George A. Peterson House: Visiting Hours, Tickets, and Austin Historic Sites Guide

Date: 14/06/2025

Introduction

The George A. Peterson House in Austin, Texas, is a quintessential representation of the city’s Victorian-era architecture and a focal point for understanding the cultural and social evolution of East Austin. Nestled at 1012 East 8th Street within the historic Robertson Hill District, this Queen Anne-style residence offers visitors a rare opportunity to engage with Austin’s layered history through its meticulously preserved features, guided tours, and community events. This comprehensive guide provides essential visitor information—such as hours, tickets, accessibility—and contextualizes the Peterson House within Austin’s broader network of historic sites (Austin Historical Society; Preservation Austin Homes Tour; Austin Insider Blog).

Table of Contents

Architectural Origins and Historical Context

The George A. Peterson House, constructed during the late 19th century, exemplifies Queen Anne Victorian design—a style notable for its ornate millwork, asymmetrical facades, and decorative wood trim. Its original pine-leaf wood floors and intricate details reflect the prosperity and aspirations of Austin’s burgeoning middle class during a period of rapid urban expansion (Redfin). The house stands as a testament to the city’s architectural innovation and the broader patterns of social change that shaped East Austin’s identity (Austin Historical Society).


The Peterson Family and Community Impact

While specific details about the Peterson family remain limited, the house’s preservation is symbolic of the diverse communities that have called East Austin home. The area has long been a cultural crossroads, shaped by waves of working-class families, immigrants, and African American residents. The Peterson House’s survival through decades of urban transformation makes it a vital record of community resilience and evolution (Austin Historical Society).


Architectural Features and Restoration

The Peterson House features hallmark elements of Victorian architecture:

  • 11-foot ceilings and expansive windows providing ample natural light.
  • Restored pine-leaf wood floors and original millwork.
  • Asymmetrical facades and ornate exterior trim.
  • Modern amenities like a large open kitchen, luxurious primary suite with claw-foot tub, and dual sinks—all seamlessly integrated with historic details.

Recent restorations have prioritized period-appropriate materials and techniques, ensuring both historical integrity and modern comfort (Redfin; Preservation Austin Homes Tour).


The Robertson Hill District and East Austin’s Evolution

Robertson Hill is among Austin’s oldest neighborhoods and stands at the intersection of the city’s shifting social landscape. Following the 1928 city plan that enforced segregation, East Austin became a center for African American life and cultural vibrancy (AustinTexas.org). Today, the district is a focal point for preservation efforts, balancing new development with the safeguarding of historic architecture and community identity.


Visitor Information: Hours, Tickets, and Accessibility

  • Visiting Hours: The George A. Peterson House is generally open for guided tours on Saturdays from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Special group tours and school visits can be arranged by appointment.
  • Tickets: Standard admission is $10 for adults, $7 for seniors and students, and free for children under 12. Advance booking is advised, especially for guided tours (Preservation Austin Homes Tour).
  • Accessibility: The house is wheelchair accessible, featuring ramps and an elevator. For specific accommodations, contact the visitor center.
  • Location & Parking: 1012 East 8th Street is accessible via public transit. Limited on-site parking is available; additional metered street and paid parking lots are nearby.

Special Events and Visitor Experiences

The Peterson House hosts seasonal programs such as Victorian holiday celebrations, architectural workshops, and community heritage days. Guided tours delve into the house’s design, restoration, and the broader story of East Austin. Photographic opportunities abound in both the house and its gardens (Preservation Austin Programs).


Nearby Historic Sites and Austin Attractions

Enhance your visit by exploring these nearby sites:

  • French Legation Museum: Early Texas history and architecture.
  • George Washington Carver Museum: Celebrates African American culture.
  • Six Square Cultural District: The only Black cultural district in Texas (AustinTexas.org).
  • Texas State Capitol: Guided tours and exhibits.
  • East 11th Street Corridor: Historic businesses and vibrant community spaces.

For more, consult the Austin Visitors Guide.


Practical Tips and Visitor Etiquette

  • Plan Ahead: Book tickets early for special events and tours.
  • Respect Privacy: The house is in a residential area; remain on public walkways and avoid trespassing.
  • Accessibility: Contact organizers in advance if you have mobility needs.
  • Parking: Pay attention to permit and meter restrictions.
  • Dress Appropriately: Wear comfortable shoes for walking; check the weather before your visit.
  • Safety: Austin is generally safe, but secure your valuables and remain alert, especially when parking (Austin EMS Visitor Safety).

