EXPERIENCE
THE HISTORY

Scenes from an earlier way of life in Historic Downtown New Braunfels
Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels, Germany, brought hundreds of immigrants to Texas in 1844. Land originally purchased in West Texas was found to be unsuitable for cultivation and inhabited by hostile Indians. In hasty need of land to call home, and on the fortuitous advice of a stranger, Prince Solms purchased 1,265 acres in an area known as Las Fontanas, so named for the abundant natural springs bubbling to the surface. These springs formed a river (the Comal) that flowed into the larger Guadalupe River. These rivers would provide ample water and fertile soil for agriculture and industry. The prince named the settlement after his German home on Good Friday, March 21, 1845. By the 1850s, New Braunfels was a burgeoning center of commerce, and the fourth largest city in Texas after Houston, San Antonio, and Galveston. We invite you on this tour to get a taste of what life was like in historic downtown New Braunfels.
 
Take the self-guided tour today! The tour also includes stunning contemporary murals which celebrate the lives and culture of these first settlers.