Fayette County (Schulenburg and La Grange)
Only around 2 hours from Houston and around an hour or so from Austin you’ll find Fayette County. Its a mostly rural county away from all the big city hustle and bustle. Its an easy destination to go on a day trip or make a quick weekend trip out of it and do something new. For us its a nice quick getaway that allows us to relax for just a bit not too far away. There is a lot to do in both La Grange and Schulenburg for pretty much anyone. They have historic sites with trails to hike, museums, and some great food and coffee. He is what you could do heading out to Fayette County for a country escape!
Schulenburg, TX
On I-10 about halfway between Houston and San Antonio you’ll find the small town of around 2,500 people called Schulenburg. For me personally its an important city since it was the hometown of my Grandfather and Great-Grandfather but there are a good amount of interesting things to do and places to eat at in Schulenburg. The city has a museum about model airplanes that used to be built in the city, a polka museum, city museum and the famous painted churches near by. If you like local coffee shops there is a great one in Schulenburg we stop at when in the area and plenty of German and Czech food to try. We usually stop by Schulenburg on the way to La Grange on our little weekend trips.
The Painted Churches
The most famous attraction in Schulenburg is the Painted Churches. They are four churches near by Schulenburg that were built in the late 1800s and early 1900s by German immigrants. The churches remind of you of churches that you might see in Europe when you step inside. From the outside they look like normal small town churches but the insides are painted and ornate. You can book a guided tour through the City of Schulenburg or you can go to the churches on your own. So far we have visited the Ornate Church in High Hill and the Catholic Church in nearby Dubina. There are two more churches we have yet to visit that require a tour guide to visit. The guided tour does have a cost but the churches are free to visit on your own (the ones open).
High Hill Church Pictures
Dubina Church Pictures
The Stanzel Model Aircraft Museum
Another great free museum is the Stanzel Model Aircraft Museum. The Stanzel Brothers built in Schulenburg a company that built balsa wood model plane kits for people to build. The models were elaborate and very popular at the time. They had aircraft, spacecraft and other kits. The headquarters and the factory for the model kits were in Schulenburg for this national company. The model kits have not been manufactured for a long while but in the museum you can see the history and some of the kits. You can also see the headquarters, factory and the Stanzel family home. They have working and interactive displays. I enjoyed using the remote control plane simulator in the factory. There are a number of videos you can watch as well about flight and model planes. We have visited the museum a number of times and its well worth it.
The Texas Polka Museum
In the small downtown of Schulenburg you can visit the small but nice Texas Polka Museum. With Fayette County being a historically German and Czech settled area Polka Music has been popular throughout the years and especially at German style festivals. The museum talks about the music in Texas and many of the bands that are famous in the Polka genre. The museum is small but a nice place to visit. Its once again also a free museum to visit!
The Schulenburg Historical Museum
If you would like to learn about the city of Schulenburg and its people you can stop by the Schulenburg Historical Museum in downtown. It has a lot of exhibits about the early years of Schulenburg and the many people who have built the city it is today. My family have a few exhibits since my grandfather and family were born and raised in Schulenburg. You can see the tools and kitchenware of the old days and see exhibits on restaurant favorites such as Frank’s that is no more. Its a great small museum to see that is also free!
The Food and Drinks of Schulenburg
You will find many of the normal chain fast food restaurants in Schulenburg but there are some great country cooking and coffee shops in the city that are well worth stopping for even if you are just driving through to go to San Antonio.
Oakridge Smokehouse
Right off of I-10 is a restaurant that as a kid I called “The Crooked House” since the windows are purposely slanted. There you can get a great buffet for breakfast, lunch or dinner that has German items such as sausage and all kinds of country cooking items. It also includes desert. You can also order items of the menu. To me the prices are reasonable and the food is good.
The Kountry Bakery
Not far from I-10 as well is the Kountry Bakery that serves Czech style Kolaches, cinnamon roles, Pigs in a blanket and much more. They have unique Pigs in a blanket such as boudin and venison sausage. We stop there any time we are in the area and bring back breakfast for the week. They also serve other items for lunch be we mainly go for the breakfast items.
Jack and Mary's
Another place we stop at anytime we are in Schulenburg is Jack and Mary’s. Its a coffee shop that sells wonderfully made unique coffee and is also a general store that sells a lot of nice local items such as local honey. They also sell coffee beans and ground coffee from all over the world that includes their unique flavors. Another favorite of ours is that they serve Amy’s Ice Cream from the Austin area. Its really good Ice Cream if you have never tried it. Jack and Mary’s is a great place to stop by if you are passing through or going on a day trip.
