Once a Childhood Visitor to Bluff, Mičulka Now Promoted to Manage the Site

We all have those places. The places we traveled to as kids, where we hold our fondest childhood memories, wishes, and dreams. For Weimar native Gavin Mičulka, that place is now where his story continues.

Mičulka has worked for the Texas Historical Commission since October 2019 as the assistant site manager for the Kreische Brewery and Monument Hill State Historic Sites. He has recently become the new site manager.

“I do have greater responsibility as a direct supervisor for the entire staff and as a steward of these historic sites and their programs,” said Mičulka, who took over from Marsha Hendrix, Ph.D., who now serves as assistant division director.

And Mičulka said he hopes to continue Hendrix’s legacy and innovative thinking, “Marsha’s leadership has fostered an incredible level of ingenuity and innovation when it comes to creating programs We may have ambitious ideas or seemingly overwhelming challenges, but she provided tools and experience to navigate those situations. There has been a lot of out-of-thebox thinking here over the last six years, creating (among many other things) incredible events like Bluff Schuetzen-Fest and unique amenities like the outdoor interactive exhibit space. Marsha’s leadership has pushed boundaries for our sites and the agency as a whole.”

For Mičulka, a career surrounded by nature and history seemed only natural. “My father retired this past May after a 51-year career with the National Park Service. I consider myself incredibly lucky to have spent my youth traveling across the country (and the world) exploring our natural and historical treasures in museums and national and state parks,” said Mičulka.

His connection to the Kreische Brewery and Monument Hill State Historic Sites also started at a young age. “I have vague memories of visiting the park when I was about eight years old or so. Photos my mom took on that visit trigger some good memories. I’m sure I tested my mom’s patience by getting too close to the Bluff edge or climbing on things I shouldn’t have been,” said Mičulka.

Another visit that stands out is one with former office manager Dorothy Kaspar. “I remember another visit, six or seven years later, where Dorothy encouraged my brother and me to complete the sites’ junior ranger program and learn a little about the Kreische House’s unique architecture. Later, as a volunteer in the summer of 2007, I have fond memories of painting the Kreische House shutters and the maintenance rangers teaching me a very specific method of cleaning park toilets.”

Beyond helping Mičulka build his connection to the sites, his early days at the park helped him to find a sense of purpose. “It certainly instilled in me a fondness for the outdoors and history,” said Mičulka. “For me, parks have always been outdoor classrooms of sorts, places where we can learn about and understand our collective heritage, then apply those lessons to shape our shared future.”

So what’s Mičulka’s next big thing for the Kreische Brewery and Monument Hill State Historic Sites, a new visitor’s center, of course.

“The visitor center will be replaced by a structure that has a slightly larger footprint, increased office space for staff and volunteers, and expanded exhibits and retail space. The restroom building will be replaced with an education and events pavilion, which will include modern restrooms, climate-controlled space for educational programs like field trips and lectures, event preparation spaces, and covered porches with incredible views,” said Mičulka, who says they are currently in the early schematic design stage and sees this new visitors center as a chance to really show the meaning of what the sites are really meant for, gathering and community.

“The Bluff has been an important gathering place for centuries. Indigenous people gathered on the Bluff to survey the landscape hundreds of years ago. In 1848, the people of Fayette County gathered to entomb and honor men killed in the Dawson and Mier Expeditions,” said Mičulka.

The Kreische Family and the Bluff Schuetzverein gathered to celebrate German-Texas heritage with good music and great beer. So, this new visitors center and the education & events pavilion are an extension of that heritage— places of gathering for our current and future community and visitors. These new spaces will provide modern, comfortable venues for visits, history programs, community events, and more.”

With community in mind, Mičulka wants the future of these sites to continue to serve visitors in meaningful ways as it has done in the past, along with new ideas and opportunities. “Updated facilities with sufficient indoor space pave the way for new programs that aren’t weather-dependent,” said Mičulka.

Expanded evening programs are also possible. Expanded exhibit space will allow us to display and interpret unique artifacts that have, up until now, only been brought out for special occasions like Archaeology Day. New innovative exhibits will also help us better interpret Kreische’s 19th-century brewing methods and the brewery’s role in the local community and economy.”

As this unpredictable world goes on around us, those places that have shaped us are worth remembering with gratitude – like Monument Hill continues to be for Gavin.