. I would imagine if there was any place in Texas that sold flags it would be here. I was wrong... Other than that the experience was great.

Valeria Mcdonald

Amazing to see the uniforms, clothing and common items of 1840's on display. The clothing in particular makes me realize how much we've changed. Cotton and wool were the primary fabrics worn in a hot, humid climate. But seeing the small sizes brings home the change in our bodies and diets too. The adults of the period were the size or smaller than average 14 year olds of today. Going up to the observation deck, seeing the area almost surrounded by water gives a better understanding of battle too. Amazing to see all the industry in place almost 200 years after that defining battle. It changed the course of not just Texas but the United States and Mexico.

Happy Feet Homestead

So amazing! Standing next to it the size overtakes you! It was beautiful and loved the history!

Rob H

Flow and Roberta were as friendly and knowledgeable as could be. This is a great park that everyone should visit.

Rusty Davis

Great place to visit! Especially for your child to learn about some Texas History!

Geo CiMedman

Loved the wee museum in the Monument... for the first time, I understand how Old Sam whupped Santie Anna! Great film with Charlton Heston narrating. Loved the markers in the.old battlefield, and how the terrain helped win the battle. And finally got to ride to the observation tower, amazing!

Jeremy Brett

Good view kids had a great time

Texas Chick

I used to love going to the monument on school outings....I love it even more as an adult. There is nothing better than learning the history of your home state.

Blake G

Great place to be reminded of our presious Texas history. "Come and Take It".

Owen Carew

An interesting memorial and a lot can be read into the story of why it exists. Definitely took some of the shine off to see an exhibit that required paid entry - when the exhibit was a sales pitch by petroleum companies talking about how great they are to the people of Texas. Actual historical exhibits are free and worthwhile.

Danny Wallace

Fantastic exhibitions, paintings and artefacts from the battle and many personal effects from those who fought it and made Texas what it is today. The museum sits directly under the monument, take a ride to the top and see the amazing views. Only given 4 stars due to the disappointing room at the top of the monument.

richard lundy

Loved it as a kid and still do 35 years later

Jenna Kocurek

I love love love the Texas monument I’ve actually walked around it quite a few times and read the inscriptions on the sides of the monument the grounds are beautiful. Thank you to the parks maintenance and grounds keepers for keeping the place so beautiful and clean I just hope it stays this way for future generations.

Jennifer Palm

Memorial is beautiful, of course lots of history. Museum part is free. Only pay for the specialty museum section and to go to the top. It's not overly expensive. Great views.

Esther Mercado

A must visit the top of the monument, once up it will take few minutes to enjoy the panoramic views. From here visit the USS Texas just a mile from the Museum

Atheendra S

Very nice place for a 2-3 hour visit. Informative museum and the views from the top of the monument are amazing- can see the ship channel and all the refining facilities near the Buffalo bayou. There are also some short trails in the area.

Christopher Clarke

An impressive monument. Free museum inside with hundreds of artifacts. The elevator to the top and movie cost a medium fee. We did the elevator. The view was impressive.

Pete Poindexter

They had pay telescopes but the change machine was broken.

vacations and food

Very nice place. Good place for barbeque too. There was a tower and a war ship. You need to pay if you like to try them. The only not good thing is they close early and you have to move your car from the parking lot.

Ben Masters

Excellent museum! I consider myself an amateur history buff and learn quite a few things on just the free tour! Well worth the trip to learn more about this awesome state!

cla Soriano

Came for a 4th grade field trip. Video was very informative. Great place for a picnic

Doris Odell

Have been visiting the monument for over 50 years. Love it!

Chris Eidson

A true must visit when near the Houston Metro. Very impressive structure, lots of historically significant artifacts. When you go, DEFINITELY take the elevator to the top for a breathtaking view of the channels.

Colin Rodman

Saw a great film that explains how Texas came to be and the Texas Revolution. Highly recommend the film.

Steve Welch

The San Jacinto Monument is a very interesting and historic place. There are all kinds of displays, historical items, and plenty of photo opportunities. You'll enjoy going here.

Mark Trautmann

I wish we would have had more time to spend here. If you have any interest whatsoever in Texas history this is a must see. This is the location where Texas won it's independence. The museum here will provide you with a couple hours of relevant historical backstory to the people and places that made Texas what it is today. For a Texas lover and history freak, it doesn't get much better than this.

Amanda Clawson

The monument is amazing but the hiking trail is extremely overgrown with all sorts of stuff and not kid friendly right now. The trail ends up putting you on private property. But we took that route since the trail has swamp land on both sides and smelled like a rotting carcass. Wont be doing the trail again anytime soon.

Jacqueline Parchem

If you love Texas history or want to learn it this is THE place to do it! It has been one of my favorite places since I was just a little kid.

Melissa Pyle

Great Texas History lesson for the kids. Definitely see the movie!!

Robert Woodworth

Complete history of Texas all the way back to Mayan, Aztec, Sam Houston, Must see!

