Visit
Museum of Texas Handmade Furniture
1370 Church Hill Dr.
New Braunfels, Tx 78130
Hours
Tuesday - Saturday 1:00 PM-4:00 PM
before/after hours tours by appointment only call:
830-629-6504
Admission
Adults: $8
Kids under 12: Free
Tours
A tour of the Museum of Texas Handmade Furniture will introduce the visitor to the artistic beauty of handcrafted Biedermeier furniture as constructed by German cabinetmakers who settled in New Braunfels and nearby communities. Over one hundred pieces of this furniture collected by the late Bill and Nan Dillen serve as the focal point of what was once their home. Although these primarily black walnut and pine pieces were crafted between 1845 and 1880, the simplicity of their design is timeless. Docents guide you on a tour that includes the main house, the Reininger log cabin, the Cabinet Shop, the Summer kitchen and the Breustedt kitchen. Although most tours last approximately an hour, at your request a tour can be customized to fit your schedule. There are Living Historians on site on Fridays and Saturdays who demonstrate a variety of 19th century skills including weaving, cooking, musical instruments, 19th century firearms, and spinning.
Museum tours also include a brief history of the house and its occupants as it relates to the German immigration to Texas. Prominent local cabinetmakers featured are Johann Jahn, Franz Stautzenberger, and Heinrich Scholl, Jr. Also featured is a large collection of English ironstone, handmade quilts and period accessories.
Special tour rates are available for groups of ten or more with an appointment. Please contact us to schedule group tours at a time convenient to you.
Field Trips
Our site plays host to third, fourth, and fifth grade students of Texas and Colonial history. We provide a structured half day-long series of living history experiences that make learning history a participatory event. This series is held every October and is by appointment only. The programming is geared for between 60 to 120 students per day at a cost of $10 per child.
After students are divided into groups, they begin a 2.5 to 3 hour tour of sites where docents present a 15 to 20 minute talk, demonstrations and children’s activity about the following subjects: Blacksmithing, Livery stable and Chuck Wagon, Cabinetmaking, Water resources and conservation, Sewing and Needle crafts, log cabin living and food preparation, General store, Candle making. There is also a 30 minute break for lunch at the covered Heritage Pavilion.
Third, fourth, and fifth grade students from public and private schools are welcome, as well as home-schooled groups. Please contact us for further information.
