At the Sam Houston Museum, students and patrons alike can experience rich Texas history and explore the legacies of General Sam Houston. We offer programs for public, private, and homeschool groups, as well as organizations of all kinds. Please contact us for special program options including virtual tours.
New guided tour prices effective September 3, 2024:
The Education Department offers in person tours on the lovely grounds of the Sam Houston Museum. Over the past year, we have experimented with giving tours in a different way than we have for the last several years and are moving away from doing our “traditional” rotation-based tours.
You’ll still get to interact with our knowledgeable interpreters dressed in 19th century clothing. You’ll still get to watch and participate in entertaining and educational demonstrations and hands on activities. The main difference is that we won’t be working on a rotation basis where each group goes to a station and 15 minutes later moves to the next one and so on. Rather, we will have our staff out on the grounds spread out between our historic homes and demonstration areas and each group will travel from spot to spot on your own timeline, taking in what interests each group the most. We have discovered that this style of tour works quite well and allows for the greatest amount of flexibility and interaction giving you more bang for your buck – and your time.
Demonstrations available for you to see will include: 19th century toys, hearth cooking, blackpowder, primitive fire starting, blacksmithing, spinning and fiber arts. Contrary to how we would previously schedule tours where there was a set fee per person and then a demonstration fee per demonstration – there is now a fee per person and your visit will include at least two of the listed demonstrations. Picking which demonstrations you see can be up to the group leader and we will do everything possible to accommodate your request.
Now... I know that some of our long time, veteran teachers will be likely a bit worried over changing things up – after all… we’ve been doing this a long time! And if that’s the case, never fear – we will continue to offer our “standard” tours, which will operate on a rotating schedule if that’s what you would prefer. Just let us know when you schedule your visit if that is what you would like to do.
About the movie... I’ve been recommending to our teachers for the last couple years to watch the movie that we’ve traditionally shown in our auditorium here – at school. It saves us considerable time on site and gives us more time to work with your group out on our historic grounds. I will continue to recommend this but if you would rather watch the video here on site we can do that – but be cognizant of the time we spend inside watching the video is time we won’t be spending outside seeing the history first hand.
To schedule a group visit or tour, please contact our Education Department who will be happy to coordinate your visit.
With the new style of tours, we ask that you have your students broken into the number of groups that align with the number of demonstrations & homes” (i.e. 6 groups = 6 stops) and rotations already in place. Having this done before arriving for your tour has proven to be more efficient in allowing students more time out on the grounds.
Your tour will include visits to the historic homes on the museum grounds (the Woodland Home and Steamboat House), the Main Museum, and a minimum of two demonstrations. Demonstrations available can include: hearth cooking, blackpowder, fire starting, 19th century toys, fiber arts and blacksmithing)
School tours are aimed at 4th and 7th grades, but all grades/ages are welcome. Plan to spend a minimum of 1.5 hours from start to finish of tour.
The cost is $6.00 (children 6-18) with no charge for teachers. Children under five are free. Adults are $8.00. Seniors are $7.00. Veterans are free.
The Museum offers tours especially designed for adult and senior groups all year long. Wheelchair access is available for most, but not all, of the tour areas. There is walking required across gravel paths and uneven terrain, and in some areas, the ability to climb steps is required to see every part of the Museum. Our tour consists of a movie about Sam Houston, guided access to the Steamboat House where Sam Houston died, the family's Woodland Home, Sam Houston's Law Office, and Eliza's Kitchen before visiting the Main Memorial Museum. The cost is $7 for Senior (65 & up), $8.00 for adult, and veterans are free.
If you are unable to visit the museum due to time or travel constraints, we are still capable of providing a quality experience for your group. Utilizing a combination of YouTube (for tours through our historic structures) and either Zoom or Google Meet (for live interaction) you are able to see much of the museum, and still have live access to one of our knowledgeable staff to talk about all things Sam Houston.
The Museum offers demonstrations on a rotating basis nearly all year long. There are Saturday demonstrations during the fall and spring, and then in the summer months we offer a series of different historical themed programs. Please visit the events section of our website for the Museum events calendar or our Museum Facebook page to find out what is taking place.
Homeschool Day is an opportunity for homeschool groups to have an interactive program designed for the whole family. Our next designated Homeschool Day will be in Fall 2025. Until then you are able to contact our education department to set up a tour for your group.
Come and experience life on the Houston farm with a variety of hands on programs. Learn about hearth cooking, spinning and weaving, blacksmithing, cabin chinking, music, dance, and many other 19th century skills.
Your tour will begin at the Katy and E. Don Walker, Sr. Education Center, located at 1402 19th Street. Please have your group assemble in front of the building. A member of your group can notify the personnel at the front desk that you have arrived. We recommend your group arrive 10-15 minutes early.
We recommend that your group arrive earlier than scheduled or on time. Please be aware that if your group is late, your tour could be shortened and your group may not have enough time to participate in all that you requested. If you know you are going to be late, please call the education department at (936) 294-3153 and let us know.
Museum visitor parking is available at the Katy & E. Don Walker, Sr. Education Center and is designated with signs. Buses will drop off at the front doors of the Education Center and be directed to park on 19th Street in front of the white gazebo..
Please consult your reservation letter for your program fees. Checks can be made payable to SHSU or Sam Houston Memorial Museum and paid upon arrival at the front desk in the Education Center. We do accept cash and credit card as well. New guided tour prices effective September 3, 2024:Adult: $8.00; Senior (65 & Up): $7.00; Children (6-18): $6.00;Chidren (five & under): Free; Veterans: Free; and Teachers: Free.
At the Education Center there is a gazebo with lots of green grass to picnic. You may also choose to picnic on the museum grounds or near Lake Oolooteka. When visiting the Sam Houston Memorial Museum, please keep the grounds and facilities clean. Please remind all the students that all plant life, wildlife, historic structures, and artifacts are state property and protected by law. Park animals are not pets. Please do not chase, tease, or try to handle any animals.
The Wigwam Neosho Museum Store has available a wide variety of souvenirs and other items related to Sam Houston and Texas History. We encourage only once class visit the gift shop at a time. When booking your tour, please let us know if your group will shop the day of your tour.
Most programs WILL continue regardless of the weather as long as it’s not dangerous with lightning or extremely cold temperatures. However, if your group chooses to continue with the scheduled event, substitutions for programs may be made at the discretion of the education department. If you are hesitant about coming to the museum on your scheduled day due to inclement weather, please feel free to call the education department at (936) 294-3153 and reschedule your event for another day.
Hours
Sunday: 12:00pm – 4:30pm
Monday: Closed
Tuesday - Saturday: 9:00am – 4:30pm
CLOSED: Sunday, April 20 (Easter)
Admissions
Includes same-day admission to the Sam Houston Memorial Museum. There is no extra charge for entrance to special exhibitions.
Adults: $6.00
Seniors (65 and older): $5.00
SHSU Faculty/Staff: $4.00
Children (6-18): $4.00
Children (5 and under): Free
SHSU Students with ID: Free
Veterans: Free
**Guided group tours are available by reservation only. Visit the Education page to learn more about booking a guided tour. Guided tour prices are different than regular admission.**
At the Sam Houston Museum, students and patrons alike can experience rich Texas history and explore the legacies of General Sam Houston. We offer programs for public, private, and homeschool groups, as well as organizations of all kinds. Please contact us for special program options including virtual tours.