Caddo Mounds reopens May 18
Apr. 17—The Caddo Mounds State Historic Site is hosting a grand reopening Saturday, May 18, five years after its near total destruction when a tornado struck during a ceremony for Caddo Culture Day in April 2019.
The site has been carefully restored with a new $2.5 million, 5,150-square-foot visitor center to house an exhibit dedicated to Caddo history and culture.
The site holds profound significance, serving as the southwestern-most ceremonial center for the great Mound Builder culture. Designed with feedback and input from members of the Caddo Nation, the visitor center includes architectural elements such as a roof that's meant to rust in order to better blend in with the surrounding landscape, similar to the original Caddo mounds. Other enhanced features for tornado preparedness were included to ensure future generations are able to learn about and experience Caddo culture.
The site's traditional grass house was meticulously rebuilt in 2022, through an effort led by the Caddo Nation and the Texas Historical Commission. The Texas Historical Commission, with the Friends of Caddo Mounds, provided funds to hire five female Caddo apprentices to rebuild the house, who received assistance with the reconstruction from over twenty members of the Caddo Nation.
In continued celebration of the reopening, ongoing on-site programming will include stargazing, birdwatching, a series on foraging and medicinal plants and a recurring Caddo artist series.
Caddo Mounds State Historical Site is located at 1649 ST 21 West and can be reached by calling 936-858-3218.
For information about Caddo Mounds, visit thc.texas.gov/historic-sties/caddo-mounds.
