DUANE
The Texas historical markers app
Texas historical markers, read out loud as you drive.
Texas has more than 16,000 historical markers, and most folks drive right past them. Duane is an iPhone app that tells you their stories out loud as you approach, hands free, so you can keep your eyes on the road.
How it works
- Start Drive Mode. Open Duane and hit the road. He keeps an eye on the road ahead so you don't have to.
- Hear the marker coming up. When an official Texas historical marker is ahead, Duane tells its story out loud. No tapping, no pulling over.
- Keep what you liked. Duane keeps track of what you've heard, lets you save the stories worth a second visit, and hands you a badge here and there.
More than the words on the sign
Not every marker earns a story, so Duane picked the best ones. Thousands of the most interesting markers in Texas are told in Duane's own voice, with an easy, campfire delivery. The rest, he reads to you straight. The facts always come from the marker itself, straight from the Texas Historical Commission.
Classic Texas is the marker's own words, read plain. Tall Tale is the same facts told the way your granddad might have told them.
Highlights keeps it to the best stories. Balanced is a good mix. Everything means Duane leaves nothing out.
Bedtime stories of Texas. Set a timer, turn out the light, and Duane tells Texas tales until you drift off.
A Texas marker tied to today's date, fresh every morning.
Search a town or county, or filter by what you're after: Civil War, outlaws and lawmen, ghost towns, the oil boom, strange but true.
Duane is named for Michael's grandfather, who loved back roads and never could pass a marker without stopping to read it. Who was Duane?
Built for the road
- The whole marker collection lives on your phone, so Duane finds markers with no signal at all.
- Duane's recorded voice streams when you have service. Off the grid, your phone reads the marker aloud instead.
- Duane only checks your location while you're driving, and it stays on your phone.
- No account to make. No ads. Nobody tracking you.
What drivers are saying
"I would love to stop and read every historical marker but I needed to get to where I need to go. This app doesn't just read the marker. It expands the story of the marker."App Store review, "Texan Must-Have"
"What a great way to learn about the history of Texas by having an app that tells you about it as you drive. Excellent addition for road trips."App Store review, "The great state of Texas got better!"
Try the stories before you drive
Every story Duane tells is on this site too, with the audio and the official marker text. Browse them before your next trip.
Questions
Is there an app that reads Texas historical markers out loud?
Yes. Duane is an iPhone and iPad app that tells the stories behind Texas historical markers out loud as you drive past them. Start Drive Mode and it announces markers ahead of you, hands free.
How many Texas historical markers does Duane cover?
More than 16,000 official Texas Historical Commission markers across all 254 counties. Thousands of the most interesting ones are told in Duane's own voice; the rest are read to you straight.
Does Duane work without cell service?
Yes. The whole marker collection lives on your phone, so Duane finds markers with no signal. His recorded voice streams when you have service; off the grid, your phone reads the marker aloud instead.
Does Duane track my location?
Duane only checks your location while you're driving, and it stays on your phone. There's no account to make, no ads, and no tracking. Read the privacy policy.
Where does the marker text come from?
From the Texas Historical Commission, so the facts are always the marker's own. Duane's framing is generated; the story is the marker's own words.
What devices does Duane run on?
iPhone and iPad with iOS 17 or later. Need help? Visit support.
Climb in. Texas has been waiting to tell you something.
Duane: Texas Road Stories is on the App Store now.