Texas

03/29/12

QUADRANT LOCATOR: The quadrant indicators (in brackets after each location name) are provided to help locate an attraction. The quadrant is based on dividing the state into four quadrants with the apex running through the geographical center of the state. For some states with outlying geographic areas, this may present a distorted view but is the best way I can think of to determine this information.

Abilene [NE]

• Dyess Air Force Base (W of Abilene), Attraction: 22 aircraft significant in the development of American military aviation

• Grace Museum, Attraction: Local history, $

• Cavanaugh Flight Museum, Attraction: History of the American military aircraft from WWI to present, $
• Mary Kay Museum (inside Mary Kay World Headquarters), Attraction: Museum pays homage to its founder Mary Kay Ash, awards, books, cosmetics, jewelry, memorabilia, evolution of Mary Kay products, 0$

• Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge (7 mi S of Alamo on FM907), Attraction: 2,000 acre refuge, birds rare to southern Texas, $

• Caddoan Mounds State Historic Site (6 mi SW of Alto on SR21), Attraction: Southernmost ceremonial center of the Moundbuilder culture, occupied between 800-1200 AD, interpretive cener, $

Alpine [SW]

See Big Bend National Park

• Museum of the Big Bend, Attraction: Desert garden, record of life & times of the people who lived here during the past 12,000 years, dioramas document prehistoric hunts, regional history of cattle ranching, silver & mercury mining, Texas Rangers, & Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa, $

• Amarillo Botanical Garden, Attraction: 4 acre gardens, 0$
• American Quarter Horse Heritage Center & Museum, Attraction: Story of the American Quarter Horse from early racing days to modern ranching, $
• Cadillac Ranch (2 mi W of Amarillo), Attraction: Sculpture of 10 vintage Cadillacs buried grille-down
• Big Texan, Attraction: Texas size steak dinners

Anahuac [SE]

• Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge, Attraction: Coastal marsh refuge with waterfowl & migrating birds, 0$

• The Ballpark in Arlington, Attraction: Behind-the-scenes look at the home of the Texas Rangers, $$
• Legends of the Game Baseball Museum (Exit 28B & 29 off I-30), Attraction: Baseball artifacts dating from the late 1800s, equipment, cards, uniforms, $$

• Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center (4 mi E of Athens on FM2495), Attraction: Every major species of freshwater fish found in Texas, fishing museum, $

• Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum, Attraction: Three floors of interactive exhibits chronicle the region's first inhabitants, early explorers, the fight for independence, statehood, 20th-century contributions to space, industry, technology, $$
• French Legation Museum, Attraction: Restored 1840 structure, period antiques, authentic early French kitchen with copper pots & pewter utensils, $
• Hamilton Pool (30 mi W of Austin via Hwy71), Attraction: 45-ft waterfall, pools
• Hill Country Flyer, Attraction: 33-mi steam train trip from Cedar Park to Burnet, $$
• Jourdan-Bachman Pioneer Farm, Attraction: Rural life in the 1800s, $
• Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Attraction: Display gardens, trails, open-air butterfly garden, $
• Texas Military Forces Museum, Attraction: History of state military from the Texas Revolution to the present, military vehicles including helicopters, tanks, transports, small plains, 0$

• Arkansas National Wildlife Refuge (7 mi SE of Austwell on FM2040), Attraction: Tidal flats, salt marshes on San Antonio Bay, $

• Enchanted Rock, Attraction: 425-ft dome
• Frontier Times Museum, Attraction: Local history
• Hill Country State Natural Area, Attraction: Original 5400 acre Bar-O-Ranch preserved in it's natural state, rocky hills, flowing springs, waving grasslands

Bay City [SE]

• Matagorda County Museum, Attraction: Heritage of the area

• Matagorda County Nature Center, Attraction: Butterfly & hummingbird gardens, wildflowers, lakes, trails

• Babe Didrikson Zaharias Museum (Exit 854 off I-10), Attraction: Golfing trophies, artifacts, memorabilia honoring Babe Zaharias, 0$
• Fire Museum of Texas, Attraction: Firefighting paraphernalia, hats, extinguishers, alarm systems, fire trucks, 0$
• Spindletop-Gladys City Boomtown Museum (5 mi S of Beaumont on US69), Attraction: Re-created oil-field boomtown, 15 buildings, equipment, $
• Texas Energy Museum, Attraction: Evolution of the petroleum industry, history of the spindletop gusher, $

• Old Bedford School, Attraction: Restored 1915 schoolroom furnished in period, 0$

Big Bend National Park [SW]

Varied landscape encompassing desert, mountains, Rio Grande River, $

• Big Bend Ranch State Park, Attraction: Over 280,000 acres, Texas longhorns

• Big Spring State Park (Exit 174 off I-20), Attraction: Spring that was only watering hole for wildlife within 60-mi radius, $
• Heritage Museum, Attraction: Development of the area from the 1880s to the 1920s, $

Boerne [SE]

German settlement

• Cave Without a Name (11 mi NE of Boerne), Attraction: Named by a contest where the winner said the "cave was too beautiful to have a name," the cave is full of awesome views of stalactites, stalagmites, & soda straws, $$