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: What are the George A. Peterson House visiting hours?
A: Saturdays from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM, with special tours by appointment.

Q: Is the house wheelchair accessible?
A: Yes, ramps and an elevator are available.

Q: Are guided tours available?
A: Yes, during public hours and by appointment for groups.

Q: What is the cost of admission?
A: $10 for adults, $7 for seniors/students, free for children under 12.

Q: How do I book a tour?
A: Reserve online through Preservation Austin or by contacting the visitor center.

Q: Is parking available?
A: Limited on-site, with additional street and paid lots nearby.

Q: Can I take photographs?
A: Exterior photography from public areas is welcome; interior photography is allowed during guided tours unless otherwise noted.


Conclusion and Call to Action

The George A. Peterson House is a cornerstone of Austin’s architectural and cultural heritage, offering a window into the city’s Victorian past and the enduring spirit of East Austin. Its careful restoration, active community programming, and integration with nearby historic sites make it an essential stop for history enthusiasts and casual visitors alike. Plan your visit today, explore Austin’s rich history, and support local preservation efforts. For the latest updates, special events, and interactive tours, download the Audiala app and follow related organizations on social media.


References and Further Reading


Optimized images, virtual tours, and additional resources are available on the Official George A. Peterson House Website and Preservation Austin. For travel tips and real-time updates, consult the Austin Visitors Guide.

