Well preserved Texas fort near the San Saba river. Nice place to walk and take in 1850s life "out west". The visitors center (hospital) had wonderful displays and information. I believe you can't ignore history- no matter how sad or unfortunate. This fort was built to protect settlers against the native american tribes that lived here. The preservation of the living quarters, headquarters, hospital, school, etc. were in excellent shape. The living quarters we toured even had furniture and knick-knacks from the time period. Christopher, the staff member on duty, was very knowledgable and passionate about the history of the fort and the people who lived there. Thank you Christopher for answering all our questions. (When we return, I want to walk down to the river. We didn't realize we could- and we were wondering what their water source was until we realized how close it was to the San Saba river.)
If you are into Texas History this is a great site to explore. I was disappointed that better care has not been taken to keep the exhibits dusted and clean., therefore the 4 star rating. They could get volunteers to look after the upkeep of the quarters and school house. Plan to spend at least one to two hours as the buildings are quite spread out. The welcome center has some nice exhibits, too.
What a wonderful example of a frontier fort! It’s one of the best examples I have seen. A really nice thing about this particular fort is its location. When you’re standing in this fort and looking out toward the horizon, (where there is still no development nearby) you can really get the sense of how it felt to be in that fort back in the 1800s. Highly recommended if you’re a lover of Texas History as am I.
Fort Mckavett will always be my favorite Fort on the Texas Trail ! The Houston Johnson Astronomical Society hosts a great star party every spring and fall with free entry. And there are no darker skies in the world than here. As an astrophotographer this location is very ideal for me. Plus the staff are very friendly, and accommodating to my needs. I’ve been going to each star party since 2020, and will continue to.
We dropped in for a short visit. Not only is the fort itself amazing but the historians there bring it to life with their enthusiasm. We will definitely come back for the events they offer. So glad we found this Texas gem.
We found this place by accident and stopped to check it out. The park ranger was extremely friendly. This place is truly amazing. You walk and stand where soldiers (on both sides of the battles) fought and died. I was born and raised in Texas. I am a native Texan. I also have native American blood running through my veins. Part of me is in awe for the men who fought and died for Texas yet part of me is enraged that some of my native American ancestors had to die fighting to protect and preserve their home.
Lots of emotions on this little self guided tour of the fort.
Check it out. It's worth the drive.
A gem of a western fort that a history buff must see! The museum is well laid out to give you a great history of the site’s timeline and its importance to history. The museum store has wonderful souvenirs and gifts on a range of price points. Bonus of this site is you get a good walk in seeing the different buildings set up as if someone is living there all the time. If you catch a living history day the fort really comes to life!
What an experience! One of the most still intact frontier forts in Texas! The man working there was very knowledgeable and friendly. An awesome piece of history in Texas.
I had no idea this was here. Also, I never heard of the fort on the frontier. Very well maintained piece of history that is interesting to walk around. You get to see well preserved buildings as well as ruins that makes it all the more interesting. Short visit can be done in 30-40 minutes. Good place to stretch your legs on a road trip.
Great place to stop and stretch your legs. The fort is mostly intact with many of the buildings open to explore with period furniture, clothing and lots of cool things to look at. They have a great museum with knowledgeable cheerful people. Its kid friendly with a stand of outfits your kiddos can try on..
We stumbled upon this gem on the drive home.
There is an entrance fee, so you need to drop by the visitor center first. We walked the ground first and then realized we should have paid first.
The fort is huge, so make sure you’re ready to walk. We didn’t have time to check out all of the buildings, but will have to make the time to come back.
I do recommend walking down to the quarry and the kiln followed by the spring. It’s a beautiful walk.
Had a cool trip to Fort McKavett! Such a cool place, buildings dated back in the 1700s! A part of the history that’s worth learning and experience it! Most of the buildings are extremely well preserved! Such a good work they are doing by preserving it!
Ft. McKavett is a very well presented and preserved piece of American history that can be enjoyed by history buffs and by the whole family! The staff and curators are friendly and knowledgeable, and their dedication to the fort is obvious in their enthusiasm and presentation of the holiday and special occasion events.
The visitors center is both charming and educational, from the well-preserved historical artifacts to the museum quality miniature dioramas that depict the soldier's lives within the fort during the mid to late 1800s.
Highly recommended!
A pretty neat place to visit. It has ruins, restored ruins, and structures that are virtually original that look like you could live in them.
If you're a history buff, it's a must visit.
I really enjoyed this place. The gentleman in the gift shop/administration area where you pay was insanely knowledgeable, which is something I would want when visiting a historical area. What I didn't expect was the pure level of passion and knowledge he had though, so it was refreshing. The paths are well marked and there is plenty to see. After walking the main area, I took the trail down to the river and the quietness was nice, but almost eerie to the point that I took my single earbud out so I could completely focus on any sound that would happen around me. The video of the person running into that mountain lion was freshly in my mind, so I kept turning around to see if anything was behind me. As I got closer to the river, I could hear some rustling so I slowly walked closer. I saw a bunch of wild turkeys so I had a sigh of relief, because if they were there that means a cougar wasn't lol. At the stream, you could see the water coming up from underground so it was so tranquil. All in all, it was an amazing trip.
Amazing location. It's so well preserved. You can literally step back in time. We loved it. Be sure to check out Government Spring while you're there too. It still flows right out of the rocks.
My wife is a retired educator. We visited just prior to her retirement. She was fascinated to see some of the original McGuffey Readers on display. History abounds here. We spent hours there despite the late arrival to our next destination toward home.
On top of a windy hill (river just behind and below), wide open skies, and one of the best preserved forts in the state. Wear good walking shoes, the ground is a bit rocky. Bathrooms behind the visitor center/museum are clean and heated/cooled.
Well restored with easily maneuvered trails. Many buildings have signage explain purpose of facility and a few have displays that can be viewed through windows.
The visitor center has a museum displaying period artifacts and informational posters.
Restrooms and gifts are also available in the visitor center
A great place to spend an afternoon soaking up history
Excellent! My wife was using a walker. They gave us a golf cart to get around. It is a great place to visit. Plenty of Texas history to enjoy. Great people working there.
The site was small, but a nice walk to see the old buildings and ruins. Lots of wildlife around the fort and on the nature trail to the spring. Bathrooms were clean.
If you love Texas history this is a beautiful sight. The grounds are very well kept and many of the restored buildings are open to see. Staff was very friendly and they have a scavenger hunt for kids to keep them engaged while you look around. The site is large so expect a lot of walking. Clean bathrooms, gift shop and museum there as well.
Really cool place. Staff in the Gift Shop/ where you pay admission are always super friendly. It is a self paced tour with a labeled map. Very pretty views. Walk down the trail to the kiln and river is definitely worth it, I wasn't going to do it this time but when i told the staff I was there to take bluebonnet pictures she highly recommended it.
Extensive historical structures in tact. Staff was very knowledgeable regarding frontier fort history. My only complaint was the museum was being remodeled and I couldn't go into some of the furnished structures when I was there.