• Fannin County Museum of History, Attraction: Restored 1900 train depot, furniture, antique farm tools, American Indian artifacts, railroad memorabilia, WWII exhibit, restored Fairchild PT19 airplane, fire museum, 0$
• Sam Rayburn House Museum (2.2 mi W of Bonham on US82/56), Attraction: 12-room country home of former Speaker of the House, family furnishings, 0$

• Hutchinson County Museum, Attraction: History of the county & town, Spanish exploration, Plains Indians, American frontier, discovery of oil, 0$

• Alamo Village Movie Location (7 mi N of US90 on FM674, Attraction: Movie set built for 1959 John Wayne epic "The Alamo", re-creates the 1836 Alamo & aq western town, John Wayne Museum, $

• Antique Rose Emporium, Attraction: Display gardens of antique roses, butterfly garden
• Blue Bell Creameries (2 mi SE of Brenham on FM577), Attraction: Factory tour

• Fort Brown, Attraction: 1846 fort on the Rio Grande
• Historic Brownsville Museum, Attraction: Agricultural & ranching tools, artifacts from Mexican-American War, restored Baldwin locomotive, $
• Rio Grande Valley Wing Flying Museum, Attraction: WWII military aircraft, antique vehicles, $
• Stillman House Museum, Attraction: 1850 home built by Brownsville founder Charles Stillman, historic items, $

• Buffalo Gap Historical Village, Attraction: 16 original buildings from pioneer days, pioneer log cabin, barbershop, railroad depot, blacksmith shop, two-room school, $

• Fort Croghan Museum, Attraction: Six restored stone & log buildings, 0$
• Longhorn Cavern State Park (SW of Burnet), Attraction: Cathedral room, two crystal rooms, $

• Buffalo Lake Wildlife Refuge, Attraction: Winter refuge for ducks & geese, $
• Musical Drama "Texas", Attraction: Musical about the settlement of the panhandle region of Texas (summer only), preshow BBQ, $$
• Palo Duro Canyon State Park (12 mi E of Canyon on SR217), Attraction: 120-mi long, 800-ft deep canyon known as the "Grand Canyon of Texas", $
• Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, Attraction: History of this northernmost part of Texas from prehistoric times to the Conquistadors to Indian-frontier days to modern times of the oil boom, ranch life, reconstructed pioneer village, 0$

• Childress County Heritage Museum, Attraction: History of Childress & the region, transportation exhibits, automobiles, buggies, train, 0$

• Armstrong County Museum, Attraction: History of the panhandle region, Red River Indian Wars, 0$

• Layland Museum, Attraction: Home & family life in north-central Texas from prehistoric period through 1970, 0$

• Crosby County Pioneer Museum, Attraction: Over 45,000 items, Plains Indians exhibit, cowboy life, cotton farming, 0$

• George H W Bush Presidential Library & Museum, Attraction: Photographs, papers, artifacts chronicling the life of the 42nd president, WWII Avenger  torpedo bomber, 1947 Studebaker, slab of the Berlin Wall, replicas of Bush's office at Camp David & on Air Force One, $

• Mary Elizabeth Hopkins Santa Claus Museum, Attraction: Over 2,500 Santa's in all sizes & shapes, $

Comstock [SW]

• Seminole Canyon State Historical Park (9 mi W of Comstock on US90), Attraction: Rock eroded into spectacular formations, Indian pictographs painted on rocks 6,000 to 8,000 years ago, $

Corpus Christi [SE]

See Padre Island National Seashore

• Asian Cultures Museum, Attraction: Museum dedicated to Asian culture, kimonos, bronzeware, Japanese dolls, masks, $

• Corpus Christi Museum of Science & History, Attraction: 1554 Spanish shipwreck, 1686 French LaBelle shipwreck, impact of Christopher Columbus' voyages on the world, replicas of Columbus' ships Pinta & Santa Maria, $

• Texas State Aquarium, Attraction: Aquatic inhabitants & habitats of the Gulf of Mexico, offshore oil platform replica, $$

• USS Lexington Museum on the Bay, Attraction: 910-ft WWII aircraft carrier, now a floating museum. $$

• Pioneer Village, Attraction: Restored village includes an American Indian trading post, smithy, general store, slave quarters, Early Texas furniture, tools, toys, & artifacts, $

• Pate Museum of Transportation (3 mi N of Cresson on US377), Attraction: Antique automobiles, airplanes, helicopters, mine sweeper, railroad car, 0$

• Crosby County Pioneer Museum, Attraction: Pioneer life depicted through replica house, collection of household articles, crafts, equipment, American Indian artifacts, 0$

• XIT Museum, Attraction: XIT Ranch once covered more than 3 million acres, 1900 chapel, parlor, bedroom, kitchen, chuck box, antique switchboard, antique gun collection, 0$

