San Jacinto Battleground/Battleship TEXAS - Texas Parks and Wildlife

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department's 1,200-acre San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site consists of the San Jacinto Battleground, Monument and Battleship Texas. These sites are located within minutes of downtown Houston and a short distance from the beaches of Galveston Island. Millions of visitors come to this area each year to enjoy the mild coastal climate and cultural and sports activities. Visitors experience history first-hand through living history at the San Jacinto Battleground and Battleship Texas.

The famous Battle of San Jacinto that brought Texas its independence was fought on this site. Texian troops under General Sam Houston achieved the independence of Texas by defeating a Mexican Army led by General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna on April 21, 1836.

The San Jacinto Monument is dedicated to the "Heroes of the Battle of San Jacinto and all others who contributed to the independence of Texas." The monument is a 570-foot shaft topped by a 34-foot star symbolizing the Lone Star Republic. The building incorporates a number of innovative engineering features not common during the period of its construction. The American Society of Civil Engineers recognized this technology with the prestigious designation of State and National Historic Structure. The monument is listed as the tallest stone column memorial structure in the world, 15 feet taller than the Washington Monument in Washington, DC. The monument was a Public Works Administration project started on April 21, 1936 and dedicated on April 21, 1939.

In 1948, the Battleship Texas became the first battleship memorial museum in the United States. That same year, on the anniversary of Texas Independence, the Texas was presented to the State of Texas and commissioned as the flagship of the Texas Navy. In 1983, the Texas was placed under the stewardship of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and is permanently anchored on the Buffalo Bayou and the busy Houston Ship Channel.