Other sights in Texas
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Zilker Botanical Garden
These lush gardens cover 31 acres on the south bank of the Colorado River, with displays including natural grottoes, a Japanese garden and a fragrant herb garden. You’ll also find some interesting historical artifacts sprinkled about the site – kind of like an outdoor architectural museum – including a 19th-century pioneer cabin, a cupola that once sat atop a local schoolhouse, and a footbridge moved from Congress Ave.
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Lyndon Baines Johnson (LBJ) Library & Museum
History buffs aren’t the only ones who can find something of interest at the LBJ Library & Museum. There are some fascinating mementos from the 36th US president, including his presidential limo, a moon rock, and gifts from heads of state (‘Why, thank you Chiang Kai-shek, for this lovely Chinese tomb sculpture!’).
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Space Center Houston
Dream of a landing on the moon? You can’t get any closer (without years of training) than at Space Center Houston, the official visitor center and museum of NASA’s Johnson Space Center. When the Manned Spacecraft Center (MSC) opened in 1961 it practically put Houston on the map. Despite exuding a theme-park vibe, interactive exhibits nonetheless entertain. Hope that on your NASA Tram tour you get to see astronauts training for future missions; if not, you still get to peek into several actual working areas of the Space Center, such as both the current and the historic Mission Control Center (you know, the ‘Houston’ of the famous Apollo 13 line ‘Houston, we have a…
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Rangerette Museum
And we don’t mean just for oil. Twenty miles east of Tyler, Kilgore is not only home to the World’s Richest Acre, but claims bragging rights as the home of the world’s oldest women’s precision drill team, the Kilgore Rangerettes. These ladies have performed at several presidential inaugurations and every Cotton Bowl since 1950. Yet what is a Rangerette, you ask, and what exactly do they drill? Thankfully, the Rangerette Museum explains everything. If you’re lucky, one of the original Rangerettes (no, not still in uniform) will be on hand to answer questions. Don’t skip the film: it’s full of fascinating footage, and there’s no substitute for seeing the…
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Padre Island National Seashore
The 60 southern miles of 'North' Padre Island that lie outside Corpus Christi city limits are all a protected part of the Padre Island National Seashore. Four-wheel drive is necessary to see the extent of the park, but if you hike even a short distance from the visitor center, you'll be free of the crowds. The constant wind not only creates and moves dunes, it also attracts kite- and windsurfers to the inland-side Bird Island Basin area. Watch for the endangered Kemp Ridley sea turtles that nest in the park, and are closely protected. If you're visiting in late summer, you might be able to take part in a turtle release. Camping is available at the semideveloped, paved…
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Lost Maples State Natural Area
The foliage spectacle in October and November at Lost Maples State Natural Area is as colorful as any you’d see in New England. In autumn, big-tooth maple trees turn shocking golds, reds, yellows and oranges. In the summertime there’s good swimming in the Sabinal River. At any time of the year, campers will find back-country primitive areas where they can pitch a tent, as well as more convenient sites supplied with water, electricity and nearby showers. Hiking trails will take visitors into rugged limestone canyons and prairie-like grasslands populated by bobcat, javelina and gray fox. Bird-watching is another popular attraction at Lost Maples due to the green kingfisher,…
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Southfork Ranch
Who shot JR? Locals certainly no longer care (the TV drama Dallas was cancelled in 1992), but that doesn't stop interstate and international visitors from driving 20 miles north from Dallas to Southfork Ranch. If you are expecting to see Miss Ellie's kitchen or JR's bedroom, don't. The ranch was used for exterior filming only; interior shots were filmed on a Hollywood set. The family who owned the ranch during the TV-show era lived there fulltime - until the show became so popular that they woke up to fans camped around their pool. The house is now an event center. You have to take a tour to see it and the tiny museum, including props like Lucy's wedding dress.
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Bureau of Engraving and Printing
- Fort Worth, USA
- Sights › Other
No, those billions of dollars being printed in front of your very eyes are not the work of counterfeiters living on the lam, Bonnie-and-Clyde style, in Texas. You’ve just stumbled upon one of two places in the nation where ‘In God We Trust’ and Ben Franklin’s face are legally printed on oh-so-hard-to-find paper: the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. This US Treasury facility produces that notorious green stuff over which wars are fought, with which engagement rings purchased, narcotics snorted, bets wagered, waiters tipped and babysitters paid. The bureau suggests allowing 30 minutes to clear security, which lets you know this place is the real deal.