• Age of Steam Railroad Museum, Attraction: Impressive collection of steam & early diesel-era trains, Union Pacific Big Boy locomotive #4018, one of the largest steam locomotives made, $
• Dallas Arboretum & Botanical Gardens, Attraction: 66 acres of trees, flowers, display gardens, $
• Dallas Firefighters Museum, Attraction: History & service of the Dallas Fire Department from 1872 to present, horse-drawn & motorized fire engines, fire-fighting equipment & memorabilia, $
• Dallas Museum of Natural History, Attraction: Native animals, birds, minerals, plants exhibited in their natural habitats, dinosaur artifacts, $
• Frontiers of Flight Museum, Attraction: Artifacts, vintage airplane parts chronicle the history of aviation, items recovered from the Hindenberg crash, $
• Historical Village of Dallas, Attraction: Collection of 38 relocated & restored 1840-1910 structures, train depot, doctor's office, Victorian bandstand in the village green, furnished log cabins, general store, southern Colonial mansions, working farm, $
• International Museum of Cultures, Attraction: Lifestyle, pottery of cultures of Amazonian Peru, Ecuador, Papua New Guinea, 0$
• John Fitzgerald Kennedy Memorial, Attraction: Monument to the 35th president who was assassinated nearby in 1963, 0$
• Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza, Attraction: John F Kennedy's life, death and legacy are chronicled at the site of his assassination on the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository, $
• Thanks-Giving Square, Attraction: Dedicated to the principle of gratitude for life in all its manifestations, an oasis of calm with waterfalls, reflecting pools, chapel, bell tower, meditation garden, American Thanksgiving tradition, 0$

• Whitehead Memorial Museum, Attraction: Frontier village including the 1871 Perry Mercantile, chapel, log cabin, blacksmith shop, barn with early farming & transportation equipment, $

• Eisenhower Birthplace State Historic Site, Attraction: Two-story frame house where Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower was born, restored to 1890 appearance, local history & Eisenhower's legacy, $
• Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge (6 mi W of Denison on FM120), Attraction: Resting & feeding place for migratory birds, winter home for ducks & geese, 0$

• Courthouse on the Square, Attraction: Memorabilia pertinent to the history of early Denton & north Texas, antique guns, dolls, toys, 0$

• Dr Pepper Bottling Company, Attraction: Factory tour, $

Eagle Pass [SW]

• Fort Duncan Park, Attraction: Nearly a dozen buildings from 1849 frontier outpost, restored blacksmith shop, commanding officer's headquarters, powder magazine, museum with local memorabilia, 0$

Eastland [NE]

• Eastland Post Office, Attraction: 6x10-ft mural of stamps made out of stamps, 0$

• Museum of South Texas History, Attraction: Geological origins, American Indian traditions, Spanish exploration & colonization, Texas independence, Mexican War, Rio Grande steamboat era, Civil War, ranch life during the 1800s, early 1900s farming, $

• El Campo Museum, Attraction: More than 100 big-game trophies from five continents, animals indigenous to Texas, 0$

• El Paso Centennial Museum, Attraction: Archeology, botany, ethnology, geology, mammalogy, ornithology, paleontology of the American Southwest & northern Mexico, Chihuahuan Desert Gardens featuring  native desert landscapes, 0$
• El Paso Museum of Archaeology, Attraction: Dioramas & artifacts of the American Indians of the Southwest, pueblo ruin, pit house, attached wikiup, 0$
• Fort Bliss Museum (Exit 23B off I-10), Attraction: History of the U.S. Army and the Air Defense Artillery, anti-aircraft weapons & vehicles, replica of Old Fort Bliss, 0$
• Hueco Tanks State Historic Site (30 mi E of El Paso on US62), Attraction: Rock basins used for 10,000 years to collect rainwater, 2,000 pictographs, 1800s stagecoach stop, ranch buildings,$
• Magoffin Home State Historic Site, Attraction: Adobe home built in 1875, 20-room house combines Mexican & Victorian influences, family furnishings, $
• Tigua Indian Reservation & Pueblo (Exit 32 off I-10), Attraction: Mission & adobe pueblo, 0$

Ennis [NE]

Town that celebrates it's Czech heritage

• Ennis Railroad & Cultural Heritage Museum, Attraction: Czech crystal & railroad memorabilia, $

• Ennis Visitor Center, Attraction: Traditional, colorful Czechoslovakian costumes & artifacts, 0$

• Kolache Depot Bakery, Attraction: Homemade Czech kolaches (pastries filled with fruit, cheese, meat)

• Farmers Branch Historical Park, Attraction: Historic structures including log houses, depot, church, Queen Anne Victorian cottage, schoole, 0$

• Fort Davis National Historic Site, Attraction: Home of Buffalo Soldiers, restored buildings including Officers Row, American Indian artifacts, $

Fort Griffin [NE]

• Fort Griffin State Historic Site (on US283), Attraction: Built in 1867 as a major base against the Comanche, ruins of original buildings, longhorn cattle herd, $

Fort McKavett [SW]

• Fort McKavett State Historic Site (6 mi S of US190 on FM864), Attraction: Built in 1852 to protect frontier settlers, 24 restored buildings, $

• Paisano Pete, Attraction: World's largest roadrunner statue 20-ft long & 11-ft tall

