Festival Hill

Round Top, TX

The Round Top Festival Institute at Festival Hill is a world-class music and cultural center founded in 1971 by concert pianist James Dick. Set on 210 acres of manicured grounds, Festival Hill is home to a stunning 1,000-seat concert hall that took 25 years to handcraft, featuring 10,000 individually hand-turned wooden diamonds and custom-cast chandeliers. The campus also includes the Edythe Bates Old Chapel (1883), which houses the oldest American-made organ still in use in Texas. During the summer (June-July), 90 student musicians from around the world are in residence on full scholarship, with concerts every Saturday. From August through April, Festival Hill hosts monthly concerts featuring everything from brass bands to mariachi music to solo piano recitals. The annual patriotic concert is their biggest seller. The McAshan Herb Gardens, extensive walking paths, historical buildings, and beautiful grounds make Festival Hill worth visiting even when no concert is scheduled. Many Round Top visitors call it one of the most magical and unexpected discoveries in the area — a hidden gem that rivals any cultural venue in a major city. Festival Hill is open year-round and is free to walk the grounds. Concert tickets are available at festivalhill.org or by phone.