More than 1,200 years ago, a group of ancestral Caddo built a village and ceremonial center here. Today, three earthen mounds, still considered sacred to Caddo people, rise from the lush Piney Woods landscape. Learn how the Caddo lived on the land through exhibits and programs.

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Location

1649 State Hwy. 21 West
Alto, TX 75925
936-858-3218
Contact us
See map

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Hours

Tuesday to Sunday
8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m 

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Tickets

Adult $5
Senior/Veteran/Teacher/First Responder $3
Child (6-17) $2
Child (5 and under) Free
Family (2 adults & 1 child) $8, each additional child $1

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Programs

Guided Tours
School Field Trips

Reenactors

Plan Your Visit

Caddo Mounds State Historic Site is a prehistoric village and ceremonial center located on the original El Camino Real de los Tejas.

Reenactors

Plan a Field Trip

Guided field trips are scheduled for groups of 15 or more; not counting underaged siblings or chaperones.

Caddo statue

Caddo Mounds History

The Caddo selected this site for a permanent settlement about A.D. 800.

Events at Caddo Mounds

Man teaching in the woods

Forage-Feast with Merriwether

You have the opportunity to learn about the edible plants at Caddo Mounds and cook them up into a gourmet foraged feast!
April 13, 2023, join Mark "Merriwether" Vorderbruggen on a four-hour foraging intensive followed by a foraged feast cooking class.
What's for supper? Mark will teach you to make homemade ravioli stuffed with farmer's cheese served in a red sauce, foraged salad, tea(s), and dessert. The ravioli pasta will be made from scratch, infusing plants into the dough. The farmer's cheese will be made with cedar-infused apple cider vinegar and wood sorrel. The salad will come from whatever is available.
This workshop is sponsored by the Friends of Caddo Mounds, Inc.
There is a $175.00 charge for this full-day experience.
THERE WILL BE NO REFUNDS UNLESS THE CLASS IS CANCELED!
Space is limited (16), and the program fee must be paid in advance. Call 936-858-3218 to hold your space.
You may pay by cash or check at Caddo Mounds State Historic Site or mail your check to Caddo Mounds SHS, 1649 State Hwy 21 West, Alto, Texas. You may also pay via the Friends of Caddo Mounds Pay Pal or Cash App (you must call to hold your spot before you pay). IF YOU DO NOT CALL 936-858-3218 BEFORE YOU PAY BY PAYPAL OR CASH APP, THEN YOUR SPOT IS NOT GUARANTEED AND YOUR MONEY IS NOT REFUNDABLE.
The class is recommended for 12 and older. There are no discounts for young attendees. Be prepared to hike. We recommend closed-toed shoes, water, a hat, sunscreen, insect repellent, a notepad & pencil. Please bring a sack lunch. There is no food to purchase on-si

People looking at the sky at night

Star Party with Doug Parsons

It's a star party with Douglas (Doug) Parsons, Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Tyler Junior College. Jupiter, Saturn, and Venus will be visible in the night sky.
Doug will set up telescopes, but you are also invited to bring your own.
You might want, water, binoculars, a lawn chair or blanket, and bug spray.

STEM with drawings

Adventures in Nature: A Caddo Mounds Creative STEM Camp

During a six-day Creative STEM family experience, community partners and families will explore Caddo Mounds SHS and engage with five different ecosystems through a braided Creative STEM approach. In this braided approach, families will explore land conservation through the strands of Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK), the Arts, and Western-based Science. For ages 8-11.

There is no Fee. This camp is offered in association with a National Science Foundation Grant and is free for families.

Each Family will receive a $25 gas card for each of the 6 days they attend. Lunch and snacks are provided.

Families commit to all six days of camp. May 4&5; June 1&2, 8&9 from 9:00 am until 3:30 pm.

Caddo Mounds in the Blog

Historic Road Trip: Nacogdoches and San Augustine

Known as the “Oldest Town in Texas,” Nacogdoches takes immense pride in its history. In fact, the entire downtown is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Nacogdoches honors its heritage through a statue of the city’s founder, Gil Y’Barbo, and numerous historical museums, each conserving a different part of the town’s 241-year legacy. In reality, its settlement is much older—Caddo Indians arrived in this area 10,000 years prior to the city’s establishment.