• American Airlines C.R. Smith Museum, Attraction: American Airlines memorabilia from the 1930s to the present, computer simulations, restored DC-3, 0$
• Cattle Raisers Museum, Attraction: Cowboy memorabilia, development of the cattle industry, $
• Fort Worth Botanic Garden, Attraction: 21 specialty gardens, rose garden, conservatory, 0$
• Japanese Garden (in Botanic Garden), Attraction: Trees, shrubs, stones, water arranged to emphasize the beauty of seasonal changes & to foster tranquility, pagoda, teahouse, moon-viewing deck, $
• National Cowgirl Museum & Hall of Fame, Attraction: Honoring more than 160 cowgirls & their achievements, $
• Sid Richardson Collection of Western Art, Attraction: More than 60 works including Frederic Remington & Charles Russell, 0$
• Stockyards National Historic District, Attraction: Galleries, restaurants, shops in preserved buildings of what once was the largest livestock marketing center in the Southwest, 0$
  • Cowtown Cattlepen Maze, Attraction: Maze constructed of wooden slats resembling livestock chutes, $
  • Stockyards Museum, Attraction: History of the Stockyards Company, livestock industry, Western saddles, antiques for the 1800s, 0$
  • Stockyards Station Historical Walking Tours, Attraction: Tours of the historic stockyard area including Cowtown Coliseum, the stockyards, the Livestock Exchange building, the cattlemen's catwalk, Mule Alley, $
  • Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame, Attraction: Achievement of more than 40 world champion cowboys & cowgirls, autographed memorabilia, championship saddles, spurs, boots, trophies, more than 60 wagons, carriages,& sleighs, $

Fredricksburg [SE]

German Heritage in the Hill Country

• Admiral Nimitz National Museum of the Pacific War, Attraction: See how WWII was fought in the Pacific, artifacts from Pearl Harbor, Midway, Guadacanal, the Mariana Islands, & the Philippines, $

• Enchanted Rock State Natural Area (18 mi N of Fredricksburg on RR965)

• Pioneer Museum Complex, Attraction: 1849 stone house w/8 furnished rooms, log cabin, one-room schoolhouse, barn, smokehouse, Weber Sunday House (one room w/loft structure used by ranchers & farmers when they traveled to town on Sunday), $

• Sauer-Beckman Farm, Attraction: Costumed docents perform typical farm chores & show how early German settlers lived

• Willow City Loop, Attraction: 13-mi drive through rambling hills, most attractive during wildflower season in March & April

• Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument (6 mi S of Fritch on Rte 136), Attraction: Source of flint in many colors that provided tools & barter for prehistoric cultures, 0$
• Lake Meredith Aquatic & Wildlife Museum, Attraction: Habitats of birds & animals native to the panhandle region, 5 aquariums display fish indigenous to the lake, 0$

Fulton [SE]

• Fulton Mansion State Historic Site, Attraction: 1877 mansion with state-of-the-art features for its time, $

Galveston [SE]

• Ashton Villa, Attraction: Restored 1859 3-story Italianate brick mansion filled with antiques, art, family heirlooms, $

• Galveston County Historical Museum, Attraction: County history, 0$

• Galveston Island Railroad Museum, Attraction: Restored railroad cars, 1932 Santa Fe depot, $

• Lone Star Flight Museum, Attraction: Vintage aircraft of all types, more than 40 restored aircraft, aviation artifacts & memorabilia, $

• Ocean Star Offshore Drilling Rig & Museum (on Pier 19), Attraction: Displays & information on offshore oil drilling, $

• Texas Seaport Museum (at Pier 21), Attraction: 1877 sailing ship Elissa, Texas history of sea commerce & immigration, $

Georgetown [SE]

• Inner Space Cavern (1 mi S of Exit 259 off I-35), Attraction: Discovered in 1963, entrance by cable car, sound & light effects, prehistoric relics, $

Glen Rose [NE]

• Dinosaur Valley State Park (6 mi W of Glen Rose), Attraction: Fossilized dinosaur tracks, camping, $

• Fossil Rim Wildlife Center (8 mi SW of Glen Rose), Attraction: See wildlife up close in drive-through park, $$

Gonzales [SE]

• Gonzales Pioneer Village Living History Center, Attraction: Restored buildings include log houses, church, smithy, smokehouse, $

• Palmetto State Park, Attraction: Hiking, camping, bird watching, $

Goodlett [NE]

• Old Town Cotton Gin RV Park (Hwy287), Attraction: Converted cotton gin, free laundry, store

Gruene [SE]

German village

Harlingen [SE]

• Iwo Jima War Memorial, Attraction: Original Iwo Jima flag raising sculpture, museum, 0$

• Rio Grande Valley Museum, Attraction: History of the lower Rio Grande Valley & its bicultural heritage, restored 1800s stagecoach inn furnished in period, $

Henderson [NE]

• Depot Museum, Attraction: Eight historic buildings including an ornate Victorian outhouse, syrup mill, 1880 dogtrot house, caboose, print shop, 1841 cabin, $

Hereford [NW]

• Deaf Smith County Historical Museum, Attraction: Re-creation of a storefront, one-room school, original jail, wagon barn, circus display & tools, 0$

Hillsboro [NE]

• Texas Heritage Museum, Attraction: Dedicated to interpreting the experiences of Texans at war, Civil War, WWII, wartime artifacts, weapons, $

