Sam Rayburn House State Historic Site

10/15/2026

We are having a new program, Archeology: Digging the Past, on October 24th from 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.! Come see the tools that archeologists use and find out why archaeology is important and what can be learned from it. Site educator Logan Baird will explain the purpose behind the Rayburn archeology project in the 1970s with the map of the project itself and the conclusion of the project. He will then display pictures of various artifacts that were found, allowing visitors to guess what each object is. This free program is intended for all ages, and is a come and go event.

10/14/2026

Our 1:00 p.m. tour today is full. Our next available tour will be at 2:00 p.m.

10/10/2026

Our annual Cemetery Walking Tour is happening on October 31, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. A guided walking tour begins at 10:15 a.m. This year, the tour is taking place at Gates Hill Cemetery, on Hwy 78 South and approximately 1.5 miles south of downtown Bonham, TX. Join us as we walk through this historic African American cemetery, providing brief biographies of some of the people buried there including men and women who worked for Sam Rayburn and the Rayburn family at their home. This program is free to attend, and self-guided options are available. We will be respectful of the cemetery. Please wear comfortable walking shoes for the walking tour. Refreshments will be available thanks to the sponsorship of the Friends of Sam Rayburn.

10/05/2026

There's still time to get your application in! Come join our team and help preserve history (and hang out with our resident donkey, Stinky).

We’re looking for a maintenance specialist to join our team and help preserve and maintain the site, look after historic vehicles, and keep the site visitor ready.

Plus the added bonus of taking care of our resident livestock including our donkey Stinky!

Interested in applying? Visit https://thc.texas.gov/about/career-opportunities for more information.

10/04/2026

At our Farming Heritage Day in September, two donkeys decided to work together for the greater good: a cuter world. We’re thinking they could have a T.V. show called “Donkey to Donkey.” Would it be an odd couple comedy, or a cozy mystery show? Thank you to Kimball Ranch for bringing out a little friend for our donkey, Stinky, at Farming Heritage Day!

10/02/2026

Our Farming Heritage Day event last Saturday was everything we hoped it would be: fun, educational, filled with great participants and visitors, and weather that was not that hot. We want to thank our wonderful participants and food vendors for making the day so special. There would not have been nearly as many fun activities during the day without our hard-working volunteers: Mark, Sandra, and the fantastic high school students in the Bonham High School Student Council and the Dodd City High School National Technical Honor Society. Our sponsors, including the Friends of Sam Rayburn, provided us and our visitors with much needed supplies. And the fact that we had so many visitors helped us spread the word about Sam Rayburn and the importance of farming in all of our lives. Thank you, everyone!

09/27/2026

This month’s Portal Pictures features a photograph of an unknown young girl taken at A.A. Huckaba’s studio in Pecan Gap, TX. Find photographs like this one from the Rayburn family collection on the Portal to Texas History.

09/26/2026

Farming Heritage Day is in full swing! Come by for lots of fun activities, program partners, free hot dogs (provided by Fix and Feed while supplies last) and lots of farm animals and tractors. The event is free and goes until 3pm!

Tours of the house are on the hour and subject to regular admission rates.

09/23/2026

Join us on Saturday, September 26th for Farming Heritage Day! Visit with a wide variety of community groups, see farm machinery old and new, meet some farm animal friends, make butter, grind coffee, do some laundry, and more during this free event from 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

09/22/2026

Our Farming Heritage Day event this Saturday, September 26th, couldn’t happen without our generous sponsors. The East Texas A&M University College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources donated crop samples and cornhusks to us for some of our activities. The Bonham branch of Texas Farm Bureau Insurance has made sure that our visitors have bottled water to drink throughout the event. And, the Friends of Sam Rayburn are the people who continually donate to us throughout the year to make sure our visitors and volunteers are taken care of and enjoy spending time at Sam Rayburn’s beloved home. Thank you to all of our sponsors!