The Texas Historical Commission is opening its state historic sites as summer classrooms. Registration is open now.
Most summer camps offer swimming pools and arts and crafts. The Texas Historical Commission is offering something a little different this summer — the chance to step inside actual pieces of Texas history and learn what it felt like to be there.
The THC’s state historic sites summer camps program is back for 2026, inviting young historians across Texas to spend their summer days at some of the most significant and storied locations in the state. These aren’t museum visits with velvet ropes and “do not touch” signs. These are hands-on, immersive experiences designed to make Texas history feel real, relevant, and worth remembering.
What Makes These Camps Different
The Texas Historical Commission’s historic sites have turned their attention to developing programs that educate, enlighten, and enrich the lives of families and young people. Through camp programs, living history, and improved learning facilities, schoolchildren and visitors of all ages are welcomed to experience firsthand the sights, sounds, stories, and lessons of Texas history.
Each camp uses the historic site itself as the classroom. That might mean learning about colonial-era daily life at a Spanish mission, exploring frontier fort history in West Texas, or discovering the stories of the Texas Revolution at a battleground where it actually happened. The environment does the teaching in a way no textbook can replicate.
The Sites Behind the Experience
The Texas Historical Commission preserves and operates 42 state historic sites across Texas — places that range from Native American ceremonial mounds to grand Victorian mansions to sprawling frontier forts, spanning the full breadth of Texas history. This summer, several of those sites are opening their doors specifically for youth camps, with some also offering programming that parents and families can join.
The variety is part of what makes this program special. Depending on which site your family chooses, your child could spend the summer learning about the Caddo Indians, the Texas War for Independence, the Republic of Texas, Spanish colonial history, or the stories of African American and multicultural families who shaped the state. Each site tells a different piece of the Texas story — and each camp brings that piece to life.
Who Should Sign Up
These camps are built for young historians — kids who light up when they touch something old, who ask questions about how people lived, and who love the feeling of being somewhere that history actually happened. They’re also well-suited for any child who could use a summer that pulls them off screens and into the physical world.
Some sites also invite parents to participate alongside their children, making select camps a genuine family experience rather than a drop-off program.
What to Know Before You Register
Individual camp dates, age ranges, and registration forms vary by site — each historic site manages its own camp program. Registration is handled directly through each site, and spots are expected to fill. The THC’s website hosts an interactive map of all participating sites with registration links for each location.
For families in San Antonio, Casa Navarro State Historic Site is among the participating locations. The National Museum of the Pacific War in Fredericksburg is also offering youth programming this summer. Additional sites span the state — from East Texas to the Hill Country to West Texas.
Plan Ahead
Summer 2026 camps at THC historic sites are open for registration now. To find the right camp for your child, visit the THC’s summer camps page, explore the site map, and register directly through the location of your choice.
Website: thc.texas.gov/travel/texas-state-historic-sites-summer-camps Registration: Fill out the registration form listed on the camp of your choice at each site Questions: Contact individual historic sites directly through the THC website Social: Follow @TxHistComm for camp updates and events
