Discover 5 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Goliad (United States). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Presidio La Bahía, Mission Nuestra Señora del Espíritu Santo de Zúñiga, and Zaragoza Birthplace State Historic Site. Also, be sure to include Square Gallery in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Goliad (Texas).
Table of Contents
Presidio La Bahía
Fort in Goliad County, Texas. The Presidio Nuestra Señora de Loreto de la Bahía, known more commonly as Presidio La Bahía, or simply La Bahía is a fort constructed by the Spanish Army that became the nucleus of the modern-day city of Goliad, Texas, United States. The current location dates to 1747.
During the Texas Revolution, the presidio was the site of the Battle of Goliad in October 1835, and the Goliad Massacre in March 1836. It was restored in the 1960s and became a National Historic Landmark in 1967. While several adjacent historical sites in Goliad are now part of the Texas state parks system, La Bahía is owned by the Catholic Diocese of Victoria, Texas but operates as public museum.[1]
Address: 217 US-183, 77963 Goliad
Mission Nuestra Señora del Espíritu Santo de Zúñiga
Church in Goliad County, Texas. Mission Nuestra Señora del Espíritu Santo de Zúñiga, also known as Aranama Mission or Mission La Bahía, was a Roman Catholic mission established by Spain in 1722 in the Viceroyality of New Spain—to convert native Karankawa Indians to Christianity. Together with its nearby military fortress, Presidio La Bahía, the mission upheld Spanish territorial claims in the New World against encroachment from France. The third and final location near Goliad, Texas is maintained now as part of Goliad State Park and Historic Site.[2]
Address: 108 Park Rd 6, 77963 Goliad
Zaragoza Birthplace State Historic Site
State park in Goliad County, Texas. The Zaragoza Birthplace State Historic Park is located adjacent to Presidio La Bahía in Goliad State Park and Historic Site, Goliad County in the U.S. state of Texas. An amphitheater and bronze statue of Ignacio Zaragoza are also on the grounds.[3]
Address: Carabajal Road, 77963 Goliad
Square Gallery
Gift shop, Art gallery, Museum, Shopping
Address: 123 S Courthouse Square, 77963 Goliad
Dr. L.W. and Martha E.S. Chilton House
Building in Goliad. The Dr. L.W. and Martha E.S. Chilton House at 242 N. Chilton St. in Goliad, Texas, United States, was built in 1902. It was a work of architect Jules Leffland and of building contractor Bailey Mills. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1998. The listing included two contributing buildings and two contributing structures.
It is a two-and-a-half-story Queen Anne style house. It was expanded by a kitchen/bathroom addition in 1925. A carriage house is an additional contributing building on the property, and it has a cistern on its rear porch and an underground storm shelter.
A tornado on May 18, 1902 killed 114 people, ten percent of Goliad's population, and injured 225, and destroyed housing including the home of Dr. Chilton and family. The daughter was actually lifted up in the vortex of the tornado but survived. Dr. Chilton opened a temporary hospital and morgue in the courthouse.
The house's construction was begun in June 1902 and it was completed in September 1902. The house stayed in the Chilton family until 1997.[4]
Address: 242 N Chilton Ave, Goliad