On April 21, 1836, Sam Houston's army surprised Santa Anna's forces here and won the battle in about 18 minutes, ending the Texas Revolution. Today the 1,200-acre site sits beside the Houston Ship Channel, and the 567-foot San Jacinto Monument rises over it like an exclamation point. Take the elevator to the observation floor more than 400 feet up for a view of tankers, marshes and the refinery skyline that built modern Houston. At the monument's base, the San Jacinto Museum of History covers the revolution and the centuries around it, and a film tells the battle's story. The grounds are free and open 9 am to 6 pm daily, so you can walk the battlefield even when the monument is closed. For decades Battleship Texas was moored here, too; it left for repairs in Galveston in 2022 and is not coming back to this site.
What to expect
- The 35-minute film Texas Forever!! plays on the hour starting at 10 am.
- There's no restaurant on site; bring lunch for the picnic tables, grills and faucets.
- A 1,210-foot marsh trail and boardwalk overlooks prairie, tidal marsh and forest.
- Leashed pets are welcome on the grounds but not inside the museum.
- Accessible parking is by the ramp off Vista Road; the museum has one loaner wheelchair.
What to do
- Ride the elevator to the observation floor, more than 400 feet up
- Walk the battlefield grounds, free and open 9 am to 6 pm daily
- Tour the San Jacinto Museum of History at the monument's base
- April 21, 1836; lasted about 18 minutesBattle
- 567 feet tallMonument
- About 1,200 acresSite size
- Battleground daily 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; monument and museum Wednesday to Sunday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.Hours