Samuel Wasden

One of Houston's best kept historical secrets! Taller than the Washington Monument, the San Jacinto Monument commemorates the victory of the Texas forces over the Mexican forces, which ultimately led to the Texas Republic and it's eventual statehood. This battle changed the face of the nation. Come learn the history and walk the field. And while you're here, visit the Battleship Texas!

Millie Terlizzi

Very interesting history.

d boyeezy

Can not believe that they have a shell display from the energy sector..What a disgrace and dishonor the TPW have done to the Shrine of Texas... Political I bet...shame on you

Samoul Murray

That's is the place for tourists and local travelers as well. Bring here your family and friends. Learn about the Texas. Be enjoyed by the trip. Everything here is wonderful. Nothing to worry about. The staff that works there will help you out with any questions.

Marco Chapa

Very humbling and historic place. It is literally the place where Texas was born. Nice museum inside the monument with lots of information about the creation of the monument and about the historic battle that took place there. Definitely a must see for anyone visiting the Houston area.

Andrea Saenz

So much history to learn and probably one of the most important parts of Texas History!

Leo Frantz

A place everyone should visit. Not just for a trip up to the observation floor of the monument. Seeing the individual pieces used by the people, reading what they wrote, and following the development of Texas is a wonderful experience.

Vance Hansen

Lot of historic documents, artifacts, grave site, battle sites...if your a Texan, it's a must.

James Ruoff

Wonderful place very informative. Nice volunteers. Don't miss USS Texas.

Adam The Saint

If you haven't been here, and you're a Texan, shame on you.

Rhonda Gilezane

This is a great place to learn about the history of the Battle of San Jacinto. Very well laid out and usually is not very crowded

Michael Szymonik

Great piece of forgotten history.

Nuwan Gunarathne

What a great place to visit. The San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site includes the location of the Battle of San Jacinto and the museum ship USS Texas. Inside this monument they have a museum, Theater, and an observation deck. (You can buy tickets separately, or there is a combine ticket) Great place to take the kids.

Claudia Uhrig

I'm from Houston I love my history of Texas. The monument is a must go see and go to the top. It is the tallest obelisk in the United States

Sean Davenport

An incredible monument! I believe it is more spectacular than many of the monuments in DC. The ride to the top is worth the $6 as it gives you the perspective of how difficult it.must have been battling here.

Ted Roberts

Did need some clean up on the engraved letters on one side. Yard work too. Budget cuts?

Jennifer Nichole

History is awesome so this place is great to visit.

Ryley Thompson

Excellent museum. Very detailed exhibits with interesting artifacts covering Texas independence. I think the most interesting thing is that I had no idea this place existed in the first place. They currently have a paid exhibit with interesting media and other cool documents.

Marion M B

5 Stars for the Texas history plus it's a phenomenal monument Be sure to get a ticket to go up the elevator! Don't forget to drive across to the battleship Texas

Robert Harris IV

Very impressive complex, park tries to keep the land accurate to the conditions during the Battle of San Jacinto. Love it. To clarify, it does not cost $22 to ride the elevator. That is the price for the combo ticket to do everything from elevator, movie and special exhibit. The young lady at the front desk is very helpful in explaining prices thoroughly. Also, when I asked to go to the 5th floor the lady told me that’s the observation deck. I asked what’s in between that and another young man told me it’s the archives where they keep other artifacts and offices for accounting and curators. I read these other reviews and can’t believe you people actually think there’s a CIA office or Sam Houston still alive in one of these floors. Internet is crazy. Regardless, great visit. I don’t recommend going to the Battleship if you don’t want to fall or be exhausted at the end. Battleship staff are very rude for the expensive price I pay to walk around a sinking tub.

Naqeeb Ullah

It's just amazing how tall is this stone. Great place to get a piece of history and art. Definitely reccomend for everyone.

Lexie R

Pretty cool to see all the historical items

Ar Ta

Its Texas history how can you go wrong. Battleship Texas you will be missed!

Lee Schultz

The newly installed exhibit on local Industry is done amazingly well. It's user friendly, interactive, and progressive. The museum needed this update and new feature.

Anna Diaz

Not much to see. The whole trip took an hour. The cost was great for a cheap family day. It costed $21 for a family of 4. 2 adults and 2 kids to go up the elevator. The sight on the top is beautiful. The restroom are clean and the staff are very helpful.

Julie Hall

I've been to the monument, but only on the latest visit did I go into the museum and up to the top....wow, what a view! We also had the privilege of listening to the museum director speak about the history of the monument and some of the interesting facts and trivia. Texas history is so flavorful! So many people don't know about all the stuff inside the museum...I highly recommend it.

Mr. Mark Francis

The place where Texas won it's Independence! Sacred hallowed ground.

Loa Photography

An okay place if you're bored, or if you have a huge interest in Texas history. I would skip the "movie" and just go up the elevator, they show the exact same thing up there.

Nick Beasley

I really enjoy seeing the San Jacinto monument if you're in Houston it's is was seeing Museum and the people are friendly

Daniel Perales

Nice tower and view. They person on the elevator didn’t know too much info about the tower so we had to look it up! But was humble enough to say the truth!