LMorgan176

We stopped by on our road trip eastward because we grew up remembering the standoff that took place in the early 90s. The memorial and the grounds are open to the public but we made sure to be respectful to the folks still living on the grounds. There is a memorial with all the names when you first enter and then you can drive back to the current chapel, which is built on part of the foundation of the original compound. We were able to walk up to the original pool on the property and then headed into the chapel. Once inside the chapel, they have information on the walls talking about the background & founders of The Branch, a tribute to the victims of the fire, and photos of the compound before the fire. It was very surreal to be at The Branch because the incident there became a cultural moment in time for certain generations from one generation growing up watching the standoff take place on the news to the next generation knowing about it as a pop culture reference to the current generations not being aware about it (and knowing of Waco from the show Fixer Upper).