Madison County & the surrounding areas “Things to See and Do” • Mushroom Festival: October, gala dinner with local chefs and Texas wines, cooking demonstrations, wine tasting, arts and crafts, music • Sidewalk Cattleman's Association: annual celebration begins in May and ends the first weekend in June. Activities include BBQ dinners, BBQ cook-off, Dances with country artists, trail rides, a parade and two PRCA Rodeos. • Madison County Fair: third weekend in March • Christmas Parade: first Saturday in December • Monterey Mushrooms: largest mushroom manufacturer in Texas, local farm with retail sales available to public • Trinity Valley Pecan Ranch with Rattlesnake Ranch Pecans: retail sales and tours of production Huntsville Things to See and Do: Huntsville 25 miles south of Madisonville on I-45 Population 28,465 Huntsville was founded in the year of Texas Independence, 1836, as an Indian trading post. Sam Houston was a prominent early Texan who lived in town. The town is the headquarters of Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Institutional Division and home of Sam Houston State University. The downtown area is host to a variety of antique and arts and crafts shops as well as many turn-of-the-century homes. • Blue Lagoon: sparkling artesian springs feed old rock quarry, great for diving. • Gibbs-Powell House Museum: built in 1862, elegantly furnished Greek Revival home. • Huntsville State Park: 2,123 acres of greenery in Sam Houston National Forest • Sam Houston Memorial Museum Complex: Personal effects of Houston as well as items belonging to Santa Anna. Includes a 66-foot tall statue of Sam Houston. • Oakwood Cemetery: Sam Houston's burial site plus other Texas personalities • Texas Berry Farm: pick your own, best season is May to mid-July. • Texas Department of Criminal Justice Institutional Division: Headquarters of Texas prison system, created in 1847. • Texas Prison Museum: exhibits changes in prison system since 1848 inception. Make sure to do Antique Shopping on the square. More info at Calllie Magee Antiques Bryan/College Station Things to See and Do: Bryan/College Station 37 miles west of Madisonville on TX-21 Population 111,716 Formally charted in 1855, Bryan is located where Stephen F. Austin's colonists settled between 1821 ­ 1831. College Station adjoins Bryan forming the center of Brazos county and hosts Texas A&M University, the state's first public institution of higher education established in 1876. • Brazos Valley Museum of Natural History: natural history, archeology, prehistory. Open Sept - May Tuesday - Saturday from 10 am to 5 PM; June - August Monday - Saturday from 8 am to 5 PM • Messina Hof Wine Cellars: wine making traditions of Messina, Italy and Hof, Germany are blended at the vineyards. Tours, retail store and tasting room open daily. • Texas A&M University: formed for military Cadet Corps and ROTC, graduates served in World Wars I and II, Korea, Vietnam and Iraq. Outstanding research in agriculture, animal pathology, slat and fresh-water fisheries, engineering and nuclear technology • Albritton Bell Tower: 49 bells cast in France with a total weight of 17 tons, largest weighs 6,500 pounds • Art Exhibits: at J.E. Rudder Exhibit Hall and Memorial Student Center Gallery • Flora Test Garden: Hundreds of varieties of seeds and bulbs cultivated to test adaptability of local climate. • Sam Houston Sanders Corps of Cadets Center: exhibits honoring past, present and future, miniature cannons, swords, guns, flags, Metzger-Sanders Gun Collection and Sam Houston Sanders Commemorative Colt Collection. • George Bush Presidential Library: exhibits the unique influences and challenges that shaped George Bush's life and presidency. Encompasses much of US History since 1941. Crockett Things to See and Do: Crockett 35 miles east of Madisonville on TX-21 Population 7,315 Named for frontiersman Davy Crockett, among the oldest towns in Texas and site of many historic structures. Legend states that Davy Crockett camped here on his way to the Alamo and said he would return to live. Crockett is the seat of Houston County. • Davy Crockett Memorial Park: 35 wooded acres • Davy Crockett National Forest: entrance 10 miles east on TX-7 • Davy Crockett Spring: campsite of Colonel Davy Crockett • Downs-Aldrich House: 3 story Victorian home, circa 1912, elaborate gingerbread • Monroe-Crook House: elegant 1854 Greek Revival house with period furnishings • Visitor Center Museum: housed in 1909 railroad depot, exhibits history of the first county of the Republic of Texas

Madison County Area There is a tremendous amount of history and cultural activities within a 40-minute drive.

