Texas Historical Commission

What Texas Historical Commission does

The Texas Historical Commission (THC) is the official state agency for historic preservation in Texas, established in 1957 and headquartered in Austin. THC operates the Texas Heritage Trails Program, which organizes the state into ten regional heritage trail regions (Brazos, Forest, Forts, Hill Country, Independence, Lakes, Mountain, Pecos, Plains, and Tropical), each with a dedicated executive director maintaining a regional office across cities such as Round Rock, Nacogdoches, Abilene, San Antonio, Granbury, Alpine, Midland, Lubbock, and McAllen.

The agency's core digital products are TexasTimeTravel.com — a curated heritage tourism portal covering region- and theme-based trip planning, events, mobile tours, and an event submission system — and the Texas History Navigator mobile application (available on Apple App Store and Google Play), which provides access to 18,000+ historic markers and sites with interactive maps, location-based storytelling, and social sharing. Content is organized both geographically by region and thematically across categories including state historic sites, archeology, courthouses, cowboy culture, scenic drives, sacred places, and multiple cultural-heritage programs (African American, American Indian, Asian, European, German, Hispanic).

THC is not a commercial enterprise; it is funded through Texas state legislative appropriations under the authority of the State of Texas as parent entity. All heritage tourism resources — the website, mobile app, mobile tours, events calendar, and quarterly Texas Heritage Traveler e-newsletter — are provided free of charge to the public. The customer base is diffuse: heritage tourists, road-trip travelers, educators, families, cultural-heritage seekers, and Texas communities/heritage sites seeking tourism promotion. Distribution combines direct-to-consumer digital channels with partnerships including the Smithsonian Institution (SITES), National Park Service (Route 66), the Texas Commission on the Arts, Texas.gov, and regional tourism partners such as Visit Amarillo and local chambers of commerce.

Name

Texas Historical Commission

Legal name

Texas Historical Commission

Website

https://texastimetravel.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1957

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Texas Historical Commission is the Texas state agency for historic preservation, operating TexasTimeTravel.com and the Texas History Navigator mobile app to deliver free heritage tourism content across 10 regional trail areas and 18,000+ historic markers, serving travelers, educators, families, and Texas communities statewide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Heritage Tourism

NAICS

Historical Sites (712120), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Historic Sites, Heritage Landmarks & Archaeological Sites (THAJACAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Archaeological Sites & Heritage Interpretation Centers (THAJADAG), Cultural, Heritage & Arts Travel Agencies (THAKAFAK), Cultural Heritage & Historic District Tours (THAJAAAB)

Keywords

• Heritage tourism
• Historic preservation
• Cultural heritage
• State historic sites
• Travel planning

Headquarters

HQ city

Austin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Government Appropriation: The Texas Historical Commission operates as a state government agency funded through Texas state appropriations and is not a commercial revenue-generating entity.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Texas Historical Commission is a Texas state government agency that operates TexasTimeTravel.com and the Texas History Navigator mobile app as a free heritage tourism platform. It organizes the state's historical and cultural resources into 10 heritage trail regions and provides trip-planning tools, event calendars, mobile tours, and curated content covering 18,000+ historic markers and sites across Texas.

Product overview

The Texas Historical Commission operates TexasTimeTravel.com as its primary heritage tourism platform, offering trip-planning tools for exploring authentic Texas history across the state. The platform integrates the Texas History Navigator mobile app (available on Apple App Store and Google Play), curated mobile tours, and the Texas Heritage Trails Program spanning 10 geographic regions. The system provides access to 18,000+ historic markers and sites, an events calendar, travel guides, and a quarterly e-newsletter called Texas Heritage Traveler.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Texas History Navigator: Mobile application featuring 18,000+ historic markers and sites across Texas with interactive maps and stories.

Products and services

• TexasTimeTravel.com A curated heritage tourism website and trip-planning platform for exploring Texas history across 10 regional trail areas, featuring historic sites, events, maps, and mobile tours for travelers, educators, and families.
• Texas History Navigator Mobile App A mobile application available on Apple App Store and Google Play Store providing access to 18,000+ historic markers and sites with interactive maps, location-based storytelling, and social sharing capabilities for travelers exploring Texas history.
• Texas Heritage Trails Program A statewide heritage tourism initiative organizing Texas into 10 geographic regions (Brazos, Forest, Forts, Hill Country, Independence, Lakes, Mountain, Pecos, Plains, and Tropical Trail Regions) each with dedicated regional staff and local tourism partners supporting heritage tourism development and visitor services.

Quantifiable outcome

• 18,000+ historic markers and sites accessible via mobile app
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• National Park ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational Park Service partnered with the Texas Historical Commission on Route 66 preservation efforts. NPS cost-share funds were used to restore historic structures including the Magnolia Gas Station in Vega. The NPS provides National Scenic Byway designation for portions of historic Route 66 in Texas.
• Smithsonian InstitutionmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES) partners with THC to bring traveling exhibitions to Texas communities. The Spark! Places of Innovation exhibition was displayed in Kerrville through June 2026, exploring innovation in rural America.
• Texas.govminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTexasTimeTravel.com is linked through Texas.gov as an official state resource for heritage tourism and historical exploration in Texas.
• Texas Commission on the ArtsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency partnership supporting cultural tourism. Canadian, Texas was designated a state cultural district by the Texas Commission on the Arts, and Amarillo also maintains a state cultural district designation.
• Texas State RailroadminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Texas State Railroad, a state heritage attraction operated between Palestine and Rusk, is featured on TexasTimeTravel.com as part of the heritage tourism ecosystem.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Visit California: Visit California is the state's destination marketing organization promoting California travel. It is a regional peer in state-level tourism marketing, but covers a different geography and does not specialize in heritage to the same depth as THC.

Emerging players

• History.com (A&E Networks): History.com is a media platform producing heritage and history content for general consumers. While it operates in media rather than tourism operations, it is a comparable consumer-facing heritage content brand that competes for the same user attention.

Direct peers

• New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation: NY State Parks is the state-level agency responsible for operating historic sites, parks, and heritage tourism programming in New York. It is a direct state-agency peer to THC, performing the same statutory role at a different state scale.
• Virginia Department of Historic Resources: Virginia DHR is Virginia's state agency for historic preservation, operating historic markers, preservation programs, and heritage tourism initiatives. It is a direct state-level peer performing the same statutory mission as THC.
• Atlas Obscura: Atlas Obscura is a digital-first heritage and experiential travel platform that curates unusual places, stories, and trip planning tools for travelers seeking authentic cultural experiences. It is the closest private-sector analog to TexasTimeTravel.com in terms of curated heritage content, regional discovery, and event/experience listings.
• National Trust for Historic Preservation: The National Trust for Historic Preservation is a privately funded nonprofit that operates heritage sites, runs preservation programs, and curates historic travel content at the national level. Like THC, it combines site operation, advocacy, and heritage tourism programming, but at a federal rather than state scope.

Broad incumbents

• Smithsonian Institution: The Smithsonian Institution is a federally chartered cultural and heritage institution that operates museums, traveling exhibitions (SITES), and educational programs. It is an active THC partner and a broader incumbent in curated cultural heritage content and public-facing heritage education.
• National Park Service: The National Park Service is the federal agency that operates national parks, monuments, and historic sites across the U.S. It is a broader incumbent in heritage site operation and heritage tourism (including Route 66 byway designation), overlapping with THC's mission at the federal level.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/TxHistComm
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/TexasTHC
• Facebookfacebook.com/TexasHistoricalCommission
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/texas-historical-commission
• Instagraminstagram.com/texashistoricalcommission

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Texas Historical Commission