Texas Cotton Gin Festival

From Texas Cotton Gin Festival Website:

We invite you to join us step back in time when cotton was king. The historic 1914 Burton Farmers Gin* is nestled in the heart of Burton, Texas - located on the same site where it was built over 100 years ago! Designated on June 19, 2009 as the Official Cotton Gin Museum of Texas, this historic cotton gin has been visited annually by thousands of visitors who have also enjoyed exhibits at the Texas Cotton Gin Museum. Burton, a small rural German community of 300 is conveniently located halfway between Houston and Austin on Hwy 290.

Two tours daily offer guests a fun and educational presentation about cotton and the cotton industry. Visitors are offered the opportunity to actually pick cotton, discover its impact on Texas and American history, and learn how the seed are separated from the soft white fibers. Young and old alike enjoy the DVD Cotton: From Wagon to Finished Bale and of course - the guided tour of the historic gin is always a highlight!

For all you engine buffsour gin is home to a 1925 Bessemer Type IV diesel oil engine. The restored 16 ton Lady B is the largest internal combustion engine of its vintage still operating in America! We still gin and bale cotton each year at our annual Cotton Gin Festival.

* The Burton Farmers Gin is designated a National Historic Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers; listed on the National Register of Historic Places and designated a Texas Historic Landmark by the Texas Historical Commission.