In 1821 after years of Spanish rule, Mexico, which included the land that is now Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, California, and Utah, became an independent country. Few Mexicans wanted to settle in the northern territories so the Mexican government encouraged immigration from the US. Thousands of people settled in Texas but by 1836 they were in open rebellion against the dictatorial government of Mexican president Santa Anna.
To put down the rebellion Santa Anna led a force of about 6,000 Mexican troops into Texas, winning battles at the Alamo and Goliad and executing all prisoners. Meanwhile Sam Houston’s 1st Regiment Volunteer Army of Texas was retreating towards the Gulf coast. The two armies met at San Jacinto. Houston’s army caught the Mexicans off guard during siesta. Eighteen minutes later the battle was over with a victory for Texas and the capture of Santa Anna, paving the way for the formation of the independent Republic of Texas.
The site includes the monument with a small museum and a theater in the base, and an elevator to an observation floor at the top. A boardwalk and dirt trail travels through wetlands and loops back along the roads to the battleground. Parts of it may be closed. Access to the battleground and the museum is free. The movie, the elevator ride to the observation floor, and an additional room of displays all have separate fees. The movie, which gives a short account of the early history of Texas and the revolution, is worth seeing. We peeked into the additional museum room but didn’t see much of interest. The free part has a lot of artifacts and information.
A long ramp accesses the museum. The entry door is heavy. The museum and theater are accessible. We didn’t go up to the observation level but the website indicates that viewing is not good for people in wheelchairs. The boardwalk portion of the trail is accessible. The dirt portion is rough, narrow, and muddy at spots – not very accessible.
RVs can parallel be parked along the monument circle road. The easiest way to get to the battlefield is to take the free Lynchburg Ferry across the Houston Ship Channel. There’s a 20,000 lb per vehicle weight limit. Museum
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