What to do With the Family in Brenham/Washington County

 

No matter what your family looks like, we have activities in Brenham, Burton, Independence, Washington, and Chappell Hill that you will certainly find enjoyable for everyone.

On our website we have Family Fun getaway suggestions, but we don't have a top 10 ... until now! Are you ready to getaway with your family? Let's do this...

TOP 10 Things to Do With the Family in Brenham & Washington County, Texas:

1) Blue Bell, of course! Unless you're lactose intolerant, most everyone loves to go to Blue Bell for a big scoop of yummy ice cream. But even if you ARE, you can still enjoy the Creamery. Tours are Mon-Fri from 8:30am-3pm, are only $6 for adults, last about 45 minutes, and include a big scoop of your flavor choice at the end. If you can't tolerate the dairy, pass on the scoop and just enjoy the tour. It's "cool" to see all that ice cream pumping out at such a fast rate. On Saturday from 10am-4pm you can enjoy everything Blue Bell Creameries has to offer, minus the tour.

2) Washington-on-the-Brazos, three beautiful sites in one, there is something for everyone here. History, outdoors, a museum, and a farm. See Independence Hall, where the men gathered to sign the declaration of independence from Mexico in 1836. Explore Texas History at the Star of the Republic Museum. Learn how life was lived in the 1800s at Barrington Living History Farm. You can even bring a picnic lunch and lounge/play on the lawn. And if you're into hiking or biking, this is a great area of the countryside to do just that!

3) Speaking of exercise, Washington County has big rolling hills to really give those legs a workout! We get 100s of cyclists passing through year round who are in training for the MS150 and just out for a joy ride. Farmland, cattle, ranches - it's beautiful here, whether you're on a bike or in a car!

• Brenham has numerous parks for picnics, swinging, swimming and sports.
• Independence, just 15 minutes north of Brenham, is home to Old Baylor Park, a great place to see Baylor University's beginnings and have picnic and swinging fun at the Baylor columns. (Old Baylor is also a great experience for those graduating teens of yours who are about to embark on their collegiate journey. In addition, Brenham is home to the first junior college in Texas, Blinn College.)
• Lake Somerville is very close by and is home to 13+ miles of hiking, biking, and equestrian trails, RV and tent camping, boating, fishing, birding, and more. Officially Lake Somerville is in Burleson County, but Brenham is only 20 minutes away from the marina area so we include it as a fun family outing. :-)

4) Take the family to the Texas Cotton Gin Museum to learn all about cotton - farming, picking, ginning, bailing, and all the products that cotton or cottonseed oil is actually in. There's a good chance you will learn more about cotton than you never knew you didn't know! :-)  Fun for ALL ages.

5) Most teen girls love to shop, right? Downtown Brenham has great shopping for moms and daughters to have a day or two out. Main, Alamo, and Commerce Streets are lined with unique shopping for any budget. Antiques, clothing, jewelry, handmade gifts, home decor, shoes - you name it, we probably have it. PLUS, for the man in your life, we have a Man Cave. That's right! It's a very manly store that any man would be happy to hang out in while waiting for the women in his life to shop.

Washington County is great for getting out of the
city to refresh and renew your spirit.

6) Okay, you're not into shopping, history, or exercise... I get it. But I bet you love to eat... right??? Well, come on down, you're in luck! Blue Bell ice cream isn't the only thing made right here in Brenham. Did you know Brianna's salad dressing is? And they hold the #1 and #2 spot on the specialty salad dressing list in the nation!??! Yep, right here in Brenham. We also have three sausage companies - Chappell Hill, Burton, and Kountry Boys. De-lish! For your morning fix, we have Independence Coffee roasting so many fantastic blends (they do tea as well). And for the sweet tooth... Bliss Candy Company makes divine toffee and the Caramel Candy Company - well, they make caramel that will melt in your mouth.

• You can find all these local products in shops around Brenham.
• Washington County has unique dining spread throughout. French and German in Burton, eclectic, country, Mexican, Italian, American, and more in Brenham. BBQ in Chappell Hill and Washington. 50s style American classics at the airport. Lots of choices, something for everyone.

7) For the family with all members over 21, Washington County is home to three local wineries - Saddlehorn, Pleasant Hill, and Windy Winery are all within a 10-minute drive of Brenham. You can enjoy tours and tastings all year long, and in the summer you can also enjoy grape stomps! For the beer lover, Brazos Valley Brewing Company has opened in the historic Downtown Brenham Brewery building. Tastings and tours are now available on Fri & Sat 6-10pm.

8) Some families prefer furry kids over human kids and we're good with that! Brenham now has a beautiful off-leash dog park waiting for you and your furry children to come play. Animal Friends of Washington County is home to a free park with lots of land to run around in, agility equipment, bathing station, and even separate large and small dog areas. Just a couple of minutes north on Hwy 36 from downtown Brenham, you will find an oasis for your loved ones.

• There are also plenty of dog-friendly parks around Washington County, but leash laws are in effect.

9) Take the kids for a ride on Brenham's very own antique carousel at Fireman's Park, just a few blocks north of downtown Brenham. Perfect entertainment for the little ones! This carousel was originally built sometime between 1867 and 1901, but wasn't found and brought to Brenham until 1932. The carousel has been beautifully restored and has been a kid favorite since 1935. Today the carousel is only open during Spring Break and Fridays in July and rides are only $1.

 

10) Have you heard of geocaching? It's a really fun family activity and can be enjoyed by everyone no matter what their age! Geocaching will take you to places even the locals don't know about. The Chamber-CVB has created an official "Birthplace of Texas GeoTour" - cache, eat, sleep & shop your way to earning a very cool geocoin! Get dirty, get lost, and have fun!!!

So, those are our TOP 10. Naturally we have many more, so depending on what your family likes to do, this should give you a good jump start on how to spend time in the Brenham/Washington County area of Texas.

Now get out there and have fun! :-)