Must-see attractions in West Texas

The hottest ticket in West Texas? A reservation for one of the thrice-weekly Star Parties at McDonald Observatory in Fort Davis. Located on Mount Locke…

As you step inside the historic artillery shed, with its enormous windows, sweeping desert views and sun-dappled aluminum boxes, the Marfa hoopla suddenly…

This thoroughly enjoyable small-scale museum is housed in a former Greyhound station. Its pride and joy is a 13th-century Byzantine Madonna and Child, but…

This national park is almost the size of Rhode Island: when you’re traversing Big Bend’s 1252 sq miles, you come to appreciate what ‘big’ really means. It…

The best art galleries in south central Texas are right here along the Rio Grande, and their works have been on view for at least 4000 years. This state…

As you look out at the desert from the pavilion that houses this recent addition to the park, it's hard to imagine that a shallow sea once covered much of…

Home to Texas’ oldest continually active congregation, tracing back to 1680, Ysleta Mission was established for Spanish refugees and Tigua people fleeing…

Established in 1854, this well-preserved, beautifully sited frontier fort was named for then–Secretary of War Jefferson Davis. Staffed exclusively by…

For majestic sunrises and sunsets, this remote park rivals any we've seen – and we've seen plenty. This wonderful place is just 3 miles northwest of Fort…

Few Texans seem to know about Guadalupe Mountains, but this remote desert enclave is a true Texas high spot, literally as well as figuratively. At 8749ft,…

At 486 sq miles, this massive park is more than 11 times bigger than Texas’ next largest state park (Franklin Mountains in El Paso). Taking up almost all…

The largest urban park in the US, at over 24,000 acres, offers a quick escape from the city to the home of ringtail cats, coyotes and countless other…

If you only stop at one Chihuahuan Desert exhibit in Big Bend country, make it this one, at the eastern entrance of Big Bend Ranch State Park, 1.4 miles…

Be sure to find out what’s happening at Ballroom Marfa, a nonprofit art space located in a former dance hall. The focus is on offbeat, interesting…

El Paso might not seem an obvious location for a Holocaust museum. Created by local survivors, though, this excellent little memorial holds thoughtful and…

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…

Just over 30 miles northeast of El Paso, toward Guadalupe Mountains National Park, this 860-acre park contains three small granite mountains that are…

This small but informative museum spotlights the history of the US Border Patrol, which was founded in 1924. This happened three days after Congress…

Ghost lights, mystery lights…call them what you want, but the Marfa Lights, flickering beneath the Chinati Mountains, have been capturing travelers’…

The surrounding community of Ysleta del Sur Pueblo is sovereign home to the Tigua tribe and is recognized by many as the oldest town in Texas. Despite…