Gonzales, Texas: Visiting the “Come and Take It” Town Where the Texas Revolution Began

Four words on a homemade flag made Gonzales famous. In October 1835, when Mexican soldiers rode in to take back a small cannon the settlers had been given for protection, the townspeople answered with a banner reading “Come and Take It.” The skirmish that followed is remembered as the first battle of the Texas Revolution, and the little Guadalupe River town has been proud of it ever since.

Today Gonzales is a calm, friendly county seat with a handsome downtown, several good small museums and a nightly light show on its most important building. It makes a rewarding day trip for anybody who loves Texas history.

Where Texas independence began

Gonzales was settled in 1825 by empresario Green DeWitt’s colony and named for Rafael Gonzáles, then governor of Coahuila y Tejas. That makes it one of the oldest Anglo-American settlements in Texas, and the town marked its bicentennial in 2025.

The town’s role didn’t end with that first skirmish. In early 1836, a company of Gonzales volunteers rode to reinforce the Alamo. Remembered as the “Immortal 32,” none of them came home. A few weeks later, as Sam Houston’s army retreated east in what became known as the Runaway Scrape, he ordered Gonzales burned so it wouldn’t be of use to the advancing Mexican army. The town rebuilt, and you’ll find markers to all of this history around the square.

See the cannon at the Gonzales Memorial Museum

Start at the Gonzales Memorial Museum on Smith Street, built to honor the town’s revolutionary history. It’s home to the “Come and Take It” cannon on display, along with exhibits on the battle and the Immortal 32. According to the city’s tourism office, it’s open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon and 1 to 5 p.m., and Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m.

If you can stay past dark, don’t skip Texas Legacy in Lights. It’s a projection-mapping show that plays across the museum’s facade and tells the story of the Battle of Gonzales. The city lists it Tuesday through Sunday, with two evening showings that shift with the season (later in summer, earlier in winter). Check the city’s events page for current showtimes; it’s a great way to end a day trip with kids or grandkids.

The Old Jail and Pioneer Village

Two more stops round out a history-heavy day:

• Gonzales County Old Jail Museum (414 St. Lawrence St.): The old county jail, cells and all, now serves as a museum. The city lists it open weekdays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Gonzales Pioneer Village Living History Center (2122 Business U.S. 183): A collection of relocated 19th-century buildings that shows how early settlers lived. Listed hours are Tuesday through Sunday, 1 to 5 p.m.

Stroll the square and shop local

Downtown Gonzales is laid out around a series of squares, and it’s one of the quieter, more relaxing courthouse districts in this part of Texas. Locally owned shops and eateries fill the old storefronts, and the historic Alcalde Hotel is a short walk from the square if you’d rather stay the night than drive home.

Try to time your visit for the third Saturday of the month, when the Come & Take It Makers Market sets up at Texas Heroes Square from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. The remaining 2026 dates fall on October 17, November 21 and December 19. In December, the city’s events calendar also lists holiday shop crawls, a historic homes tour and a Winterfest celebration; watch the Gonzales events page for exact dates.

The town’s signature festival, the Come and Take It Celebration, is held the first weekend of October each year with live music, food and family activities. The 2026 edition wrapped up October 2–4, so pencil it in for next fall and watch the city’s site for the 2027 dates.

Outdoors nearby

Gonzales sits where the Guadalupe and San Marcos rivers meet, and some of the prettiest country in the region is close by. Palmetto State Park, about 15 minutes northwest, has dwarf palmettos, swamp boardwalks and a spring-fed oxbow lake that make it feel almost tropical. Pair it with lunch at Lockhart or Luling barbecue on the way back toward Austin and you’ve got a full day.

Getting there

Gonzales is the seat of Gonzales County on U.S. 183 and U.S. 90A. It’s roughly an hour and 15 minutes east of San Antonio, about an hour and a half south of Austin and about two hours west of Houston.

Hours, dates and prices can change. Check the Gonzales tourism website before you head out.

Plenty of Texas towns claim a piece of history, but Gonzales can fairly say the whole fight for independence started right here. Stand in front of that cannon and it’s hard not to feel a little bit of that 1835 grit.