LBJ LIVES ON AT NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK

Guided tours of the Texas White House Grounds, located on the LBJ Ranch, are offered 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. — Standard-Radio Post file photo Enjoy a chance to learn about the life and legacy of the 36th president of the United States by visiting the Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park.

The park is divided into two components — one in Stonewall and one in Johnson City.

The LBJ Ranch makes up the Stonewall side of the park, while the LBJ Boyhood home and the Johnson settlement are located in Johnson City in Blanco County.

An airplane often used by President Lyndon B. Johnson is on display at the Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park at Stonewall. The 36th president of the United States used the plane for the short flights home from either Austin or San Antonio after landing there with Air Force One. — Standard-Radio Post file photo

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, there have been no programs scheduled this spring. Should there be any change, information will be available on the park’s website at https://www.nps.gov/lyjo/index.htm.

The LBJ Ranch operating hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily (visitors must be through the inbound gate by 4:30 p.m.). The park is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day.

The first stop on any tour of the LBJ Ranch is at the LBJ State Park and Historic Site Visitor Center, which is located 17 miles east of Fredericksburg off of U.S. 290.

Free permits for the driving tour are available starting at 9 a.m. and continuing through 4 p.m.

The tour leads visitors onto Ranch Road 1 and crosses the Pedernales River near the Junction School where President Johnson began his education at age four.

The tour also stops at the President’s reconstructed birthplace, then the Johnson family cemetery, where President and Mrs. Johnson are laid to rest.

From there, tourists can head to the LBJ Ranch Hangar to view a short movie and exhibits, including a Lockheed Jetstar which President Johnson humorously referred to as Air Force One-Half.

Tours of the Texas White House grounds also begin at the Hangar. The tours begin at 11 a.m., and 1, 2, 3, and 4 p.m. every day.

At this time, tours of the Texas White House interior are not available while structural repairs are underway.

The Johnson City portion of the park is located 14 miles east of the LBJ Ranch in Blanco County.

The sites include a visitor center at 100 East Ladybird Lane, the LBJ Boyhood Home, and the Johnson Settlement.

The center is open every day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The park is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day.

The president’s boyhood home is open for guided tours from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., excluding the noon hour.

Transporting visitors back to the early days of Texas, a leisurely one-mile loop trail takes visitors to the Johnson Settlement, 1860s home of Lyndon Johnson’s grandparents.

A visitor contact station is open in the Withers and Spaulding Building in downtown Johnson City. There, visitors can see how a general store looked around 1915, the time of the president’s childhood.

More information on the park is available from the visitor center at 830-868-7128 or online at www.nps.gov/lyjo.