Visit McKinney — McKinney Convention and Visitors Bureau
Museums & History Explore the Past
The historic Dulaney House at Chestnut Square Heritage Village
Museums & History

Explore the Past

Dating back to 1848, McKinney's history shaped the authentic personality the community enjoys today, keeping it preserved on purpose, by generations of forward-thinking locals. Discover the history today!

The one-room schoolhouse and Faires House at Chestnut Square
Chestnut Square Heritage Village

Chestnut Square

Six historic homes, a wedding chapel, a general store, and a replica one-room schoolhouse on 2.5 acres just south of the square. Discover the city's oldest house, the 1854 Faires House, plus a blacksmith shop, smokehouse, and reception gardens. Period artifacts show how Collin County lived from 1854 to 1920, and the calendar stays busy: the Farmers Market, the Legends of McKinney Ghost Walk, haunted tours, farm-to-table dinners, and Prairie Adventure summer camps.

315 S. Chestnut St. Thursday–Friday 10 a.m.–3 p.m. · Saturday 8 a.m.–noon Village Tours Thursday & Saturday 11 a.m., Friday 10 a.m. McKinney Farmers Market
Visit Chestnut Square
Read the County Story

Collin County History Museum

Housed in the beautifully preserved 1911 McKinney Post Office, the Collin County History Museum blends exhibits, educational programs, and cultural events. Created in Collin County, rotating pop-up exhibits, the Collin McKinney exhibit on the county's namesake—a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence—and the Research Room's Elvis J. Nelson Cherokee Collection bring McKinney history to life.

300 E. Virginia St. Friday–Saturday 11 a.m.–5 p.m. $5 General Admission · Kids 12 and Under Free Guided Tours $5 · Members Free 972-542-9457
The limestone arches and green doors of the 1911 post office that houses the Collin County History Museum
Inside the museum entrance: the old post office sorting desk, a wall clock and the Our 1911 Federal Building exhibit
A square grand piano and a phonograph under the Created in Collin County entertainment exhibit
The 1900 House

The Heard Craig House

Tour the pristinely-restored Heard-Craig House, built in 1900, and adjacent Katie's Garden. The home holds Texas art and family artifacts, reflecting the lives of an influential early McKinney family; the carriage house and gardens double as a popular wedding venue, and staff regularly host formal teas plus art and music events. Ask about the Art-o-Mat in the Carriage House—a vintage cigarette machine turned fine-art dispenser.

205 W. Hunt St. 972-569-6909 Museum Tours Tuesday & Thursday 1 p.m. Formal Teas & Events
The yellow 1900 Heard-Craig House with its columned porch and brick steps
A stained-glass panel and the white gazebo along the brick path through the Heard-Craig gardens

Take a History Tour

Explore free monthly historic district walks, trolley tours through the district, and self-guided routes in the app.

See the Tours