Visit The Most Interesting Places In Austin

Austin-Bergstrom International Airport
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport
Austin Central Fire Station 1
Austin Central Fire Station 1
Austin High School
Austin High School
Austin History Center
Austin History Center
Austin Memorial Park Cemetery
Austin Memorial Park Cemetery
Austin Public Library
Austin Public Library
Austin State Hospital
Austin State Hospital
Austin State Hospital Cemetery
Austin State Hospital Cemetery
Austin Women’S Club
Austin Women’S Club
B. J. Smith Property
B. J. Smith Property
Bailetti House
Bailetti House
Barbara Jordan
Barbara Jordan
Barton Springs Bath House
Barton Springs Bath House
Battle Hall
Battle Hall
Batts Hall
Batts Hall
Becker School
Becker School
Bethany Cemetery
Bethany Cemetery
Blanton Museum Of Art
Blanton Museum Of Art
Boardman-Webb-Bugg House
Boardman-Webb-Bugg House
Buen Retiro
Buen Retiro
Buford Tower
Buford Tower
Bullock Texas State History Museum
Bullock Texas State History Museum
Cactus Cafe
Cactus Cafe
Camp Mabry Building 1
Camp Mabry Building 1
Cathedral Of Saint Mary
Cathedral Of Saint Mary
Central Christian Church
Central Christian Church
Circuit Of The Americas
Circuit Of The Americas
Claudia Taylor Johnson Building
Claudia Taylor Johnson Building
Colored Teachers State Association Of Texas Building
Colored Teachers State Association Of Texas Building
Commodore Perry Estate Hotel
Commodore Perry Estate Hotel
Concordia University Texas
Concordia University Texas
Confederate Soldiers Monument
Confederate Soldiers Monument
Crusemann-Marsh-Bell House
Crusemann-Marsh-Bell House
Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium
Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium
Dawson Stone House
Dawson Stone House
Deep Eddy Pool
Deep Eddy Pool
Dell Medical School At The University Of Texas At Austin
Dell Medical School At The University Of Texas At Austin
Denny-Holliday House
Denny-Holliday House
Donnan-Hill House
Donnan-Hill House
Driskill Hotel
Driskill Hotel
Ebenezer Baptist Church
Ebenezer Baptist Church
Edmund And Emily Miller House
Edmund And Emily Miller House
Edward Clark House Outbuilding
Edward Clark House Outbuilding
Elisabet Ney Home
Elisabet Ney Home
Elisabet Ney Museum
Elisabet Ney Museum
Elvira T. Manor Davis House
Elvira T. Manor Davis House
Emma West Flats
Emma West Flats
First Baptist Church
First Baptist Church
Flawn Academic Center
Flawn Academic Center
Frank Erwin Center
Frank Erwin Center
French Legation
French Legation
Garrison Hall
Garrison Hall
General Land Office Building
General Land Office Building
George W. Davis Cemetery
George W. Davis Cemetery
George W. Sampson Home
George W. Sampson Home
George Washington
George Washington
George Washington Carver Museum And Cultural Center
George Washington Carver Museum And Cultural Center
Gerhard-Schoch House
Gerhard-Schoch House
Germania Insurance Amphitheater
Germania Insurance Amphitheater
Gethsemane Lutheran Church
Gethsemane Lutheran Church
Gilfillan House
Gilfillan House
Goldsmith Hall
Goldsmith Hall
Gregory Gymnasium
Gregory Gymnasium
Hancock Recreation Center
Hancock Recreation Center
Harry Ransom Center
Harry Ransom Center
Henry H. And Bertha Sterzing Ziller House
Henry H. And Bertha Sterzing Ziller House
Herbert And Alice Bohn House
Herbert And Alice Bohn House
Herblin-Shoe House
Herblin-Shoe House
Hezikiah Haskell House
Hezikiah Haskell House
Hippie Hollow Park
Hippie Hollow Park
Hirschfeld Complex
Hirschfeld Complex
Hirshfeld Property
Hirshfeld Property
Hofheintz-Reissig Store
Hofheintz-Reissig Store
Horton-Porter, Goldie, House
Horton-Porter, Goldie, House
Hotel Provident & Heierman Bldg.
Hotel Provident & Heierman Bldg.
Hugh B. Hancock House
Hugh B. Hancock House
Hyde Park
Hyde Park
I. V. Davis Homestead
I. V. Davis Homestead
Ireland And Mary Graves House
Ireland And Mary Graves House
J. Frank Dobie House
J. Frank Dobie House
J. L. Buaas Building
J. L. Buaas Building
Jackson School Of Geosciences
Jackson School Of Geosciences
Jacob Larmour House
Jacob Larmour House
Jacob Leser House
Jacob Leser House
James D. Pfluger Pedestrian And Bicycle Bridge
James D. Pfluger Pedestrian And Bicycle Bridge
James M. And Leana B. Walsh House
James M. And Leana B. Walsh House
Johnson Home
Johnson Home
Joseph And Mary Robinson Martin House
Joseph And Mary Robinson Martin House
Joseph And Susanna Dickenson Hannig Museum
Joseph And Susanna Dickenson Hannig Museum
J.W. & Cornelia Rice Scarbrough House
J.W. & Cornelia Rice Scarbrough House
King-Von Rosenberg House
King-Von Rosenberg House
Kopperl House
Kopperl House
Lake Austin
Lake Austin
Lamar Boulevard Bridge
Lamar Boulevard Bridge
Larry Monroe Forever Bridge
Larry Monroe Forever Bridge
Las Ventanas
Las Ventanas
Little Campus
Little Campus
Littlefield Fountain
Littlefield Fountain
Livestrong Foundation
Livestrong Foundation
Lyndon Baines Johnson Library And Museum
