As the second-largest state in the nation, Texas is home to a tremendous variety of attractions that showcase the state's varied history, cultures and entertainment.
The state pays tribute to two important figures of Texas' past. The National Cowgirl Museum & Hall of Fame in Fort Worth is the only museum solely dedicated to honor and document the lives of women who exemplified the pioneer spirit of the American West. The Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum in Waco is the official museum of the oldest state law enforcement agency in North America. The museum exhibits a collection of firearms, badges and more.
Animal lovers will delight in the amazing variety of wildlife-oriented activities and attractions throughout the state. SeaWorld San Antonio is the world's largest marine life adventure park and family entertainment showplace. SeaWorld presents sensational shows, amazing rides, animal attractions and more, on 250 acres. The Texas State Aquarium in Corpus Christi is known as the "Sparkling City by the Sea." The aquarium educates more than 60,000 children and hosts approximately 500,000 visitors annually. Houston Zoo is set in a lush 55-acre landscape that is home to more than 3,100 exotic animals representing 500 species. The zoo has one of the nation's largest collections of venomous snakes and displays one of only 14 white American alligators in the world. Houston Zoo has garnered international recognition for its conservation and breeding programs for endangered species. Bracken Cave, near San Antonio, is home to the world's largest bat colony. Each year, approximately 20 million Mexican free-tailed bats gather there to bear their young. Dallas Zoo, founded in 1888, is the oldest in the state and also the biggest in land area. The zoo, which is managed by the City of Dallas' Parks and Recreation Department, is home to more than 1,400 species in two major areas: ZooNorth, which includes touchable animals, and the Wilds of Africa, which features six major African habitats. Wilds has been named the best African zoo exhibit in the nation. The Monorail Safari takes visitors on a one-mile tour through six habitats. Brackenridge Park in San Antonio is situated on 400 acres at the headwaters of the San Antonio River and features a reptile garden, Chinese garden, Mexican village, a sunken-garden theater, recreational facilities, jogging trails and the San Antonio Zoo -- ranked as one of the best zoos in the nation with more than 3,000 animals representing 700 species. Two special wildlife centers offer visitors the chance to drive among free roaming animals, such as the giraffe, zebra and antelope. Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch is home to more than 500 animals from six continents, and Fossil Rim Wildlife Center in Glen Rose features more than 1,000 animals on 1,500 acres.
If your idea of a perfect day is to stroll through one of Texas' world-renowned museums, you'll have plenty to see in the abundance of facilities scattered across the state. Houston Museum of Natural Science is ranked the nation's fourth most-highly attended museum and the number one attraction in Texas, boasting an annual attendance of better than two million visitors. In addition to more than a dozen permanent exhibit areas and rotating special exhibits, the museum also features the Burke Baker Planetarium, Wortham IMAX Theatre and the Cockrell Butterfly Center. The USS Lexington Museum on the Bay in Corpus Christi offers education programs for all school groups, utilizing the ship's size, range of facilities and equipment. Visitors also can watch a large-format movie in the theater aboard the World War II aircraft carrier. The African-American Museum in Dallas houses one of the largest collections of African-American folk art in the nation. The museum incorporates a wide variety of visual art forms and historical documents that portray the African-American experience in Dallas, the Southwest and in the United States. Texas Memorial Museum at the University of Texas at Austin, receives approximately 65,000 visitors annually, half of whom are schoolchildren. The temporary and permanent exhibits in the museum are created from holdings of more than five million specimens, including fossils, gems and recent wildlife acquisitions. The museum is home to the remains of the Texas Pterosaur, the largest flying creature ever found, with a wingspan of 40-plus feet. Admission to the museum is free. Dallas Museum of Art is located in the Arts District of downtown Dallas. The museum features a variety of art of the Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia and the Pacific, as well as decorative and contemporary art. The staff offers a wide range of family classes and programs, concerts, gallery talks and community outreach events. The museum also offers free public tours with paid admission. Forbidden Gardens in Katy is an outdoor museum that replicates some of China's major historical scenes. The 40-acre compound -- the only one of its kind in the United States -- includes a recreated Forbidden City, a terra-cotta army of 6,000 1/3 scale terra-cotta soldiers in formation, a weapons room and architecture rooms. The International Museum of Art & Science in McAllen is a Smithsonian affiliate. The museum is home to one of the nation's largest collections of Latin American folk art as well as significant geological and paleontological collections.
