Activity Overview
The Battleship Texas State Historic Site is home to the USS Texas, which was the first battleship memorial museum in the United States. The USS Texas is permanently anchored on Buffalo Bayou near the city of La Porte, Texas, about 30 minutes northeast of Houston. It is also part of the San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site.
This historic landmark is a great place for families to visit and learn all about the fascinating history of Texas and the USS Texas, an important naval battleship used throughout the early 1900s.
Things to Do
- Explore Battleship Texas on a self-guided tour - you can climb up to the flying bridge to see it from above, descend to the engine room, and visit its medical facilities and sleeping quarters.
- Take a guided tour of Battleship Texas - the Hard Hat Guided Tour allows visitors to see areas of the ship that generally aren't open for public viewing.
- Schedule a youth group sleepover on Battleship Texas! Kids between the ages of 7 and 18 can sleep in the crew quarters, take a special guided tour, and live like a World War II sailor for an evening.
Battleship Texas State Historic Site Insider Tips
- Film fans will be excited to learn that the USS Texas has appeared in several famous movies - it was used as the USS West Virginia in the blockbuster Pearl Harbor, and portrayed itself in more recent war films Flags of Our Fathers and Letters from Iwo Jima.
- Check out the rest of San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site. This 1,200-acre historic area is home to the San Jacinto Battleground and the San Jacinto Monument, which contains a museum full of fascinating historic exhibits.
- Bring along a camera and take the elevator up to the observation floor of the San Jacinto Monument - from 489 feet above ground you'll have spectacular views of the USS Texas, the entire battleground site, and the city of Houston!