Madison County Area There is a tremendous amount of history and cultural activities within a 40-minute drive.

Madison County & the surrounding areas “Things to See and Do” • Mushroom Festival: October, gala dinner with local chefs and Texas wines, cooking demonstrations, wine tasting, arts and crafts, music • Sidewalk Cattleman's Association: annual celebration begins in May and ends the first weekend in June. Activities include BBQ dinners, BBQ cook-off, Dances with country artists, trail rides, a parade and two PRCA Rodeos. • Madison County Fair: third weekend in March • Christmas Parade: first Saturday in December • Monterey Mushrooms: largest mushroom manufacturer in Texas, local farm with retail sales available to public • Trinity Valley Pecan Ranch with Rattlesnake Ranch Pecans: retail sales and tours of production Huntsville Things to See and Do: Huntsville 25 miles south of Madisonville on I-45 Population 28,465 Huntsville was founded in the year of Texas Independence, 1836, as an Indian trading post. Sam Houston was a prominent early Texan who lived in town. The town is the headquarters of Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Institutional Division and home of Sam Houston State University. The downtown area is host to a variety of antique and arts and crafts shops as well as many turn-of-the-century homes. • Blue Lagoon: sparkling artesian springs feed old rock quarry, great for diving. • Gibbs-Powell House Museum: built in 1862, elegantly furnished Greek Revival home. • Huntsville State Park: 2,123 acres of greenery in Sam Houston National Forest • Sam Houston Memorial Museum Complex: Personal effects of Houston as well as items belonging to Santa Anna. Includes a 66-foot tall statue of Sam Houston. • Oakwood Cemetery: Sam Houston's burial site plus other Texas personalities • Texas Berry Farm: pick your own, best season is May to mid-July. • Texas Department of Criminal Justice Institutional Division: Headquarters of Texas prison system, created in 1847. • Texas Prison Museum: exhibits changes in prison system since 1848 inception. Make sure to do Antique Shopping on the square. More info at Calllie Magee Antiques Bryan/College Station Things to See and Do: Bryan/College Station 37 miles west of Madisonville on TX-21 Population 111,716 Formally charted in 1855, Bryan is located where Stephen F. Austin's colonists settled between 1821 ­ 1831. College Station adjoins Bryan forming the center of Brazos county and hosts Texas A&M University, the state's first public institution of higher education established in 1876. • Brazos Valley Museum of Natural History: natural history, archeology, prehistory. Open Sept - May Tuesday - Saturday from 10 am to 5 PM; June - August Monday - Saturday from 8 am to 5 PM • Messina Hof Wine Cellars: wine making traditions of Messina, Italy and Hof, Germany are blended at the vineyards. Tours, retail store and tasting room open daily. • Texas A&M University: formed for military Cadet Corps and ROTC, graduates served in World Wars I and II, Korea, Vietnam and Iraq. Outstanding research in agriculture, animal pathology, slat and fresh-water fisheries, engineering and nuclear technology • Albritton Bell Tower: 49 bells cast in France with a total weight of 17 tons, largest weighs 6,500 pounds • Art Exhibits: at J.E. Rudder Exhibit Hall and Memorial Student Center Gallery • Flora Test Garden: Hundreds of varieties of seeds and bulbs cultivated to test adaptability of local climate. • Sam Houston Sanders Corps of Cadets Center: exhibits honoring past, present and future, miniature cannons, swords, guns, flags, Metzger- Sanders Gun Collection and Sam Houston Sanders Commemorative Colt Collection. • George Bush Presidential Library: exhibits the unique influences and challenges that shaped George Bush's life and presidency. Encompasses much of US History since 1941. Crockett Things to See and Do: Crockett 35 miles east of Madisonville on TX-21 Population 7,315 Named for frontiersman Davy Crockett, among the oldest towns in Texas and site of many historic structures. Legend states that Davy Crockett camped here on his way to the Alamo and said he would return to live. Crockett is the seat of Houston County. • Davy Crockett Memorial Park: 35 wooded acres • Davy Crockett National Forest: entrance 10 miles east on TX-7 • Davy Crockett Spring: campsite of Colonel Davy Crockett • Downs-Aldrich House: 3 story Victorian home, circa 1912, elaborate gingerbread • Monroe-Crook House: elegant 1854 Greek Revival house with period furnishings • Visitor Center Museum: housed in 1909 railroad depot, exhibits history of the first county of the Republic of Texas