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Corpus Christi Area

Corpus Christi is the center of life in its namesake region and bay. Its museums and attractions can fill a day or more, while the pull of the beaches on Mustang and Padre Islands is irresistible – not to mention Port Aransas is easily the most charming beach town in Texas. But it's not all sand and sea – it can be cowboys and cattle too if you like. An easy day trip from Corpus Christi takes you to Kingsville, home of the massive King Ranch dynasty and one of the largest and oldest working ranches in the world, or further to tiny Sarita and the remnants of the once-great Kenedy Ranch.

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Corpus Christi Area.

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Texas State Aquarium
Learn about Gulf Coast marine life, just across from downtown at the southern end of North Beach. Three large handling tanks let you get close to sharks, jellyfish, stingrays and the like, while further exhibits explore ocean creatures of all kinds. Frequent 30-minute presentations cover everything from stingray feeding and raptor flights to turtles and diving shows. The aquarium also keeps captive dolphins, which may concern some visitors. Animal-welfare groups argue that keeping such complex animals in enclosed tanks is harmful.
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USS Lexington Museum
Moored just north of the ship channel and aquarium, this 900ft-long aircraft carrier dominates Corpus Christi bay. The Lexington served in the Pacific during WWII and was finally retired in 1991. High-tech exhibits enable visitors to relive wartime experiences on five self-guided tours. Each evening, in keeping with its WWII nickname ‘the Blue Ghost,’ the ship is eerily lit with blue lights. Admission includes a 3-D movie in the on-board Mega Theater, and there’s even an escape room (extra charge).
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Art Museum of South Texas
Enjoying a spectacular seafront setting, across from the Museum of Science & History, this modern museum focuses on changing exhibitions of contemporary American art. In its Spanish Colonial section, interesting works are juxtaposed with pre-Columbian artifacts. On the first Friday of each month, admission is $1. A branch of Hester's Cafe can be accessed for free.
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Heritage Park
Originally a neighborhood of old homes, Heritage Park has morphed into a theme park of old homes. A dozen Corpus houses, from humble to grand and dating back as far as 1851, have been moved to this area bounded by Mesquite, N Chaparral, Hughes and Fitzgerald Sts. Only the central Galvan house was open to visitors at the time of writiing, but they're all posted with informative historical markers that give background.
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Oso Bay Wetlands Preserve
Overlooking Oso Bay, this city-run nature reserve of 162 acres has 4 miles of trails to wander. The surrounding wetlands are a haven for birdlife, and volunteers at the visitor center can help identify species. The gate is open 7:30am to 7pm Monday to Saturday, but visitors that arrive outside of these times can use the walk-in entrances on Holly Rd.
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Museum of Science & History
This fun museum explores Texas' natural history, and displays gold bars and huge disks of silver recovered from three Spanish ships wrecked nearby in 1534. Follow the doomed expedition of French explorer La Salle, and gawp at the peculiar ‘Guns & Ammo’ gallery, devoted to historic and modern firearms. There's also a huge two-story science center, targeted at kids.
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Museum of Asian Cultures
This small but well-curated museum is worth a look if you have an interest in art from across South and Southeast Asia, but particularly from Japan. There are some interesting masks and Kabuki figures, plus a tranquil bamboo garden. Despite the posted hours, it's often closed due to staffing shortages.
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K Space Contemporary
This small space hosts contemporary-art exhibitions, which rotate every four to six weeks, with a penchant for emerging artists. The often-provocative installations are thought provoking, but themes can sometimes be mature, so check what's showing before bringing children.
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Selena Museum
Selena's studio is still a working music and production house, presided over by her still-proud father Abraham Quintanilla Jr. It includes numerous displays dedicated to the life of Selena, including her awards, her red Porsche and many of her stage costumes. If it's not in use at the time, you can visit the studios where she recorded her music. The studios and museum are 5 miles west of the downtown waterfront in a rough industrial area.