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San Antonio Zoo
Established in 1914, the San Antonio Zoo & Aquarium is famous for its animal breeding conservation programs, which have given it one of the largest endangered-animal collections in the country. But parts of the zoo still need renovation and expansion, so don’t be surprised to find some of the exhibits looking cramped. There are more than 3500 animals here, representing some 750 species. Things to see include enormous free-flight tropical aviaries and a petting zoo and playground. A recent addition is the Conservation Research Center, which has a number of endangered species on show, including the wonderfully creepy Goliath bird-eating spider.
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Orange Show Center for Visionary Art
Beer cans, welded-steel oranges and plastic flowers as folk art? Conservative Houston has a wacky art streak. The late Jeff McKissack molded his house into a junk-art tribute to his favorite fruit until his passing. Today it's the Orange Show Center for Visionary Art, off I-45 S, which fosters the folk-art vision by offering tours and keeping up the 50,000-can exterior of the Beer Can House (222 Malone St), off Memorial Dr. The center can give directions to other arty houses around town.
The Foundation also keeps up the Beer Can House (222 Malone St, off Memorial Dr), a house, or is it a sculpture, covered with more than 50,000 aluminum cans.
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Natural Bridge Caverns
About halfway between San Antonio and New Braunfels, this national landmark cave is one of the state’s largest underground formations. Its name comes from the 60ft natural limestone bridge that spans the entrance, but inside (where it’s always 70°F) are simply phenomenal formations, including the Watchtower, a 50ft pedestal that looks like a crystallized flower. You can only see the caverns as part of a guided tour, which includes the family-friendly Discovery Tour, the Hidden Passages Illuminations Tour, or the more challenging Adventure Tours. Attached is the Natural Caverns Wildlife Park, a small zoo with rare animals.
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Sunset Station
You shouldn't necessarily make a special trip, but if you happen to be in the vicinity of the Alamodome, check out the former rail depot Sunset Station. Originally the Southern Pacific Railroad Depot and the city's Amtrak station (which moved next door), and a stop along the Sunset Limited line between San Francisco and New Orleans, the station has been fully restored to its old glory, complete with stained-glass windows and a colorful, bold interior. Don't overlook the vintage 1916 steam engine either. The station is usually hired out in the evening for private events, but it's open to visitors during the day. Look on its website for a historical walking tour.
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Texas State Cemetery
Revitalized in the 1990s, the state’s official cemetery, Texas State Cemetery, is the final resting place of key figures from Texan history. Interred here are luminaries including Stephen F Austin, Miriam ‘Ma’ Ferguson (the state’s first female governor), writer James Michener and Lone Star State flag designer Joanna Troutman, along with thousands of soldiers who died in the Civil War, plus more than 100 leaders of the Republic of Texas who were exhumed from other sites and reburied here. Self-guided-tour brochures are usually available from the visitor center. The cemetery is just north of E 7th St.
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Border Patrol Museum
At first, this may seem like a weird little niche museum, but the more time you spend in west Texas, the more you recognize the Border Patrol as an integral part of the culture. There's not much nuance to the exhibits – it feels like they just stuck some of the more interesting stuff they had in storage into one big room, with some rather big and intimidating chase vehicles at the other end. But there are some interesting artifacts representing both sides of the river. As for the gift shop: what little girl wouldn't be thrilled with a plush pink pony with a Border Patrol logo embroidered on it?
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Big Thicket National Preserve
Until the mid-19th century, the Big Thicket National Preserve was a dense and mysterious forest where Civil War draft dodgers hid out. Now it’s one of Texas’ most interesting ecosystems: coastal plains meet desert sand dunes, and cypress swamps stand next to pine and hardwood forests. One of the coolest trails in Texas, the Pitcher Plant Trail is a fully accessible half-mile boardwalk providing a good look at several of the bizarre carnivorous plants in North America. The preserve is also a prime spot for bird-watching, with more than 300 species of bird.
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Spanish Governor's Palace
More history? Sure, why not. Built in the mid-18th century, the Spanish Governor's Palace, west of city hall, was originally the quarters for the presidio capitan of the area's Spanish colonial troops. In 1722 it became the seat of Texas' colonial government. After Texan independence, the house was used in a variety of ways (including as a saloon), but it was bought and refurbished by the city in 1928. Today, it's a museum filled with period furniture that provides a charming foreground against the backdrop of the palace's adobe walls, brick ovens and fireplaces.
