Sights in Texas
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Austin Nature & Science Center
In the northwestern area of Zilker Park, this center has exhibitions of native Texan mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and arthropods that have been injured and nursed back to health here. There are also outdoor nature trails lined with native plants, where you’ll see bats, butterflies and birds.
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B
Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center
The fascinating Ransom Center is a major repository of historic manuscripts, photography, books, film, TV, music and more. Highlights include a complete copy of the Gutenberg Bible (one of only five in the USA) and what is thought to be the first photograph ever taken, from 1826. Check the website for special online-only exhibitions and the center’s busy events calendar of author readings, live music, lectures and more. All in all, this jewel of a place should be a must-see on anyone’s itinerary.
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Dr Pepper Museum
The Dr Pepper soft drink was invented by Waco pharmacist Charles C Alderton in 1885. This museum celebrates his creation.
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Cadillac Ranch
To millions of people whizzing across the Texas Panhandle each year, the Cadillac Ranch, also known as Amarillo’s ‘Bumper Crop,’ is the ultimate symbol of the US love affair with wheels. A salute to Route 66 and the spirit of the American road, it was created by burying, hood first, 10 west-facing Cadillacs in a wheat field outside town.
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Beer Can House
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Bug Ranch
- West Texas, USA
- Sights › Other
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Cultural District
- Fort Worth, USA
- Sights › Other
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Dealey Plaza & the Grassy Knoll Park
Now a National Historic Landmark, this rectangular park is south of the Book Depository. From Dealey Plaza, walk along Elm St beside the infamous grassy knoll, and look for the white 'X' in the road that marks the exact spot where the president was shot. Most days there are conspiracy theorists on hand who are more than happy to point out where additional gunmen might have hidden.
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C
Museum of Science & History
Your Cowgirl ticket also gets you in to this kid-friendly museum brimming with fossils, dinosaurs and fun things to do – like the planetarium and an Omni IMAX theater. A huge expansion, completed in late 2009, immerses you in today's cattle-breeding and cowboy industry.
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Riverwalk
An essential part of the San Antonio experience, this charming canal and pedestrian street is the main artery at the heart of San Antonio's tourism efforts. Restaurant after restaurant and bar after bar vie for your attention. In mid-2009, the first part of a $259 million expansion effort connected the commercial core with the developing Pearl Brewery shopping complex to the north.
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San Jacinto Monument
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Stockyards
Westernwear stores and knickknack shops, saloons and steakhouses occupy the Old West–era buildings of the Stockyards. City-paid cowboys on horseback roam the district, answering questions and posing for photos. Twice a day, at 11:30am and 4pm, they drive a small herd (16 to 20 beasts) of Texas longhorns down the block in front of the visitor center. It's a goll-dang Kodak moment, pardner.
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The Alamo
The folks who valiantly fought for Texas' independence from Mexico would never have imagined the Alamo as it is today, surrounded by tacky tourist attractions and having its picture taken every 17 seconds or so by people exclaiming how much smaller it looks in real life. But it's more than just a photo op. Go on in and find out why the story of the Alamo can rouse a Texan's sense of state pride like few other things. You might notice some of the visitors getting downright dewy-eyed at the description of how a few hundred revolutionaries died defending the fort against thousands of Mexican troops.
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Waxahachie
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E
Fort Bliss
As the largest air defense training center in the Western world, Fort Bliss consumes much of the desert northeast of El Paso, and trains troops from all the NATO-allied nations. The Fort Bliss Museum is housed in a reconstruction of the fort's 1854–68 location. It depicts life at the post in 1857, right down to the 31-star flag hanging outside.
One block south, the US Army Air Defense Artillery Museum is the only one of its kind in the US. Its exhibits focus on the history of air defense artillery since 1917, including an outdoor weapons park.
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F
Dallas Heritage Village At Old City Park
This 13-acre museum of history and architecture, set on a wooded property south of downtown, shows what it was like to live in North Texas from about 1840 to 1910. The modern skyline makes for a striking backdrop for the living history exhibits, comprised of 38 historic structures including a tepee and a Civil War–era farm.
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Alamo
The folks who valiantly fought for Texas' independence from Mexico would never be able to imagine the Alamo as it is today, sitting at the heart of San Antonio, surrounded by tacky tourist attractions and having its picture taken every 17 seconds or so.
But the Alamo is more than just a photo op. Go on in and find out why the story of the Alamo can rouse a Texan's sense of state pride like few other things. For many, it's not so much a tourist attraction as a pilgrimage, and you might notice some of the visitors getting downright dewy-eyed at the description of how a few hundred revolutionaries died defending the fort against thousands of Mexican troops.
The main chapel…
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Alamo Plaza Attractions
Time to throw the kids a bone? After touring historical sites all day, you can reward them with a visit to this teen-friendly trio: Ripley's Haunted Adventure, Guinness World Records Museum and Tomb Rider 3D. One admission gets you into the haunted house, museum of oddities and theme-park-style ride, or you can pay a reduced admission if you only have time for one or two. It's a little cheesy, and definitely touristy, but a good antidote to slogging around the missions all day.
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Allen's Landing Park
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Castolon Historic District
Dwarfed by the looming Sierra Ponce, the clustering of buildings that make up the Castolon Compound were built in 1920. A half-mile historic stroll offers a brief look at life on the frontier in the Castolon Historic District. Start at the famous La Harmonia Store, which is a mainstay for locals on both sides of the river as well as an ice-cream vending oasis for tourists. A pamphlet ($1) sold in the store serves as a guide.
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Enron Corporation Headquarters
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HemisFair Park
Like Seattle's Space Needle that came six years before it, San Antonio's 750ft Tower of the Americas is a skyline-defining landmark left over from a World's Fair. From the 579ft observation deck you'll mostly see the tops of buildings – no mountains or ocean like in Seattle – but the sheer height alone might earn a few 'ooohs' and 'aaahs.' Your admission also includes Skies over Texas, a 3-D film with special effects presenting the history of Texas.
These things always seem to have a revolving restaurant at the top, and this one's no exception. If you want the view to last all through dinner (or if you want to skip the admission price and the film) make a reservation…
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