Houston [SE]

• The Heritage Society, Attraction: Historic houses, general store, log cabin, $

• Houston Fire Museum, Attraction: Old firehouse containing fire equipment, history of fire fighting, $

• McGovern Museum of Health & Medical Science, Attraction: Walk through a giant brain, hand-on learning about health, $

• Museum of Printing History, Attraction: Antique printing equipment, $

• National Museum of Funeral History, Attraction: Collection of hearses, coffins, caskets, 1800s mourning symbols, exhibits tracing history of funerals from early Egyptians to present, $

• Space Center Houston (25 mi SE of Houston), Attraction: Story of America's manned space flight program, historic artifacts, behind-the-scenes tours, $

Huntsville [NE]

• Sam Houston Memorial Museum Complex, Attraction: Two houses lived in by General Houston, his law office, personal belongings, Texas Revolution artifacts, 0$

• Texas Prison Museum, Attraction: History of the Texas prison system from its beginning in 1848 to the present, $

Independence [SE]

• Antique Rose Emporium 8.5 mi N of SR105 on FM50), Attraction: More than 300 antique varieties of roses, antique buildings, 0$

• Texas Baptist Historical Center Museum (Jct FM50/390), Attraction: Oldest continuously active Baptist church in Texas, established in 1839, 0$

Jacksboro [NE]

• Fort Richardson State Historical Site (1 mi S of Jacksboro of US281), Attraction: 1867 fort built to protect settlers, original & restored buildings, $

Jefferson [NE]

• Atlanta, Attraction: Private railroad car of financier Jay Gould, restored to original luxury, $

• Excelsior House, Attraction: Built by Capt William Perry in 1850, $

• Jefferson & Bayou Railway, Attraction: Live steam, narrow gauge railway that skirts the Big Cypress Bayou for a five mile, half hour round trip, $

• Jefferson Historical Museum, Attraction: Life, industry, & transportation of early east Texas, collection of antique dolls from more than 20 countries, $

• Texas History Museum, Attraction: Rare maps of Texas dating from 1513 as well as Texas banknotes & currency, 0$

Johnson City [SE]

• Johnson City District, Attraction: Boyhood home in original location, furnished in period reflecting rural Texas in the 1920s, 0$

• LBJ Ranch District (15 mi W of Johnson City on US290), Attraction: Reconstructed home where LBJ was born, one-room Junction School, $

• Lyndon B Johnson National Historical Park, Attraction: Story of the 36th President beginning with his ancestors until his final resting place on his beloved LBJ Ranch

• Perdernales Falls State Park, Attraction:

• Forbidden Gardens (Exit 743 off I-10), Attraction: Replica of Chinese Emperor Qin Shi Huang's tomb & other famous Chinese sites, $

• East Texas Oil Museum, Attraction: Tribute to the pioneers of the Texas oil industry, re-created 1930s boomtown, $

• 1st Cavalry Division Museum (at Fort Hood in Bldg 2218), Attraction: History of the Cavalry trooper from the 1850s through activation of the Division in 1921, WWII, Korean conflict, Operation Desert Storm, 0$

• 4th Infantry Division Museum (at Fort Hood in Bldg 418) Attraction: Division's history from 1917, armored vehicles, helicopters, 0$

• John E Conner Museum, Attraction: Multicultural heritage of south Texas, prehistoric natural science, 1800s ranch memorabilia, South Texas Indian & early Spanish artifacts, game trophies, 0$

• King Ranch Headquarters, Attraction: Tour 15,500-acre ranch, observe daily life on a contemporary working ranch, $

• Fort Leaton State Historic Park, Attraction: Restored 1800s trading post

• Sea Center Texas, Attraction: Marine life found in the Texas Gulf Coast region, 0$

Langtry [SW]

• Judge Roy Bean Visitor Center, Attraction: Life & times of Frontier Judge who meted out frontier justice, 0$

La Porte [SE]

• San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site, Attraction: Site of battle that resulted in Texas independence from Mexico, 0$

• Battleship Texas, Attraction: Veteran of many campaigns of WWI & WWII, $

• Republic of the Rio Grande Museum, Attraction: Building used as the capitol of the proposed independent Republic of the Rio Grande in 1839-41, $

• Gregg County Historical Museum, Attraction: Reproductions of a bank president's office, dentist's office, print shop, parlor, log canin, general store, $

• Smitty's Market, Attraction: Homemade sausage, prime rib, brisket, pork chops, barbecued ribs cooked over open-pit fires

• Lowake Steak House, Attraction: Great steaks at a great price

Lubbock [NW]

• American Wind Power Center, Attraction: Windmill museum with over 75 rare windmills on display, 0$

• Museum of Texas Tech University, Attraction: Environment, history, & cultures of Texas, Lubbock history, 0$

• National Ranching Heritage Center, Attraction: More than 35 authentic buildings & artifacts of the American West including ranch office, stone & log cabins, Queen Anne house, cattle barn, bunkhouse, schoolhouse, train depot, windmills, 0$

• Museum of East Texas, Attraction: Character, history, heritage of East Texas, 0$

• Texas Forestry Museum, Attraction: Impact of lumbering & forest-products industries on eastern Texas, 0$

