Johnson City boasts the Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park and is the seat of Blanco County.
It is named for the pioneer Johnson family, ancestors of President Lyndon B. Johnson. It is a retail center for a farm and ranch area.
The Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park is located two blocks south of U.S. 290 between Avenues F and G. The Visitor Center features information, exhibits, bookstore, and audiovisual programs unique to the facility, as well as ranger talks and monthly guest lectures.
Down the street, with guided tours daily, is the frame structure, nearly 100 years old, where Lyndon Johnson lived while attending public school. Furnishings include Johnson family household items and period furniture restored to the 1920 era. Tours of the home are given on the half hour.
One block west, via a nature trail, is an old ranch complex called Johnson Settlement, owned by the President’s grandfather and great-uncle from 1867-72. It was a gathering point of a seven-county area for cattle drives. The rustic 1856 dog-trot cabin, 1880 stone farm buildings, exhibit center, and pastures with grazing Texas Longhorn cattle reflect the frontier heritage. It is operated by the National Park Service. For information, write to PO Box 329, Johnson City, Texas 78636. It is open daily (except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day) at 100 Ladybird Lane in Johnson City, Texas. Phone 830-868-7128 for additional information.
Lyndon Baines Johnson National Historical Park – The LBJ Ranch rests along the banks of the Pedernales River where Hereford cattle, white-tailed deer, and turkey abound. In the spring and summer, wildflowers, so beloved by the former first lady, accent the picturesque countryside. Access to the ranch is by bus tours, operated daily, except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s days 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.; tour admission. The tour begins at the LBJ State Park Visitor Center and includes the reconstructed Johnson birthplace, the family cemetery and final resting place of the President, ranch show barn areas, the one-room Junction schoolhouse, the Texas White House, and a drive across the 600-acre ranch. Park Road 49, which leads to those sites, is open to all vehicles only from 5 p.m. until dark. It is operated by the National Park Service as part of the National Historic Park that includes the Johnson Boyhood Home. Access is from U.S. 290 or Ranch Road One. For information, write to PO Box 329, Johnson City, TX 78636, or call 830/868-7128, ext. 231 or 244.
LBJ State Park is a 710-acre park (day use only). It is the boarding point for NPS tours. The visitor center presents interpretive exhibits of the storied Texas Hill Country. It features picnic facilities, a swimming pool, tennis courts, and a nature trail. Wildlife displays include Texas Longhorns, white-tailed deer, and buffalo. Historic buildings include two restored dog-run cabins of area pioneers, furnished in frontier style, and the Sauer-Beckmann Farmstead where rural life of the early 1900s is interpreted by living history demonstrations. It is open daily. on U.S. 290 just east of Stonewall.
The Captain Perry Texas Ranger Museum is the former home of Captain Cicero Rufus Perry, an early Texas Ranger who, at age 13, served as a courier for General Sam Houston in the Texas Army. Perry’s legend comes from his survival of an Indian attack while a Texas Ranger. It is located west of Johnson City on Hwy. 290 at 404 W. Main St. For more information, contact the Johnson City Chamber of Commerce at 830/868-7684.
Pedernales Falls State Park is 4,800 scenic acres which preserve the natural beauty of the area. It features picturesque waterfalls, abundant animal and bird life, fishing, swimming, camping, picnicking, hiking, and a nature study. It is about 8 miles east via F.M. 2766. There is an admission.
