Popular State Guides
|
Free Traveling Guides » States » Texas » HoustonSan Jacinto Battleground
The San Jacinto Battle was the most decisive battle of the Texas Revolution. The San Jacinto Battleground, now a State Historic Site, is situated off the Houston Ship Channel in Houston, Texas. The major attraction of the Park is the magnificent San Jacinto Monument, a 570 ft (174 m) high column topped with a 220-ton (200-tonne) star that memorializes the site of the Battle of San Jacinto. The 34 ft (10.3 m) ‘Lone Star’ is the symbol of Texas.
The San Jacinto Monument is situated near the cities of Baytown and La Porte and is the tallest monument tower in the world. It was established in 1939 and was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1960. This masonry column is an octagonal shaft faced with Texas Cordova shell stone. The San Jacinto Monument is dedicated to the heroes of the Battle of San Jacinto and all those who contributed to the independence of Texas. It was designated a Historic Civil Engineering landmark in the year 1992.
Other major attraction at the San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site is the San Jacinto Museum, which is housed within the Monument. This Museum is a non-profit, private, educational organization with an extraordinary collection that covers over 400 years of early Texas history, from the Spanish Conquest through Texas in the 19th century. The exhibits at the Museum, however, lay more emphasis on colonial Texas as a part of the Republic of Texas and Mexico. This unique collection comprises of over 10,000 objects, 10,000 visual images, 250,000 documents, and a nearly 35,000-volume rare book library.
The Museum is also home to a 160-seat Jesse H. Jones Theater for Texas Studies. This theater features the nation’s largest historical multi-image presentation, “Texas Forever!! The Battle of San Jacinto”, which vividly illustrates the events of the Battle of San Jacinto. Visitors are also allowed to ride to the observation floor of the Monument. This observation floor is nearly 489 ft (149 m) above the Battleground and offers breathtaking views of the city and the Houston Ship Channel.
|
Top 5 National Parks
- Great Smoky Mountains
- Grand Canyon
- Yosemite
- Olympic
- Yellowstone
All 58 national parks. |