• Bolin Wildlife Exhibit, Attraction: Mounted wildlife from around the world, pioneer life in Texas, 0$
• Heard Natural Science Museum & Wildlife Sanctuary (Exit 38A off US75), Attraction: Natural history of north Texas, fossils, minerals, seashells, native birds of prey, reptiles, amphibians, $

• Devil's Rope Museum, Attraction: History of barbed wire, the "devil's rope," Route 66 relics, 0$, $

Midland [NW]

• American Airpower Heritage Museum, Attraction: One of largest collections of WWII aircraft in flying condition, $

• George W Bush Childhood Home, Attraction: Home of the 41st and 43rd president

• Museum of the Southwest, Attraction: Archeological artifacts, 0$

• The Petroleum Museum, Attraction: Origin & discovery of fossil fuel & its associated industries, antique drilling rigs, $

• La Lomita Chapel (3 mi S of Mission on FM1016), Attraction: "Little Hill" Chapel, one of the oldest Texas missions still in use, 0$

Monahans [NW]

• Monahans Sandhill State Park (5 mi E of Monahans off I-20), Attraction: Part of a vast dune field extending into New Mexico, interpretive center with native plants, animals, & reptiles, $

• Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge (20 mi S of Muleshoe on SR214), Attraction: One of the country's largest concentrations of sandhill cranes from October to March, 0$

Nacogdoches [NE]

Oldest town in Texas

• Millard's Crossing Historic Village (2 mi N of Nacogdoches), Attraction: Re-created east Texas village, $

• Primitive Acres Guest Ranch (15 mi N of Nacogdoches), Attraction: Camping, $

• Stone Fort Museum, Attraction: Reproduction of original 1779 Spanish Colonial stone house, history of East Texas through 1900, 0$

• Grist Mill Restaurant, Attraction: Onion rings "out of this world"
• Heritage Village/Museum of Texas Handmade Furniture, Attraction: Large collection of furniture handmade by German immigrants during the 1800s, cabinetmaker's tools, $
• Sophenburg Museum, Attraction: American Indian artifacts, household items of pioneer era, re-created bakery, pharmacy, barber shop, $

• Fort Belknap (3 mi S of Newcastle on FM61), Attraction: 1851 outpost to defend the frontier, seven original buildings, 0$

• Bull Pen Deli, Attraction: All-you-can-eat buffet with chicken-fried steak & more

Odessa [NW]

• Presidential Museum, Attraction: Hall of Presidents contains portraits of each Chief Executive along with personal memorabilia, America's First Ladies represented by collection of dolls in replicas of inauguration ball gowns, $

Padre Island National Seashore [SE]

67-mile long section of 113-mile long Padre Island, a Gulf Coast barrier island

• Padre Island National Seashore, Attraction: Birding, hiking, $

Palestine [NE]

• Old Town Palestine, Attraction: Original mercantile center, shops, & restaurants

• Texas Rangers Frontier Battalion, Attraction: Re-enactors explain the history & show a Ranger's life in the late 1800s

• Texas State Railroad Park, Attraction: Scenic 50-mi, 4-hr trip from Palestine to Rusk, $$

Pampa [NW]

• White Deer Land Museum, Attraction: 1916 headquarters of the White Deer Land Company furnished in period, American Indian artifacts, antiques, 0$

• Carson County Square House Museum (1 mi N of Jct US60 & SR207), Attraction: 10 historic buildings which includes the 24-ft square house built in the 1880s, dugout shelter, windmill, church, barn, railroad exhibit, 0$

• Eiffel Tower replica, Attraction: 65-foot version of the Eiffel Tower with a Texas twist - topped by a cowboy hat

Pasadena [SE]

• Armand Bayou Nature Center, Attraction: Tall-grass prairie, estuarine bayou, coastal woods, $

• Southfork Ranch (Exit 30 off US75), Attraction: Working ranch that was setting for television series "Dallas," guided tour, Texas longhorns, American paint horses, $

• West of the Pecos Museum, Attraction: 50 rooms of pioneer artifacts & memorabilia, $

Perryton [NW]

• Museum of the Plains, Attraction: More than 10.000 artifacts trace regional history, paleontology & archeology of the High Plains, fossils, arrowheads, antique vehicles, oil field display, pioneer settlement, Kiowa Indian village, 0$

Pharr [SE]

• Old Clock Museum, Attraction: Over 2,000 rare clocks

• Smitty's Jukebox Museum, Attraction: Jukeboxes dating back to the 1920s

Plainview [NW]

• Museum of the Llano Estacado, Attraction: Geological formation & historical development of the High Plains, American Indian artifacts, replicas of pioneer rooms, cavalry artifacts, blacksmith equipment, 0$

• Heritage Farmstead (Exit 29 off US75), Attraction: Early Texas farm life, late Victorian farmhouse, 12 outbuildings including a smokehouse, country store, windmill, period artifacts, $
• J.C. Penney Museum, Home office & history of company, 0$

Port Aransas [SE]

• Port Aransas Birding Center, Attraction: Home to hundreds of resident & visiting birds, native plants, 0$

Port Arthur [SE]

