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You are receiving this email because you are subscribed to Texas Historical Commission (THC) email updates. The THC manages 42 state historic sites, the Texas Heritage Trails Program, Texas Main Street Program, Historical Markers Program, and many more historic preservation and heritage tourism initiatives across the state.
Happy New Year! We’ve added some exciting new programming to Real Places 2026—and more is on the way!
New Tours
🖤 East Austin Black History Walk
Explore a one-mile route highlighting key sites, local Black owned businesses, and great lunch spots.
🌮 Comida y Cultura—An East Austin Barrio Walk
Discover vibrant Mexican American heritage through food, stories, and historic places.
📜Where Texas Began on Paper—Archives, Maps, and Digitization at the General Land Office
Step into Texas history with a guided tour of the Texas General Land Office Archives, home to over 35 million documents, maps, sketches, and drawings. The tour features documents from Spanish and Mexican Texas, the Republic era, and statehood, including original land records signed by Stephen F. Austin, James Bowie, Sam Houston, Lorenzo de Zavala, and freedmen, among others who made an impact on Texas history.
📍 More Tours and Special Events
- Choose Your Own Capitol-Area Adventure
- Austin Architecture: Adaptive Reuse Walk
- Dia de los Muertos in Oakwood Cemetery Annex's Hispanic Grounds
- Jump-Start Your Research with Small, Medium, and Statewide Repositories at the Texas State Library and Archives Commission
Check out the full schedule for workshops, sessions, and more!
Already Registered? Add a Tour
To update your registration, follow these steps:
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Locate your confirmation email: Open the original confirmation message sent from [email protected].
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Access the portal: Scroll down to the link labeled "To modify or cancel your registration, click here."
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Log in: Enter your email address and/or confirmation number, then click the Log In button.
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Edit your details: Scroll to the bottom of the page and click the Modify Registration button
New for 2026: Small Group Dinners on Tuesday night before the conference. These casual gatherings will bring together staff, constituents, and preservation enthusiasts to connect, share ideas, and build relationships ahead of the conference rush. Look for more details soon.
Also, keynote speakers and opening reception details are on the way—stay tuned!
Real Places offers CE credits for:
- APA planners
- AIA licensed architects
- Educators
Sessions (in person and virtual) are under review. We anticipate at least four APA/AICP, 13 AIA, and one TEA.
Haven’t booked yet? Now’s the time!
Rooms at both the Renaissance Austin Hotel (conference HQ) and Embassy Suites Arboretum (overflow) are filling quickly.
Get discounted rates via links on the Plan Your Trip page.
If room blocks sell out, we’ll list additional hotel options on that page.
2026 marks the 10th anniversary of Real Places, the premier historic preservation and heritage tourism event in Texas—presented by the Friends of the Texas Historical Commission in partnership with Phoenix I Restoration and Construction, LLC.
We hope to see you in Austin or online, April 8–10!
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