Battleship Texas and San Jacinto Monument & Museum - LaPorte

Address:3523 Highway 134
LaPorte, Texas
Tel: (281) 479-2431

The 1,200 acre Battleship Texas and San Jacinto Monument & Museum, has been proudly on display since 1948. The museum was the site of the famous battle of San Jacinto in 1836 that gained Texas its independence from Mexico. To commemorate that victory, civic leaders in 1936 built a towering 570 foot monument topped with a 34 foot Texas Lone Star. This award winning sculpture weighs an unbelievable 70,300,000 pounds and is 125 square feet at the base alone.

In the base of the monument is the museum containing some interesting exhibits, such as one about the Texas hero, "Deaf" Smith, and a collection of watercolors of the Mexican War painted by Sam Chamberlain. Also housed in the museum is an auditorium where you can watch a 35-minute documentary of the Battle of San Jacinto. Visitors can take the elevator up to the observation room in the top floor of the monument to enjoy a beautiful vista of the Port of Houston and the land for miles around.

You can tour the grounds by taking a 2.5 mile hike around the battlegrounds as the battle comes to life right before your eyes.

In the museum's store you'll find stamps, maps, novelty license plates, posters, videos, books, and more. There's also a small snack shop to curb your food cravings.

To get to the museum take Interstate 610 east and take Texas Highway 225 east to Battleground Road (Texas Highway 134). Turn right on Park Road 1836 for the Monument or continue on Highway 134 another mile to reach the Battleship Texas and San Jacinto Monument & Museum. The entrance is on your left.

In 1948, the Battleship TEXAS became the first battleship memorial museum in the U.S. That same year, on the anniversary of Texas Independence, the Texas was presented to the State of Texas and commissioned as the flagship of the Texas Navy. In 1983, the TEXAS was placed under the stewardship of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and is permanently anchored on the Buffalo Bayou and the busy Houston Ship Channel. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department's 1,200-acre San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site consists of the Battleground, Monument and Battleship TEXAS.