One of my favorite parts when living in Texas was visiting the small towns that make up so much of the state. Each town always had a fun “claim to fame” with a Main Street that had most of the shops and a restaurant that was truly the “best in town” and beyond (for some). Johnson City is one of those towns that is about an hour away from Austin.
Why Go?
Johnson City has the childhood home of Lyndon B. Johnson, his ranch property, and the Texas White House. Everything I did was free which makes this itinerary a free and educational trip as well!
Where to Stay?
I would recommend staying in Austin and doing this as a one-day trip if you’ve got the time while visiting! My mom was in town for her birthday so we decided to do this trip as a part of her celebration.
How to Get Around?
Unfortunately, a car would be necessary since the area is expansive and there are multiple areas to visit via car.
The Itinerary
I recommend leaving around 8:30-9A since the park isn’t open all day long. Your first stop should be the National Park Visitor Center. The staff is wonderful – they can share maps, tour times, closures, updates, and their own recommendations.
For me, they recommended that we start with the exhibits inside of the visitor center (1 on Johnson City map) since I wanted to take a tour of the boyhood home (2 on Johnson City map), which was only available with a staff member.
After that, we drove over to LBJ Ranch. We grabbed a driving permit (free) at the visitor center there and made our way into the park. We got a little lost somehow and ended up going to LBJ’s birthplace (4 on LBJ Ranch map) and the Johnson family cemetery (5 on LBJ Ranch map) rather than the show barn (8 on LBJ Ranch map), but eventually, we made it over there! After hanging out with some of the cattle, we continued the route and made a stop to see the JetStar, a cool aircraft that President Johnson jokingly referred to as “Air Force One-Half.” Lastly, we ended at the Texas White House Complex (7 on LBJ Ranch map) and walked around it since construction was underway inside.
Final Thoughts
While not a must-do when visiting Austin, if you’re a fan of Lyndon B. Johnson or American history, I do believe this would be worth the visit. I myself am not a history buff, but I love museums and really enjoyed my time learning about that time in history while also getting some steps outside (seeing the hangar and meeting the animals).
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