• Museum of the Gulf Coast, Attraction: Local history, $

• Pompeiian Village, Attraction: Built in 1900 by barbed-wire tycoon Isaac Ellwood, patterned after and AD 79 Pompeiian villa, furnished with pieces dating from the 1700s to the present, 0$

Port Isabel [SE]

See Padre Island National Seashore

• Museums of Port Isabel, Attraction: Three museum sites within walking distance

  • 1852 Port Isabel Lighthouse, Attraction: Only lighthouse along the Texas coast open to the public, lighthouse keeper's cottage, lighthouse related items, climb to top, $

  • Port Isabel Historical Museum, Attraction: History of the Port Isabel area, American Indian culture, Spanish exploration, Mexican War, Civil War, fishing, maritime history, $

  • Treasures of the Gulf Museum, Attraction: Artifacts from three Spanish shipwrecks just 30 miles north of Port Isabel in 1554, $

Presidio [SW]

• Big Bend Ranch State Park (4 mi SE of Presidio on FM170), Attraction: 287.000 acres of Chihuahuan Desert wilderness, 4

• Fort Leaton State Historic Site (4 mi SE of Presidio on FM170), Attraction: 1848 border trading post, 24 restored rooms, American Indian, Spanish, Mexican artifacts, $

• Lake Pauline RV Park (5 mi E of Quanah on Hwy 287), Attraction: 19 sites located on Lake Pauline, $$

Richmond [SE]

• Fort Bend Museum, Attraction: History of the county, $

• The George Ranch Historical Museum (SE of Richmond), Attraction: Living history site located on a 23,000 acre working ranch, view Texas ranching history from 1830s, $

Rio Hondo [SE]

• Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge (17 mi E of Rio Hondo on FM106), Attraction: Resting & feeding grounds for some 370 species of birds including falcons, storks, sandhill cranes, & waterfowl, $

• Texas Air Museum (1 mi E of Rio Hondo on FM106), Attraction: Rare aircraft among over 50 historic aircraft as well as tanks, vehicles, military artifacts, $

Rockport [SE]

• Fulton Mansion State Historic Site (3.5 mi N of Rockport on Fulton Beach Rd), Attraction: Restored 1877 house with such innovations as gas lighting, central heat, hot & cold running water, $

• Texas Maritime Museum, Attraction: History of coastal area from French & Spanish explorers to life on an oil rig, $

Round Top [SE]

• Henkel Square, Attraction: 14 restored buildings built 1820-70, locally handcrafted antique furnishings, $

• International Festival-Institute t Round Top (8 mi S of Jct US 290 & SR237), Attraction: Historic building moved here & restored including Edythe Bates Old Chapel, 1885 Clayton House, 1902 Menke House, 0$

Rusk [NE]

• Texas State Railroad Historic Site (2.7 mi W of Rusk on US84), Attraction: 50-mi round trip aboard steam-powered late 1800s & early 1900s trains, $$

• Fort Concho Museum, Attraction: More than 24 restored buildings from 1860s fort, $
• Paint Rock (30 mi E of San Angelo), Attraction: Native American pictographs, $

San Antonio [SE]

• Buckhorn Saloon & Museum, Attraction: 1881 saloon offers a step back to the Old West with artifacts from Texas history, wildlife exhibits, $

• Casa Navarro State Historic Site, Attraction: Home of statesman Jose Antonio Navarro, a central figure in the formation of Texas, $

• Fort Sam Houston, Attraction: Museum chronicles the fort's history, 0$

• Natural Bridge Caverns (8 mi W of Exit 175 off I-35), Attraction: 40-ft King's Throne & Watchtower, delicate soda straw formations, $$

• Paseo Del Rio (River Walk), Attraction: 3-mi walk along the San Antonio River 20 ft below street level, restaurants, shops, river cruise

• San Antonio Botanical Gardens (5 mi NE of San Antonio), Attraction: Formal gardens, native plants, rose garden, old-fashioned garden, Japanese garden, adobe houses, log cabin, $

• San Antonio Missions National Historical Park, Attraction: 5 missions (including the Alamo) along the San Antonio River dating from the 1700s

  • Mission San Francisco de la Espada (10 mi S of San Antonio on US281, Attraction: 1731 mission

  • Mission Nuestra Senora de la Concepcion de Acuna, Attraction: Massive stone church with twin towers and dome built by Franciscans & American Indians in 1731, one of the oldest un-restored stone churches in the country

  • Mission San Jose y San Miguel de Aguayo, Attraction: Restored "Queen of Missions," 1794 Spanish Colonial grist mill, exquisite stone carving on south side

  • Mission San Juan Capistrano, Attraction: Small chapel restored in 1731, ruins of larger church that was never completed

• San Fernando Cathedral, Attraction: Oldest parish in Texas begun in 1731, modern restoration, marble coffin said to hold remains of defenders of the Alamo, 0$

• Saltgrass Steak House, Attraction: Great Texas steaks, also located in other Texas towns

• Texas Transportation Museum, Attraction: Trains, vehicles, horse-drawn carriages, antique fire engines, $

