Angleton's Austin-Munson Park Has a Giant Austin Statue

Drive Highway 288 just west of Angleton and you cannot miss it: a 76-foot statue of Stephen F. Austin, designed by Texas sculptor David Adickes, rising over the trees. It anchors the Stephen F. Austin-Munson Historical County Park, a 10-acre county site on land once granted to Austin's friend Henry William Munson.

Around the statue, the county park keeps a visitor center and gift shop, picnic areas, and a Texas-shaped pond out back where catch-and-release fishing is allowed. It is a free, easy stop that puts a face on the 'Where Texas Began' story the county is built around.

The statue has needed storm repairs in the past, so check the county park page for open days, visitor-center hours, and any access updates before you make the drive.