The LBJ Boyhood Home in Johnson City at Christmastime. File photo
Celebrate the holiday season with presidential flair at Lyndon B. Johnson State Park and Historic Site and LBJ National Historic Park in Stonewall and Johnson City. The LBJ Boyhood Home will be beautifully decorated for the season, while Sauer-Beckmann Living History Farm hosts a traditional pioneer Christmas. Park rangers will lead the annual festivities, which also include the highly anticipated Christmas tree lighting ceremony.
PIONEER CHRISTMAS
501 Park Road 52 in Stonewall
Get into the holiday spirit at the Sauer-Beckmann Farm from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Nov. 30 for the annual Deck the Halls celebration. This time-honored tradition, held every Saturday after Thanksgiving, immerses visitors in the early 1900s lifestyle that President Lyndon B. Johnson experienced as a boy in Central Texas. Participate in hands-on activities like candle dipping, popcorn stringing, and wreath decorating in the park’s exhibit hall at the visitor center.
This free event offers families a fun-filled day of holiday cheer, with park rangers dressed in period clothing to share insights into frontier life. The farm is also open for self-guided tours from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Thursday through Monday throughout the holiday season.
TREE LIGHTING CEREMONY
199 Park Road 52 in Stonewall
Witness a beloved tradition started by President and Mrs. Johnson over 50 years ago. The annual tree lighting celebration in the Texas Hill Country features carolers, a live nativity scene, Santa Claus, and delicious refreshments. The 56th annual festivities kick off at the LBJ state park visitor center at 5:30 p.m. Dec. 21.
Before the grand lighting, the park offers a lamp-lit tour of the Sauer-Beckmann Farm, where visitors can sample traditional German Christmas cookies and experience the holiday season in a historic setting.
Additional activities at park headquarters include a photo booth, live music, and the opportunity to write holiday cards for patients at the Fredericksburg hospital. The park store also will offer a 10 percent discount on all purchases. Trails to Sauer-Beckmann Farm will open at 6 p.m.
Note: Sauer-Beckmann Farm will close at noon on this day and reopen after the tree lighting ceremony.
BOYHOOD HOME TOURS
The LBJ Boyhood Home, where President Johnson lived from the age of 5 until his high school graduation in 1923, is open for special holiday tours. Visit this historical home at 200 E. Elm St. in Johnson City, part of the LBJ national park, on select hours during the holiday season, usually the first two Saturdays after Thanksgiving.
