Must see attractions in Rio Grande Valley

The only palm tree native to Texas grows at this 557-acre sanctuary, operated by a foundation for the National Audubon Society. It sits in a bend of the…

A self-proclaimed birder’s paradise, this 2088-acre refuge is one of the valley’s most beautiful spots. Lakes, wetlands and subtropical thorny forest…

On May 8, 1846, General Zachary Taylor and his troops defeated a larger Mexican army on this site in the first major battle of the Mexican-American War…

This 136-sq-mile lake was formed by the Falcon Dam (1953) on the Rio Grande. Although seemingly tranquil, the lake has also suffered from the border…

This former US army outpost, dating from 1846, is named for Jacob Brown, who died here that year fighting the Mexicans. Flooding forced an 1868 relocation…

Hugging the border just above where the Rio Grande empties into the gulf, Boca Chica is a rarely visited 10,680-acre wilderness very literally at the end…

The 530-acre La Sal del Rey (Salt of the King) derives its name from a colonial Spanish law that awarded 20% of all harvest to the Crown. At this…

Part of the World Birding Center, this new 1200-acre park surrounds 4 miles of resaca (oxbow lakes), which are ideal for birds and their spotters. Trails…

While the current structure is believed to date back to 1920, chapels have stood on this lomita (hilltop) since at least 1899, when the area was made the…

Merging two separately owned tracts of conservation land into a single 95-acre expanse, this reserve surrounding the namesake arroyo is part of the World…

Though only officially the city's cemetery since 1868, graves here date back as far as the 1850s. A walk through the well-kept grounds is a virtual tour…

The 1851 home of Brownsville founder Charles Stillman, and later the Mexican Consulate in Brownsville, is part of the Brownsville Heritage Complex. Next…

Founded by artist Mark Clark to showcase local talent, this small gallery hosts rotating exhibits on important local issues (border communities,…

The Museum of South Texas History covers transborder history with interactive multimedia exhibits that take visitors through frontier ranch houses and on…

Housed in the grand Spanish Colonial–style 1928 Southern Pacific Railroad Depot, this small museum houses historical artifacts and photography. In the…

Housed in an 1830s home that served in 1840 as the capitol of the short-lived Republic of the Rio Grande, this excellent museum brings that turbulent era…

Operated by the Webb County Heritage Foundation, the Border Heritage Museum may be open with a special exhibition. It’s housed in the restored Villa…

Despite the fact that it's only 15 acres and surrounded by the city, wandering the mile or so of nature trails through this well-conceived nature center…

Off US 83 between Laredo and McAllen in the small town of Zapata, this museum has historical artifacts and archival photographs of the former town of…

This 1930s Spanish Revival adobe hacienda is one of McAllen's best-preserved historic buildings. It also happens to be part of the World Birding Center,…