Preserving and telling the story of the Texas Hill Country
In the mid-1840s, Germans looking for a better life were reading and hearing about Texas as a land of limitless opportunity. They risked everything to get here. They tenaciously faced every obstacle and created a unique German colony in the heart of the Texas Hill Country.
The Pioneer Museum grounds is a combination museum and historical site on 3.5 acres on Main Street in downtown Fredericksburg that strives to preserve and tell their story. We showcase hundreds of everyday artifacts in 10 buildings, four of which are in their original spot from early Fredericksburg. Stroll through the buildings at your own leisurely pace. (For most people, the tour typically takes about an hour).
Just two blocks away from the main grounds stands the Vereins Kirche ("Society Church"). The Vereins Kirche is located in the middle of the town square, which we call Marktplatz. This is a replica of the first public building constructed by the pioneers in Fredericksburg. The original, built in 1847 served as a combination church, school, and community center for decades. A replica was built in 1935, the project that launched the Gillespie County Historical Society.
The Pioneer Museum and the Vereins Kirche are two sites solely dedicated to preserving and telling the heroic story of the pioneers of Fredericksburg.