Deep in the heart of Texas, the small town of Brenham exudes country charm and slow-living ambience. The city excels in life’s simple pleasures, from wineries to bluebonnets, alpacas, antiques and Blue Bell ice cream.
Things to do in Brenham
Enjoy an evening of performance art with dramas, musicals or comedy at Unity Theatre in the historic downtown district, housed inside a converted warehouse. Explore the work of local artists at Back Lot Gallery and Tegg Art Studio, where oil paintings by artist Alicia Tegg depict rural life through landscapes, livestock and barns.
You can line-dance, two-step or waltz to live music at Kenney Store, then dig into home-style cooking from the Kenney kitchen. Relax on the patio with your travelling companions at Brazos Valley Brewing Company or head over to the beer garden at Home Sweet Home Farm for cold brews, wine pours, artisan cheeses, honey and Texas olive oils.
Follow the wine trail to four wineries in Washington County or just settle in for award-winning wine tastings at Pleasant Hill Winery, about five minutes from Brenham. Save some room for tasting Brenham’s own creamy dairy concoctions at the Blue Bell Ice Cream Parlour. You can take a self-guided tour or watch the creamery operate from an on-site observation deck.
To see prime examples of 19th-century Texas architecture, take heritage home tours of the 1843 Giddings-Wilkin House and 1869 Giddings Stone Mansion, both listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Get your flower fix at the Antique Rose Emporium, Chappell Hill Lavender Farm and the renowned Bluebonnet Trails.
Getting around Brenham
Transportation is limited in Brenham to private taxis or shuttles. You can rent a car from George Bush Intercontinental Airport and Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, which are both less than 1.5 hours’ drive away.