Victoria is a historic city nestled against the banks of the Guadalupe River. The city was founded in 1824 by impresario Martin de Leon and is one of the oldest in Texas - celebrating its 200th anniversary in 2024. Early inhabitants first visited the region about 12,000 years ago and regularly occupied the area for thousands of years. In more recent times Victoria has seen Spanish expeditions, French explorers, Spanish missions, Comanche raids, Mexican armies, and Texas defenders. Texas ranching began in the Victoria area and, like many places in Texas, when oil was discovered nearby, Victoria began a long and steady pattern of growth that has not stopped.

Today’s Victoria offers a blend of the past and present. The Museum of the Coastal Bend is an archeology museum where almost every artifact on display was discovered by local archeologists. Seven Clovis points found in the area are on display as are six of the seven cannons from LaSalle’s ill-fated vessel, the La Belle.