Johnson City & Stonewall, Texas

Also see: Fredericksburg

LBJ brought the attention of the world to his hometown, located 14 miles north of Blanco on US 281. Historic Johnson City was named for Sam Johnson, grandfather of President Lyndon Baines Johnson.

The most popular stop here is the LBJ Boyhood Home, managed by the U.S. Park Service. LBJ was five years old in 1913 when his family moved from their country home near the Pedernales River to this simple frame house. The Visitors Center provides information on this location, nearby Johnson Settlement, and other LBJ attractions.

The president and first lady lived west of Johnson City in the community of Stonewall. The LBJ Ranch is open for public tours.

Attractions:

Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park. Located in downtown Johnson City, this park commemorates the most famous resident of the Hill Country, former U.S. president Lyndon B. Johnson.

Boyhood Home. From 1913 to 1934 Lyndon Johnson lived in a simple white frame house at this location. Johnson's father, Sam Ealy Johnson, Jr., was a state representative, and the home often echoed with political debate. At the same time, a future statesman was being tutored on the front porch at the knee of his mother, Rebekah Baines Johnson.Your first stop in Johnson City will probably be the LBJ Boyhood Home, managed by the U.S. Park Service. LBJ was five years old in 1913 when his family moved from their country home near the Pedernales River to this simple frame house. Nearby, the Visitors Center provides information on this location, nearby Johnson Settlement, and other LBJ attractions.

Johnson Settlement. This site consists of a restored cabin and other buildings that belonged to Sam Ealy Johnson, Sr., LBJ's grandfather. Photos, farm implements, and clothing from the 1800s are displayed in a visitors center. An old cypress cistern serves as a mini-auditorium featuring recorded readings of letters written by original settlers of this rugged land.

Pedernales Falls State Park.This scenic park is noted for its waterfalls, swimming, and hiking. From Johnson City, 9 mi east on Ranch Rd. 2766.

Stonewall

West of Johnson City on US 290, the community of Stonewall is known as the home of Johnson's "Texas White House." It is also known for its peach industry and award-winning wineries.

Lyndon B. Johnson State and National Historical Park.This park is the boarding point for the guided tours of the LBJ Ranch. The park also contains interpretive exhibits about the Hill Country and the Johnson family.

After a tour, head west on US 290 to the tiny community of Stonewall, the home of the LBJ National and State Historic Parks which include the Visitors Center, the LBJ ranch and tour, and the Sauer-Beckmann Farm.

A large white home sprawled under shady oaks, the LBJ Ranch House, hosted many national and international visitors during LBJ's lifetime. For this reason it was dubbed the "Texas White House." The home is not open to the public and is seen only as a drive-by attraction on guided tours operated from the Visitors Center.

Guided bus tours of the LBJ Ranch travel across the president's ranch, making a stop at the one-room Junction School where Johnson began his education. The bus slows down for a photo of the Texas White House then continues past the president's airstrip and cattle barns. Near the end of the tour, the bus makes an optional stop at the Sauer-Beckmann Living Historical Farm where children can pet the farm animals. Costumed docents carry on farm chores typical of the early 1900s.

Grape Creek Vineyards. Here acres of climbing vines yield the prize-winning Cabernet Trois. Located 4 miles west of Stonewall on US 290.

Becker Vineyards. With 46 acres of French Vinifera vines, this winery boasts Texas’s largest underground wine cellar. It’s filled with specialties such as the 2002 Viognier, an elegant wine with a hint of violets and peach, served at a dinner for Australia’s Prime Minister at President Bush’s Prairie Chapel Ranch, and the 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, poured at a White House dinner. Located 10 miles east of Fredericksburg off US 290.

In-Depth Travel Articles

LBJ Country

For More Information: Johnson City Convention and Visitors Bureau

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