Take the Kids on a Field Trip to Millard’s Crossing in Nacogdoches for a Hands-On Pioneer Experience

Post author:Jill
Post published:April 21, 2020
Post category:Piney Woods / Pioneers

ATTENTION: All photos and experiences were before Covid 19 restrictions. Please check with Millard's Crossing for updates and changes.

Why should you visit?

Why is Millard’s Crossing in Nacogdoches one of the best Historic Villages to take kids to in Texas?

Contrary to most museums and historic sites, they encourage the kids to touch and explore many of the displays!

We have visited quite a few historic villages and so far this one is our favorite. Not because it’s the grandest, but because it made for the best experience. You are free to go at your own pace AND try out some of their many hands-on activities. Any parent who has been to an art museum with kids knows how exhausting the “don’t touch!” rigamarole can get.

A Great Field Trip for these Topics:

Settlers/Pioneers
Texas History (Oldest Towns in Texas)
Westward Expansion

Where to Begin your Field Trip

Begin at the visitor’s center. You will drive in, past many of the historic buildings until the road dead ends. Here you can pay the small fee and pick up a map for a self-guided tour. Alternatively, you can call ahead to book a guided tour.

What can you expect to see & do while here?

Millard-Lee House 1837
Sutton Dogtrot 1842
Watkins Log House 1842
Log Office 1860
Burrows House c1867
Double Corn Crib and General Store 1890
Watkins House 1895
Henry Millard House & Textile Museum 1900
Methodist Parsonage 1900
Free Methodist Church 1905
Carriage House 1910
Caboose c1920
Log School House Replica

Millard Lee House

The Millard-Lee house, built in 1837 by Robert F. Millard (Nacogdoches deputy postmaster, merchant, and road overseer,) was a family home that was also used as a boarding house.

Sutton Dogtrot

The dog trot, or breezeway house, was common to the area during westward expansion, and this one built in 1842 is one of the oldest remaining in Texas.

Watkins Log House

The Watkins log house is an example of a square log house (logs are shaped, as opposed to being left rounded.) Kids can try some farm chores while here.

Log Office

This building served as a land office.

Burrows House

The Burrows house serves as the park example of a typical east Texas home from this time.

Corn Crib & General Store

These two locations are listed together because they both contain one-half of the original double corn crib. Half of the corn crib now serves as a workshop chock-full of tools, and the other half is now part of the general store.

Watkins House

The Watkins House was once a typical farmhouse of the time, later updated with Queen Anne styling. Look for the well on the porch, a special luxury for settlers in this part of Texas.