Brenham
Brenham is a city in the Post Oak Savannah region of Texas. It is the county seat of Washington, County and is about halfway between Houston and Austin on U.S. Highway 290. Brenham is largely known throughout Texas for its proximity to the Birthplace of Texas (Washington, Texas) and its largest employer, Blue Bell Creameries.
Brenham has a humid subtropical climate so expect very hot, humid summers. Conversely, the winters are very mild, and the coldest temperatures of the year rarely get below freezing.
Get in
By bus
Brenham has no inter-city bus service, as of June 2022.
Get around
Like most towns in Texas, driving around in a car is preferred. The downtown area is conducive to walking, but to go anywhere else in the community, having a car or knowing locals who can give you a ride somewhere is a must. The summers can be brutal (well over 100 °F (38 °C) daily) so don't plan on much walking between July and mid-September.
Ride-share services, like Uber and Lyft, are intermittently available due to a lack of drivers in the area. Don't rely on them. Renting a car is the most reasonable way to get around the area if arriving by any means other than your own car.
- 🌍 Appel Ford, 1820 US 290 W, ☏ +1 979 830 8500. M-F 8AM-5PM; Sa 9AM-Noon; closed Su. Offers car rental services through Enterprise. Circa $100/day.
See
- 🌍 Blue Bell Creameries, 1101 S Blue Bell Rd (exit US-290 at the furthest east exit in Brenham (toward FM-577 and Bus. US-290), then turn right onto FM-577; keep going straight until you see the factory on the right), toll-free: +1 800 327 8135. 8AM–5PM. The Blue Bell factory is the biggest tourist draw of the town. If you're a fan of ice cream, then join the masses in the summer, observe the factory at the observation deck, sample the sweets at the parlor, and pick up some trinkets at the country store.
- Lake Somerville (follow TX-36 north out of town to the town of Somerville). The most popular lake retreat in the area. There are many campsites along the shores that accommodate everything from tent camping to cabins to RV hookups.
- 🌍 Historic Downtown Brenham (from the east, take the TX-36 exit on US-290 then turn right on S Day St; turn right on W Tom Green St then immediately turn left on S Austin St; keep going until you see downtown on your right; from the west, continue straight when US-290 becomes W Main St; this will send you straight to the middle of downtown). Downtown Brenham has a charming collection of small businesses, from restaurants to clothing boutiques to gun stores. Park at one of the free city parking lots and spend a weekend evening wandering around to experience downtown's charming atmosphere.
Do
- 🌍 Horseshoe Junction, 2080 Hwy 290 W (on the western edge of town, just off US-290), ☏ +1 979 251 8701. Summer hours: Su-Th noon-9PM; F noon-10PM; Sa 10AM-10PM. A popular family destination for locals. They offer putt putt golf, a video arcade, laser tag, go-carts, and are located next to a multi-screen movie theater.
- 🌍 Unity Theatre, 300 Church St, ☏ +1 979 830 8358. Unity is the only professional theatre in Washington County, and offers shows scattered year-round. Tickets tend to be $20-30 per person. A student discount is available.
Buy
Brenham and the surrounding area is known across the state as being a great place to buy antiques. Also, if you have never been to Brenham, do yourself a favor and find a place to sample a scoop of some Blue Bell Ice Cream. It is sold at many locations throughout the community.
- 🌍 The Book Nook, 108 S Douglas St, ☏ +1 979 836 7323, books@brenhambooknook.com. A classic small-town bookstore, with a wide variety of fiction and non-fiction. Often hosts and participates in local events as well as nationwide indie bookstore events.
Eat
- 🌍 Blue Bell Creameries Ice Cream Parlor, 1101 S Blue Bell Rd, toll-free: +1 800 327 8135. Daily 8AM-5PM. The Ice Cream Parlor at the Blue Bell factory sells scoops of ice cream for $1. Their definition of "scoop" is pretty liberal, so be prepared for a lot of ice cream for your dollar! $1.
- 🌍 Must Be Heaven, 107 W Alamo St, ☏ +1 979 830 8536. 11AM-3PM every day except Wednesday. An eatery in the downtown area. This old style ice cream parlor is a great place to get a scoop of Blue Bell ice cream, hot bowl of soup, slice of pie, or a sandwich.
- 🌍 Volare Italian Restaurant, 102 S Ross St, ☏ +1 979 836 1514. 11AM-2PM & 5-9PM daily. Authentic Italian restaurant with diverse wine selection.
- 🌍 Andrea's Taco Shop, 1102 N Park St, ☏ +1 979 251 7078. A taco house on the north side of town. Very popular with local students due to its proximity to the high school.
Drink
Beer, wine, and spirits are readily available at several locations across town.
- 🌍 BT Longhorn Steakhouse, 205 S Baylor St (southeast corner of downtown), ☏ +1 979 421 6700. M W-Sa 11AM-9PM; Su 11AM-8PM; closed Tu. A great saloon-style bar that also features a fantastic restaurant. The service at peak hours might be less than desirable when eating a big meal with lots of people. A great place to get a few draft beers though. On tap, there is always a few Texas Craft beers (such as St. Arnold's, which is out of Houston) and other Texas favorites that are more mainstream (like Shiner Bock, from Shiner).
- 🌍 Home Sweet Farm, 307 S Park St, ☏ +1 979 530 7994, market@hsfbrenham.com. W-Th 3-10PM; F 3PM-Midnight; Sa Noon-Midnight; Su 11AM-7PM. Biergarten and live music venue. Lively on Friday and Saturday nights, with free live music. Serves beer, wine, ciders, etc. - no liquor.
Sleep
- 🌍 Coach Light Inn, 2242 S Market St, ☏ +1 979 836 5657. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM.
- 🌍 Comfort Suites, 2350 S Day St, ☏ +1 979 421 8100. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: noon. From $90/night.
- 🌍 Ant Street Inn, 107 W Commerce St, ☏ +1 979 836 7393, stay@antstreetinn.com. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. A boutique Victorian-style hotel situated downtown, and attached to an event venue. Starting at $160/night, with higher-end rooms commanding higher prices.
- 🌍 Main Street House, 409 E Main St, ☏ +1 979 221 2051, stay@mainsthouse.com. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. A bed & breakfast with each room having a different theme, based on work by local contemporary artists. Starting at $170/night, with higher-end rooms commanding higher prices.
Connect
- 🌍 Nancy Carol Roberts Memorial Library (Brenham Library), 100 Martin Luther King Jr. Pkwy, ☏ +1 979 337 7201. M-Th 10AM-6PM; F 10AM-5PM; Sa 10AM-1PM; closed Su. Free WiFi with no login required, just accept the terms of use. Internet-connected computers are free to use for anyone with an ID or library card. Free.
Go next
| Routes through Brenham |
| Austin ← Burton ← | W E | → Chappell Hill → Houston |
| Abilene ← Somerville ← | N S | → Bellville → Freeport |