COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Forget Kyle Field.

This time of the year that’s easier said than done as more than 102,000 fans pack the football stadium belonging to the Aggies of Texas A&M University.

Those who visit College Station only for a game probably never visit the Texas version of Philadelphia. Then there’s the legacy of George H.W. Bush, the 41st president of the United States, which is easy to overlook when you’re trying to find a parking lot with empty spaces or the location of a tailgate.

Just 30 miles away is Washington-on-the-Brazos, a 293-acre state historic site.

During the Texas Revolution of 1835 and 1836, this small settlement, built around a strategic ferry crossing on the Brazos River, played the role of Philadelphia from the American Revolution. It was here at Independence Hall where delegates on March 2, 1836, adopted the Texas Declaration of Independence.

As with the Founding Fathers in 1776, the declaration severed ties with a distant government — in this case, Mexico — and gave birth to a new nation: the Republic of Texas. The country they created was short-lived, lasting just a decade before Texas was annexed by the United States and admitted to the Union as the 28th state in 1846.

The Independence Hall standing today is a faithful reconstruction of the original. Modest and unassuming, it could easily be mistaken for a one-room schoolhouse found anywhere on the American frontier in the 19th century.

Also at the site is the Star of the Republic Museum, which explores the early years of Texas nationhood through exhibits and period artifacts, including a signed copy of the declaration. Together with the newly reimagined visitor center, both reopen Nov. 8 after an exhaustive $54 million renovation that promises a more immersive visitor experience.

Back in College Station, another chapter of U.S. history awaits at the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum.

Opened in 1997 on the campus of Texas A&M, it’s surprisingly under-visited. Only 92,906 people came through its doors in 2024 — fewer than a single sold-out Saturday at Kyle Field. That’s a shame, because the museum, much like Bush’s presidency, is understated and underrated.

Bush’s life — World War II naval aviator and decorated war hero, Connecticut Yankee-turned-Texas oilman and trusted Washington hand who served as a congressman, ambassador to the United Nations, the first envoy to Communist China, chief spook as CIA director, vice president under Ronald Reagan and finally president as the Cold War ended — unfolds across 81,706 square feet of exhibit space. Visitors can even step into recreations of the Oval Office, Camp David and White House Situation Room.

For me, walking through the museum felt like stepping into a time capsule. At 41, I’m just old enough to have faint memories of Bush’s 1989-1993 presidency — a steady hand guiding America through global change, including the Berlin Wall’s collapse and Desert Storm with bombs over Baghdad.

Also on the museum grounds are the graves of Bush and his wife, Barbara Bush. The setting is peaceful — fitting for a man remembered for decency and service.

If you go

You can fly into College Station’s Easterwood Airport with a single connection in Dallas on American Airlines. By car, College Station is about 90 minutes from Houston and three hours from Dallas.

After its Nov. 8 reopening, the Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historic Site is scheduled to welcome visitors daily with the grounds open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum at Texas A&M University is open 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. As of writing, the museum is open during the federal government shutdown.

There are seven other museums along the Brazos Valley Museum Trail.

Stay right on campus at the 250-room Texas A&M Hotel and Conference Center, which carries a four-diamond rating from AAA.

Dennis Lennox writes a travel column for The Christian Post.

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