fort chadbourne

They had an open house with punch, coffee, cookies and the like when we visited. The museum and information center are very interesting and informative. They also have restrooms and a nice gift shop. We got a personal tour of the grounds; several of the buildings have been restored and furnished. They also showed us the buffalo they keep nearby; we were just a few feet away. Great visit. Plan to spend a couple of hours here if you have time, but you can skim through it in one hour if you are in a hurry.

A beautifully restored fort located 12 north of Bronte on Highway 277. The owners are wonderful people who have done a fabulous job!

Stopped by Monday on my way to San Angelo, the visitor center was closed so I walked the fort grounds and took a few snapshots of the buildings, excellent restoration going on here!Stopped by again on my way back from San Angelo, the visitor center was open, was unofficially greeted by Budrow a very sweet dog and officially by Lana. Lana started me off with a extremely well made 20 minute video of the history of the fort. I was very impressed with the layout and diversity of the exhibits. There was an astonishing firearm collection, several items found at the fort like buttons, buckles, medical supplies, and personal effects. I was also extremely pleased to see such a huge array of stone arrow points, tools, and spear points.Ann was also very helpful on the tour and answered all my questions.

The gate was open so we drove in to discover that everything was closed. It is on private property so you cannot just walk around and look at the history of the fort. Very disappointed. Loved the spur over the gate to enter the fort.

We went to Fort Chadbourne for the first time last weekend. It was during their Living History Event, which had a lot of neat things going on. There were re-enactors from different Forts around this area. They had cannons that they fired, spinners, hayrides to see the baby buffalo, and more. It was a lot of fun. They have several restored buildings and some good exhibits.

Last weekend they had an open house with battlefield reenactments, cannon firings, along with period actors all over. The fort has been restored for the most part and the private owner has an amazing collection of antique firearms, antiques, and memorabilia in a spacious indoor museum.You are greeted initially with a 20 minute video narrative about the history of the fort which is very well put together with western actor Barry Corbin. A must for history buffs.

Wow! This was so worth the trip! This old Fort on private property has seen a lot of excellent and professional grade restoration. The hosts were more than helpful in giving us a great tour. The new museum is so well done and has no admission charge, but has a donation box. Oh my goodness! Give a donation to keep this splendid bit of history going.

This was a true adventure discovered turning back the pages of history to the old west! We found the staff to be very friendly, welcoming, and since they were descendants it made the tour even more exciting! Very neat and clean buildings and grounds. The antiquities, relics and incredible gun collection were unbelievable. We appreciated being shuttled from one building to the next on their four wheeler. I personally liked knowing that the Butterfield Stagecoach made their stops there enroute to San Francisco. Kids will enjoy sitting on saddles while they watch the video. I liked the original writings on the walls of the officers quarters. It is a non-profit museum, admittance is free but donations welcomed. Great stop!!

I have visited Fort Chadbourne on four occasions, the last being earlier this week. This time I was able to tour the new Visitors Center and Museum, which is extremely well done. Persons interested in the history and the roll of the military in settling the west will enjoy visiting Fort Chadbourne. This is a privately operated historical site located on a working ranch. The new museum contains a massive collection of weapons. The operators of this historical site are friendly and helpful.

Awesome new museum. A lot of items from way back to through today. Outside you can see ruins of the old fort.

Fort Chadbourne is one of the forts on the Forts Trail. It is worth the extra effort it takes to find it. They are always improving. If you are into history this is a must see. Be sure to check out the lastest finds and additions to their collection of artifacts and buildings.

We went to check out a fort and ended up marveling over their gun collection for a couple of hours. They have also restored some buildings and escevated a large amount of artifacts. This was a great visit and the people there were extremely nice. I plan on coming back whenever I am in he area.

This Fort is great for the history buffs. They are always looking to improve this site. Another great stop on the Forts Trail.

A cold, blustery, wet day is not the best time to visit a frontier fort, however we were eager to stop and have a look at this important site in Texas history. Located on a hill miles from nearby towns, even with the private buildings beside it one senses the isolation the soldiers must have felt while stationed here in the middle of the 19th century before any towns existed in the area. Fort Chadbourne was placed in the heart of Comanche country to provide protection to settlers. This was dangerous territory for Texians as well as the Army. The history of the fort includes a number of deadly encounters between soldiers and hostile Indians. The Butterfield Overland Mail stopped at the fort during the few years that service existed before the Civil War. The fort's physical layout is typical for forts of the time with buildings arranged around a central parade ground and no walls encompassing the fort. There are substantial ruins, though because of the inclement weather we did not walk around to see them. We look forward to returning on a fair day after the new visitor center presently under construction is completed.At this writing there is no charge to visit and there is no visitor center, therefore no restrooms, refreshments, etc. Donations to the foundation supporting the fort can be made at the kiosk upon entering the property.