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Guadalupe Mountains National Park
We won’t go so far as to call it Texas’ best-kept secret, but the fact is that a lot of Texans aren’t even aware of the Guadalupe Mountains National Park. It’s just this side of the Texas–New Mexico state line and a long drive from practically everywhere in the state. Despite its low profile, it is a Texas high spot, both literally and figuratively. At 8749ft, Guadalupe Peak is the highest point in the Lone Star State. The fall foliage in McKittrick Canyon is the best in west Texas, and more than half the park is a federally designated wilderness area.
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Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Anyone with an interest in Texas’ flora and fauna should make the 20-minute drive to the wonderful gardens of the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, southwest of downtown Austin. The center, founded in 1982 with the assistance of Texas’ beloved former first lady, has a display garden featuring every type of wildflower and plant that grows in Texas, separated by geographical region, with an emphasis on Hill Country flora. The best time to come is in the spring (especially National Wildflower Week in May), but there’s something in bloom all year.
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San Antonio Botanical Gardens
This expertly tended, 33-acre garden complex, northeast of downtown, showcases native Texas flora. There's also a fragrance garden and a wonderful conservatory, with a bit of everything from equatorial rainforest to alpine flowers to a tropical lagoon. The strolling garden was designed and created by a 26th-generation gardener and one of Japan's living national treasures from the island of Kyūshū, specifically the city of Kumamoto, which is also home to one of Japan's most revered traditional gardens, Suizenji-kōen. A few of that famous garden's elements appear here. Call or go online for a calendar of special events, anything from concerts under the stars to bonsai…
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Institute of Texan Cultures
Thirty cultures, including Native American and Mexican, have made Texas what it is; explore them at the museum of the Institute of Texan Cultures. The Latin-American influence is fairly prominent in San Antonio, so this museum can be an eye-opener to visitors learning about Texas' diverse background. The main exhibit, spread out over an enormous single-floor space, has sections devoted to more than two dozen ethnic and national groups of settlers in Texas, including Anglo-Americans, Germans, European Jews, Irish and African Americans.
Be sure to catch one of the daily shows in the Bluebonnet Puppet Theater or the 360- degree Dome Theater. The Back 40 Area, behind the main…
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Thanks-giving Square
For all its din, drive and shopping malls, Dallas has a surprisingly quiet side where even credit cards are rendered powerless – a triangular piece of prime downtown real estate set aside for spiritual renewal and reflection. Thanks-Giving Square was established by the Thanks-Giving Foundation as a 'place where people can use gratitude as a basis for dialogue, mutual understanding and healing.'
Designed by Philip Johnson, the tranquil center includes a meditation garden, a Wall of Praise, an interdenominational Chapel of Thanksgiving and a museum of gratitude.
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San Antonio Art League Museum
This tiny museum houses art from regional 20th- century American artists. In the 1920s, the San Antonio Art League was famous for annual exhibitions of paintings of Texas wildflowers. The museum's early patron was Marion McNay, who also founded the excellent McNay Art Museum. Here, the permanent collections include textiles, paintings, sculpture, furniture and photography. If you're in the neighborhood, it's worth a short visit, especially since you'll likely have the place all to yourself.
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Mexic-Arte Museum
This wonderful, eclectic downtown museum features works from Mexican and Mexican American artists in exhibitions that rotate every two months. The museum’s holdings include carved wooden masks, modern Latin American paintings, historic photographs and contemporary art. Don’t miss the back gallery where new and experimental talent is shown. The museum’s gift shop is another draw, with killer Mexican stuff that’s pricey if you’re heading south of the border but reasonable if you’re not.
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Buddy Holly Center
A huge version of Holly's trademark horn-rims mark the Buddy Holly Center. The center is home to the Buddy Holly Gallery; a room devoted to the Man with those glasses and pristine teeth. The gallery includes some of his schoolbooks, shoes, records and other such items, but best of all are Buddy's Fender Stratocaster and hallmark glasses. It delves into his life and gives a good idea of all the rock musicians he inspired, including Bob Dylan, the Beatles and the Rolling Stones.
The center also houses a fine arts gallery, the Texas Musicians Hall of Fame, which features ever-changing exhibitions on the music and musicians of Texas, and a gift shop.
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US Army Medical Department Museum
In the northeast section of the grounds at Fort Sam, the US Army Medical Department Museum has a display of army medical gear from the US and several other countries, including Germany, the former Soviet Union, Vietnam and China, and a cool collection of restored ambulances, helicopters and a hospital rail car. But what makes the AMEDD museum really worth the trip is the collection of Civil War surgical gear, notably the disturbing saws and portable amputation kits.
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