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Bishop's PalaceThis sumptuous Gothic mansion, built in the 1880s for the Gresham family, became home to the Catholic bishop of neighboring Sacred Heart Church in 1923…
Must see attractions in Gulf Coast & South Texas
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Aransas National Wildlife RefugeFor birdwatchers, this 115,000-acre refuge is the premier site on the Texas coast. Although only 15 whooping cranes remained in the wild in 1941, more…
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Sea Turtle, IncNo, you can't handle the sea turtles. But you can see rescued turtles and learn firsthand about the slow regrowth of critically endangered Kemp's ridley…
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Brazos Bend State ParkAlligators. Alligators everywhere. You'll surely enjoy the diversity of wetland and forest landscapes, bird-watching, maybe even get some use out of the…
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Sabal Palm SanctuaryThe 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…
- East End Historic District
Bordering the Strand, the residential East End Historic District has scores of pretty old houses, from simple cottages to Greek Revival mansions, some of…
- Bryan Museum
Housed in the 1895 Galveston Orphans' Home, this excellent museum displays documents and artifacts from the Bryan family's collection, covering state and…
- PPresidio La Bahia
Established by the Spanish in 1749 – to deter the French, then sniffing around the northeastern edges of their empire – Presidio La Bahia played a role in…
- King Ranch
Much of the King Ranch is not open to the public. But there are 60,000 head of cattle, 400 horses and dozens of cowboys here – many fifth- and sixth…
- BBig Thicket National Preserve
Until the mid-19th century, Big Thicket was a dense and mysterious forest where Civil War draft dodgers hid out. Today the national preserve is the…
- 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,…
- 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…
- 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…
- 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…
- 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…
- MMatagorda Island Wildlife Management Area
Covering 56,688 acres of barrier island and saltwater marshes, the Matagorda Island WMA is an undeveloped playground for wilderness lovers. You'll have to…
- East Beach
Also called Apffel Park, this vast expanse of hard-packed sand is at the very far northeastern end of the island. On summer weekends, it hosts live…
- AAnahuac National Wildlife Refuge
Of the three national wildlife refuges along the Gulf Coast from Galveston to Louisiana, the 34,000-acre Anahuac has the best access – 50 miles northwest…
- SSanta Ana National Wildlife Refuge
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…
- PPadre Island National Seashore
The 60 southern miles of 'North' Padre Island that lie beyond Corpus Christi city limits are protected within the Padre Island National Seashore…