Best of Beaumont Spouses Tour
Limited to the first 30 who register for the tour
Special Note: The tour will begin at the visitor center. The only public bathrooms are at the visitor center. A ten-minute orientation film will precede the tour. Guests are required to leave purses, cameras, backpacks, and bags in the self-lock lockers. Photos outside the house are encouraged. No professional or for-profit photos are permitted. Guests should wear low, broad-heeled shoes when touring to protect the museum's floors and carpets, and for your comfort. No spiked heels may be worn inside the house. Two 15 passenger vans will be used to transport the tour guests.
The Best of Beaumont Tour provides an opportunity to see both one of the last great examples of Beaux Arts Colonial Revival homes in America open to the public and one of only 12 Basilicas located in the United States.
The McFaddin-Ward House was built in 1905-1906 and is one of the few house museums in which the furnishings are intact and original to the house. The building and its furnishings reflect the lifestyle of the prominent family, which lived in the house for seventy-five years. Guy Richard Wilson/University of Virginia featured the house on the cover of his coffee-table book as the definitive example of Colonial Revival. The house was also presented in A&E's America's Castles and in a PBS program. Visitors to the house receive guided tours. Trained guides combine family anecdotes and local history with information about the house and its furnishings to tell the story of this family and its era.
In addition to the main house, visitors can also tour the McFaddin-Ward Carriage House. It provides a behind-the-scenes look at the operations of the McFaddin home during the first half of the 20th century. Built in 1907, it originally housed a stable, hayloft, garage, gymnasium, and servants' quarters. Visitors can tour these areas and view exhibits on servant life, transportation, sports and recreation, and the McFaddins' farm and ranches.
After touring the main house, carriage-house and strolling through the beautiful gardens, visitors will enjoy a catered lunch at the McFaddin visitor center. A historical presentation on the Roles of Women in the 1860's will be presented by Johanna Pate during the luncheon.
The second stop will be at Saint Anthony Cathedral Basilica, God's Gem in Beaumont. Situated in a peaceful setting in historic downtown Beaumont, Saint Anthony Cathedral Basilica offers people of all faiths a breathtaking encounter that stirs and soothes souls through exquisite expressions of Early Renaissance art and prayerful liturgical celebrations. Through the years, The Vatican, The State of Texas, and City of Beaumont have recognized the religious, historic and artistic significance of this splendid sacred site. In 2006 Pope Benedict XVI elevated this historic house of prayer to the rare and honored title of "Cathedral Basilica."
The 2009 Texas Section Society for Range Management Annual Meeting will be held in Beaumont on October 7-9 (Wednesday-Friday). The theme for this year's meeting is 