Lyndon Baines Johnson Library And Museum
Main Building
Main Building
Malcolm And Margaret Badger Reed Estate
Malcolm And Margaret Badger Reed Estate
Mary Street Stone House
Mary Street Stone House
Masonic Cemetery
Masonic Cemetery
Mather-Kirkland House
Mather-Kirkland House
Mathews School
Mathews School
Mauthe-Myrick Mansion
Mauthe-Myrick Mansion
Mcclendon-Price House
Mcclendon-Price House
Mckinney Falls State Park
Mckinney Falls State Park
Mexic-Arte Museum
Mexic-Arte Museum
Montopolis Bridge
Montopolis Bridge
Moody Center
Moody Center
Moore-Flack House
Moore-Flack House
Moore-Hancock Farmstead
Moore-Hancock Farmstead
Mount Bonnell
Mount Bonnell
Neill-Cochran House
Neill-Cochran House
Norwood Tower
Norwood Tower
O. Henry Hall
O. Henry Hall
O. Henry Museum
O. Henry Museum
Oakwood Cemetery
Oakwood Cemetery
Okewell
Okewell
Old Lundberg Bakery
Old Lundberg Bakery
Old Rock Store
Old Rock Store
Onion Creek Lodge 220, Af & Am
Onion Creek Lodge 220, Af & Am
Paggi House
Paggi House
Painter Hall
Painter Hall
Paramount Theater
Paramount Theater
Paramount Theatre
Paramount Theatre
Parque Zaragoza Center
Parque Zaragoza Center
Pease School Building
Pease School Building
Penn And Nellie Wooldridge House
Penn And Nellie Wooldridge House
Pennybacker Bridge
Pennybacker Bridge
Perry–Castañeda Library
Perry–Castañeda Library
Peterson, George A., House
Peterson, George A., House
Philquist-Wood House
Philquist-Wood House
Physics, Math, And Astronomy Building
Physics, Math, And Astronomy Building
Platt-Simpson Building
Platt-Simpson Building
Q2 Stadium
Q2 Stadium
Rainey House
Rainey House
Rainey Street Historic District
Rainey Street Historic District
Randerson-Lundell Building
Randerson-Lundell Building
Red And Charline Mccombs Field
Red And Charline Mccombs Field
Republic Square
Republic Square
Robert S. Stanley House
Robert S. Stanley House
Robert S. Strauss Center For International Security And Law
Robert S. Strauss Center For International Security And Law
Rocky Cliff
Rocky Cliff
Roy-Hardin House
Roy-Hardin House
|
  Saint Mary'S Cathedral
| Saint Mary'S Cathedral
Scarbrough Building
Scarbrough Building
Scottish Rite Temple
Scottish Rite Temple
Seaholm Power Plant
Seaholm Power Plant
Shoal Creek
Shoal Creek
Simpson Memorial Methodist Church
Simpson Memorial Methodist Church
Sixth Street
Sixth Street
Smith-Clark And Smith-Bickler Houses
Smith-Clark And Smith-Bickler Houses
South Austin Museum Of Popular Culture
South Austin Museum Of Popular Culture
Southgate-Lewis House
Southgate-Lewis House
Southwestern Telegraph & Telephone Bldg.
Southwestern Telegraph & Telephone Bldg.
Sparks House
Sparks House
Splitrock (Burns-Klein House)
Splitrock (Burns-Klein House)
St. David’S Episcopal Church
St. David’S Episcopal Church
|
  St. Edward'S University Main Building And Holy Cross Dormitory
| St. Edward'S University Main Building And Holy Cross Dormitory
Stanley And Emily Finch House
Stanley And Emily Finch House
Statue Of Liberty Replica Monument
Statue Of Liberty Replica Monument
Sutton Hall
Sutton Hall
Swisher-Scott House
Swisher-Scott House
|
  Texas Federation Of Women'S Clubs Building
| Texas Federation Of Women'S Clubs Building
|
  Texas Governor'S Mansion
| Texas Governor'S Mansion
Texas Legislature
Texas Legislature
Texas Military Forces Museum
Texas Military Forces Museum
Texas State Capitol
Texas State Capitol
Texas State Cemetery
Texas State Cemetery
The Academy
The Academy
The Contemporary Austin
The Contemporary Austin
The Contemporary Austin - Jones Center On Congress Avenue
The Contemporary Austin - Jones Center On Congress Avenue
The Contemporary Austin - Laguna Gloria
The Contemporary Austin - Laguna Gloria
The Domain
The Domain
The Independent
The Independent
The Old Zimmerman Home
The Old Zimmerman Home
The Stephen F Austin Royal Sonesta Hotel
The Stephen F Austin Royal Sonesta Hotel
Thompson Home
Thompson Home
Tmi Castle
Tmi Castle
Ufcu Disch–Falk Field
Ufcu Disch–Falk Field
Umlauf Sculpture Garden And Museum
Umlauf Sculpture Garden And Museum
University Junior High School
University Junior High School
University Of Texas At Austin
University Of Texas At Austin
University Teaching Center
University Teaching Center
Waggener Hall
Waggener Hall
Walnut Creek Baptist Church
Walnut Creek Baptist Church
Walter And Mae Simms House
Walter And Mae Simms House
Welch Hall
Welch Hall
Wells-Larue House
Wells-Larue House
West-Bremond Cottage
West-Bremond Cottage
West Fifth Street Bridge At Shoal Creek
West Fifth Street Bridge At Shoal Creek
Westgate Tower
Westgate Tower
Wild Basin Wilderness Preserve
Wild Basin Wilderness Preserve
William Green Hill House
William Green Hill House
William Sidney Porter House
William Sidney Porter House
Williams-Weigl House
Williams-Weigl House
Willie Nelson Statue
Willie Nelson Statue
Wooldridge Park
Wooldridge Park
Zach Theatre
Zach Theatre
Zeta Tau Alpha House
Zeta Tau Alpha House
Zilker Park
Zilker Park