If these walls could talk: Georgia O’Keeffe’s favorite hangout in the Panhandle. Ulysses S. Grant’s East Texas escape. A wharf worker’s cottage in Galveston. From history-filled bungalows to hidden-gem hideaways, these legendary lodgings are some of the most storied in the state.
The Texas Historical Commission is enticing travelers to bypass big hotels and check into historically significant bed & breakfasts through an initiative called Historic Overnights. Launched in 2023, the program connects preservation professionals with property owners of B&Bs to help research and share their captivating stories from the past.
“Historic Overnights is a unique way for travelers to discover in-depth details about historic places and experience local history in a more immersive way,” says Sarah Page, the state's heritage tourism program coordinator.
Historic Overnights launched in Galveston; more than a dozen vintage lodgings on the island are now featured, along with places in the northern Hill Country. More are being added across the state, the organization says.
For travelers inspired to find storied stays of their own, the Texas Historical Commission also keeps an updated site with historic hotels, B&Bs, and short-term rentals
Here are six historic lodgings (including one across town, in Fort Worth) where guests can sleep where history happened. They not only welcome travelers with Texas hospitality, but with authentic lore that turns road trips into time travel.
Elvis became friends with the radio DJ who owned this Waco home in the 1950s.Photo courtesy of The Elvis House
The Elvis House in Waco: Bungalow fit for The King
Elvis has left the building — but at the height of his fame in the 1950s, he often stayed in this pretty red brick house and played its piano. He had struck up a friendship with the rock 'n' roll radio DJ who lived there, and considered the 1924-built hideaway a "home away from home" while stationed nearby in Fort Hood. It has been thoroughly updated and outfitted with Elvis memorabilia and mid-century furnishings, including a record-changing console from the 1960s. Elvis also liked to hang out at Waco’s Elite Café (now Chip and Joanna Gaines’ Magnolia Table) and neighboring Health Camp, and you can still visit both restaurants today. Sadly, neither offers a peanut butter and banana sandwich (The King’s favorite) on the menu. Rates start around $99 per night. 2807 Lasker Ave., Waco.
Galveston Speakeasy Cottage: Breezy seaside survivor
This cute bungalow’s funky, mismatched colors and oddball woods reveal a secret: It was constructed from salvaged materials from burned buildings following a massive fire in 1885. The one-bedroom, one-bathroom home then survived the Great Galveston Hurricane of 1900, the worst natural disaster in American history. It served as a rental property for wharf workers for most of its life, and its prime location now attracts travelers to the coastal city. Oak floors, crystal doorknobs, and a speakeasy-style door window ooze authentic character. Rates start at $185 per night. 1212 19th St., Galveston.
Relax like Georgia O'Keefe in the colorful, antique-filled Hudspeth House.Photo courtesy of Hudspeth House
Hudspeth House in Canyon: Panhandle painter's paradise
Cozy up by the original gas fireplaces in this 1909 charmer with shimmering stained glass, hardwood floors, and seven bedrooms with antique furniture. The DIY mail-order home was built from a Sears & Roebuck catalog kit that contained everything from pre-cut lumber and nails to a 75-page instruction book. (IKEA, eat your heart out.) Close to the courthouse square, it was the favorite lunch stop for a young painter named Georgia O’Keeffe, who lived in the Texas Panhandle town of Canyon before blazing a trail through the art world. The B&B is still known for its delicious food, with home-cooked breakfasts of green chile quiche, fresh-baked pastries, and buttery French toast. Rates start at $146 per night. 1905 4th Ave. #4023, Canyon.
Officer’s Quarters at Presidio La Bahía in Goliad: National historic landmark
Have you ever had a 300-year-old Spanish fortress all to yourself? You’ll find a four-bedroom apartment inside heavy bastions and the thick rock walls of this Goliad landmark, a formidable fort in Southeast Texas that withstood several sieges. It’s also where Texian soldiers were imprisoned before being marched out and massacred during the Texas Revolution (remember Goliad?) and where the first Texas Declaration of Independence was signed. Overnight guests today get access to the Presidio’s capacious inner courtyard, along with a kitchen, dining room with fireplace, and A/C. The Quarters book up far in advance and are now accepting reservations for 2026. Rates start at $200 per night. 217 US Hwy. 183, Goliad.
Excelsior House in Jefferson has hosted Ulysses S. Grant, Oscar Wilde, and Lady Bird Johnson. Photo courtesy of Excelsior House
Excelsior House in Jefferson: Poltergeist in the Piney Woods
While not technically a B&B, Excelsior House certainly feels like one with its clawfoot bathtubs, four-poster beds, and throwback blend of Southern grace and Victorian romance. Open since 1858, it has hosted a stream of VIPs, including Civil War general Ulysses S. Grant, poet Oscar Wilde, and First Lady Lady Bird Johnson. Crystal chandeliers and ornate mahogany furnishings evoke the heady days when Jefferson was a wealthy riverboat town. Step out to the wrought-iron balcony and survey the historical streetscape as horsedrawn carriages clip-clop on the bricks below. And if you’re looking for the most haunted spot in Texas, this might be it. Unexplained activities in Room #215 inspired Steven Spielberg to write the horror movie Poltergeist. Rates start at $99 per night plus tax. 211 W Austin St., Jefferson.
Three Danes Inn in Fort Worth: Wild West shootout
Ask to see the bullet hole in this yellow Queen Anne-Victorian from 1904, whose then-owner — a local saloon keeper — was shot to death by a gang of thugs on his own back porch. After a raucous night at his saloon in the city’s rowdy Hell’s Half Acre neighborhood, he returned home with the day’s profits — but he never made it inside. His wife saw it all, and the men were eventually caught. The gorgeous gabled home features a turret and wraparound porch, and each of its five rooms has a private bath. The house is also now home to the Three Danes Baking Company, an acclaimed bakery now serving up sweet treats exclusively to guests of the inn. Rates start around $125 per night. 712 May St., Fort Worth.