• The Alamo, Attraction: Historic compound where 200 defenders were overwhelmed by Santa Anna & the Mexican Army in 1836, Texas Revolution artifacts, personal items of the Alamo heroes, 0$

• Tower of the Americas, Attraction: 750-ft observation tower, $

San Marcos [SE]

• Wonder World (Exit 202 off I-35), Attraction: One of the largest earthquake-formed caves in the US, $$

Shafter [SW]

• Shafter Ghost Town, Attraction: Silver-mining area from 1875-1942, ruins of old smelter, church, schoolhouse, & other buildings, $

Shamrock [NW]

• Pioneer West Museum, Attraction: More than 20 rooms containing American Indian arrowheads, doctors' & dentists' office equipment, military items, 0$

Sheffield [SW]

• Fort Lancaster State Historic Site (8 mi E on US290 from Exit 343 off I-10), Attraction: 1855 fort established to protect the San Antonio-El Paso Road from Indian attack, $

Sonora [SW]

• Caverns of Sonora (Exit 392 off I-10), Attraction: Butterfly-shaped formations called Helictites, $$

• Old Town Spring, Attraction: 150 Victorian-era buildings, unique shops, 0$

• Imperial Sugar Company, Attraction: Factory tour, 0$

Sulphur Springs [NE]

• Southwest Dairy Museum (Exit 122 off I-30), Attraction: History of the dairy industry from rural farm life before electricity to modern milking methods, bottling, & transportation, re-created 1930s kitchen & dairy barn, 0$

Sweetwater [NW]

• Pioneer City County Museum, Attraction: 1906 house decorated in period, merican Indian artifacts, pioneer farming & ranching equipment, toys, dolls, 0$

Temple [SE]

• Railroad & Heritage Museum (Exit 301 off I-35), Attraction: Railroad history, railroad equipment, telegraph room, locomotives, cabooses, passenger cars, $

• Starlight Dinner Theater (near W end of Big Bend National Park), Attraction: Regional cuisine in former silver-mining "ghost" town

Texarkana [NE]

State line runs through center of  town, approximately through the middle of the Post Office & Courthouse, dividing Texas & Arkansas

• Ace of Clubs House & Museum, Attraction: Built in 1855, Italianate-Victorian style house furnished in period, $

• Museum of Regional History, Attraction: Region's history from early Caddo Indians through current history including early industry post WWII, Scott Joplin Gallery dedicated to the composer's early life & career, $

• Brookshire's World of Wildlife Museum & Country Store, Attraction: Mammals, reptiles, & fish from Africa & North America, full-size replica of a 1920s grocery store, old-time gasoline pump, 1926 Model T delivery truck, 0$
• Tyler Rose Garden Center, Attraction: More than 38,000 rosebushes representing 300 varieties, garden 0$, museum $

• Red River Valley Museum, Attraction: History of Texas ranching, 135 big-game trophies, American Indian & pioneer items, 0$

• McNamara House, Attraction: Historic 1876 house museum focusing on the Victorian era, period rooms, $

• Governor Bill & Vara Daniel Historic Village, Attraction: Small village representative of life in Texas in the 1890s, $
• Strecker Museum of Baylor University, Attraction: History of central Texas in biological science, fossil, mineral, archeological, anthropological exhibits, reconstructed log cabin, 0$
• Dr Pepper Museum, Attraction: Historical perspective of Dr Pepper & its creator, Charles Alderton, soda fountain serves freshly mixed drinks, $
• Homestead Heritage Traditional Crafts Village, Attraction: Barns, crafts, frontier homes commonplace among early settlers, classes on horse farming, pottery, gardening, & other trades, 0$
• Texas Ranger Hall of Fame & Museum, Exit 335B off I-35, Attraction: Texas Ranger history dating from 1823, tribute to 26 Texas Rangers, artifacts such as badges, firearms, outlaw possessions, $

• Sterling McCall Old Car Museum, Attraction: More than 80 restored automobiles dating from 1908-60 displayed in a variety of settings, $

• Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historic Park (1 mi S on FM1155 from Jct with SR105), Attraction: Birthplace of Texas independence & site of first capital of the Republic of Texas, $$
• Barrington Living History Museum, Attraction: Washington County life in the 1850s, $
• Star of the Republic Museum, Attraction: Story of Texas' 1821-46 struggle for independence from Mexico, artifacts from the Republic of Texas, Lone Star flag thought to be the oldest in existence, $

• Fat Daddy's (on FM1015 0.5 mi S of Hwy83), Attraction: Barbequed beef, steaks, pork, chicken-fried steak

• Varner-Hogg Plantation State Historic Site, Attraction: Early land grant issued in 1824 to Martin Varner, later a sugar plantation owned by Gov James S Hogg in 1901, $

• Wharton County Historical Museum, Attraction: Wildlife trophies, county artifacts dealing with ranching, agriculture, archeology, medicine, local sulfur mines, 0$

• Cypress Creek Cafe, Attraction: Known for chicken-fried steak

• Heritage Village Museum (1.5 mi W of Woodville on US190), Attraction: Glimpse of life in a rural Texas farm community, saloon, railroad depot, blacksmith & apothecary shop, physician's & lawyer's offices, schoolhouse, $

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