La Grange, Texas
La Grange is most famous for “The Chicken Ranch” and the ZZ Top Song named after the city but it is much more than that. Its a small city of around 5,000 people but there is a lot to do in La Grange. It is the county seat of Fayette county and is full of museums and a historic site. La Grange is also important for me in my family history as its where part of my family settled in Texas in 1847. There is a building in the donwtown square that my Great-Great Grandfather was the architect of and the historic home of my family is there with a Texas Historical marker in front of it. La Grange is a great small town to spend a weekend in exploring.
Monument Hill State Historic Site
The Monument Hill State Historic Site is our favorite spot to visit while in La Grange. It is up at the top of “The Bluff’s” near La Grange and has a great view of La Grange and the beginning of the hill country. The site has two separate historic parts two it. It is the home to a monument and the burial site of the Meir Expedition and the Dawson Massacre. In 1842 while Texas was still its own country fighting with Mexico was continuing. Men from La Grange joined others to fight Mexican troops towards the border with Mexico. After severe fighting and miscommunications some of the Texan’s were captured. The Mexican troops placed 159 white beans and 17 black beans in a pot and had the me draw beans. If you drew a white bean you would be allowed to live and a black bean means you would be executed. The men from this tragedy are buried at the monument at the site. The other historic portion of the park is the Kreische home and brewery. The home and brewery were built in the mid 1800s by Stonemason Mr. Kreische. The home can be toured today but the brewery only has the ruins of what was a large brewery. There is a nice museum at the visitor’s center that talks about the Meir Expedition, the Kreische’s and life on the bluff. My Great-Great Grandfathers shooting contest medal is located in the museum from a contest he won on the bluff. The park has hiking trails and also has various tours and activities offered by park rangers. Around Christmas they have a great festival of lights that to me is just as good as any of the major light displays in Houston but for much cheaper. In the past they have offered free cider/hot chocolate and cookies and has Santa available for the children. Its a great place to visit and spend some time. There is a small charge to visit the park.
The Texas Quilt Museum
In the Main square in downtown La Grange you can visit the Texas Quilt Museum. It highlights the art of quilt making with a Texas flare. They have traveling exhibits so the exhibits change out every few months. When we visited they had the winning quilts from the Houston Rodeo and other exhibits such as an English ladies’ quilts that where about life in with Wild West and Western Movies. They also had some nice paintings to view in the museum. There is a small charge for the museum but it well worth it to see the difficult art of quilt making.
The Texas Heroes Museum
A museum dedicated to Texans who have fought in wars throughout history is located in the old Fayette County jail not far from the main city square. Its artifacts and belongings from people from the area with most of the major conflicts the US and Texas has been a part of are represented at the museum. Veterans who are volunteers can be found at the museum to give you more details and a tour.
The Depot Museum
Another free museum close to the main town square is the original La Grange Rail depot. Its a small depot that has artifacts from the golden age of US railroads. There is a miniature railroad version of La Grange and rail cars to visit. We enjoyed spending a little time in the depot and talking to the volunteers about La Grange and the railroad while there.
Fayette Heritage Museum and Archives
In the city library is a great museum about Fayette county as a whole. You can see artifacts and exhibits about the different cities and people that settled Fayette County. They have interactive displays and a large archive where you can research your ancestor’s in the area. We found a lot of information about my family at the museum. The staff are more than willing to help you and show you around the museum. This is another nice free museum.
The Trail of Lights
On a few weekends before Christmas the Monument Hill State Historic Site come alive with Christmas lights and festivities. The annual Trail of Lights is a great Christmas tradition and we try to go each year if we can. As of 2023 its only $8 a person for adults to walk the trail. The main walking trail of the historic site is decorated with lights and Christmas displays. The Kreische house is decorated for Christmas and has historic re-enactors that explain what Christmas would have been like in the 1800s. They have a decorated Christmas tree, a full meal at the dinner table and stockings and other decorations. On top of the lights you can see the original smokehouse in use. Refreshments are included in your price and when we went in 2023 we got popcorn, cookies, hot chocolate and hot cider. There are also crafts and activities for the children at the main visitor center. In 2023, the theme was Victorian era Christmas Cards so you could learn about the start of the Christmas tradition. To me this display is just as nice as many of the Houston area light festivals and much more affordable for families. They give you nice refreshments, have activities, a singer was there and Texas history. Its a bargain for $8!
Other things to do in the area
There are many other things to do in the area including museums we have not yet been to such as the Texas Czech Heritage and Cultural Center in La Grange. If you like visiting Antique Stores La Grange and Schulenburg have many you can visit. Nearby Smithville also has plenty of great antique stores. There is a winery nearby and in Ellinger there is the Hruska’s Bakery that I have heard a lot about (I have not stopped there myself) and is always crowded. In Bastrop there are other State Parks and the Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort. This area is a great short weekend trip or even a day trip if you want to get away for a little while. Give it a try and you won’t be disappointed!