Winkelmann is a collection of restored historic buildings, located on US Highway 290, about four miles east of Brenham. Ray Winkelmann, who was an urban developer and antique dealer in Brenham, bought historic buildings early in his business career and restored them; he owned around 150 buildings.

In 1983 he bought five hectares of land outside Brenham and began building a city with these historic buildings.

Nineteen restored buildings have been relocated there, including school houses, plantation houses, a saloon and a general store.
The city began to attract tourists, and Winkelmann himself managed the saloon, general store, and restaurant, and leased other buildings to local businesses.

At the height of its popularity, the city attracted many tour groups and sometimes had 93 full-time employees.

The economic decline in the mid-1980s led to Winkelmann losing ownership of the Washington County State Bank in 1986. Ray Winkelmann was said to be homosexual and therefore lost its tenants and tourists stayed away, which led to the decline of the attraction.
The city was auctioned in 1989 and underwent further changes in ownership.

The historic structures have not been used since 1994, and the future of the city has been questionable ever since. Today the place is decaying more and more.
Ray Winkelmann died of AIDS in 1994.

The property is closed. “No trespassing signs” are all around. Please respect.