Pioneer Museum

Pioneer Museum, located at 325 W. Main St., offers lots to learn about the history of Gillespie County. Attractions include an old school house, historic homesteads, a Sunday House and more.

Amateur historians can immerse themselves in the past lives of Fredericksburg by exploring the structures, photographs and artifacts at Pioneer Museum, owned and operated by the Gillespie County Historical Society.

The GCHS and Pioneer Museum work together to present a shared story of Fredericksburg’s rich history.

Collections owned by the GCHS are displayed in both Pioneer Museum and the Vereins Kirche. The collections are brought to life through exhibits, educational programs and demonstrations.

Gillespie County Historical Society

The GCHS was organized in 1935 to preserve and tell the history of Gillespie County.

The GCHS first operated a museum in the Vereins Kirche on Marktplatz. The Vereins Kirche replica was built in 1935 after the original building was demolished in 1897.

In 1955, the Society bought the historic Kammlah homestead, which includes the original home, smokehouse and barn. This site became the Pioneer Museum.

With other purchases and donations over the years, Pioneer Museum has grown to encompass three and a half acres and 11 buildings. Nine of these buildings are included on a tour of Pioneer Museum.

The GCHS owns and cares for over 50,000 items within its 86-year-old collection.

Pioneer Museum

Pioneer Museum is located at 325 West Main Street. It offers an opportunity for visitors to leisurely tour the grounds and learn about the daily lives of the German pioneers of Gillespie County.

The grounds feature historic homesteads and buildings once owned by early families of Gillespie County. These buildings include a one-room schoolhouse, a log cabin, a Sunday house, a bath house, a barn and a smokehouse. All showcase artifacts and architecture which help to preserve and tell their unique story. The Fredericksburg Volunteer Fire Department Museum is also on the grounds.

Special Activities

• Monthly Little Pioneers activities: • Oct. 16, 10:15 a.m.: Forge Your Own Way; • Nov. 20, 6:30 p.m.: Campfire Evening; • Dec. 4, 10 a.m.: Kinderfest;

More information on special events at the Pioneer Museum can be found at www.pioneermuseum.net