To learn more about the many different people who call Texas home, visit the Institute of Texan Cultures at the University of Texas at San Antonio. The institute is dedicated to enhancing the understanding of cultural history, science and technology, as well as their influence upon the people of Texas. The institute maintains more than 50,000 square feet of exhibits that tell the story of 26 ethnic and cultural groups. ITC welcomes more than 225,000 visitors annually.
Texas has one casino, the Lucky Eagle in Eagle Pass, which is operated by the Kickapoo Indians. In addition, the state offers several dog and horse racing tracks.
The Lone Star State is the home of several professional sports teams. Houston's Minute Maid Park is the venue of the Houston Astros baseball team, while another Houston club, the Houston Rockets basketball team, plays at Toyota Center. San Antonio is home to the San Antonio Spurs basketball team. The Texas Rangers baseball team is based in Arlington. Dallas hosts two pro teams, the Mavericks basketball team, and the Dallas Cowboys football team -- winners of five Super Bowl championships.
Space Center Houston is the official Visitors Center of NASA's Johnson Space Center. The Space Center's exhibits, attractions, presentations and hands-on activities tell the story of NASA's manned space flight program. The center is the only place in the world where visitors can observe astronauts training for missions, touch a moon rock or take a behind-the-scenes guided tram tour of NASA.
Children have plenty to do in Texas, with three Six Flags Theme Parks in Arlington, Houston, and San Antonio, each featuring exciting rides, stunt shows, musical productions, and of course, roller coasters. Schlitterbahn Waterpark Resort in New Braunfels is consistently named the Number One water park in the United States. The 65-acre complex features more than three miles of tubing adventures, seven children's water playgrounds, 17 water slides, three uphill water coasters and the world's first surfing machine. A second location, Schlitterbahn Beach Waterpark, is situated at the tip of Texas on South Padre Island, overlooking the Gulf of Mexico. The park offers a full day of family fun in a tropical resort setting. The Children's Museum of Houston is rated among the top tier of children's museums in the country. The attraction offers tons of hands-on fun in science and technology, history, culture, health and art. The Children's Museum also houses 14 multi-disciplinary and bilingual exhibits, an auditorium, and a parent resource library.
Texas is replete with accessible history that invites visitors to walk on the paths of those who came before. A variety of national and state historic districts dot the state. Texas has more than 800 ghost towns in every direction, from former ranching communities and silver mining towns to ghost towns with world-famous theaters, other historic buildings and breathtaking vistas. Fort Worth Stockyards National Historic District is one of the most famous and enjoyable historical sites in Texas. The stockyards, which once constituted the second largest cattle market in the world, cover 125 acres and feature the world's only daily cattle drive as well as a thrilling rodeo, live country music, delicious Texas-style fare, an authentic saloon and a small children's amusement park. Guided tours are offered. Fort Concho in San Angelo is one of the nation's best-preserved frontier forts and serves as Texas' premiere showcase for illustrating the role of African-American regiments in the settlement of Texas. The fort includes a museum, Buffalo Soldier exhibits and military re-enactments. Fort Davis National Historic Site is set in the Davis Mountains of west Texas. The site is one of America's best-surviving examples of an Indian Wars' frontier military post in the Southwest. The fort was used from 1854 to 1891 to protect immigrants, mail coaches and wagons on the San Antonio-El Paso Road and the Chihuahua Trail. In addition, the fort is important to understand the role of African Americans in the West and the frontier military. Several all-black regiments of the U.S. Infantry and U.S. Cavalry, better known as Buffalo Soldiers, were stationed at the post. Today, the site features 24 buildings, and more than 100 ruins and foundations. Visitors can conduct a self-guided tour of five restored buildings and ruins, or hike on designated nature trails. The Caddoan Mounds State Historic Site, located in Alto, is the main archaeological site in Texas. The 93-acre complex offers exhibits and interpretive trails through reconstructed Caddo ceremonial areas and dwellings, including temple mounds, a village area and a burial mound. San Antonio is home to five Spanish colonial missions dating to the 18th century. San Antonio Missions National Historic Park was established to preserve and interpret the four Spanish missions built along the San Antonio River in the 18th century. Ysleta Mission del Sur in El Paso is the oldest mission in Texas, built by Spanish missionaries and Tigua Indians in 1681. The mission is located on the Tigua Indian Reservation. General Zaragoza State Historic Site, near Goliad, is a state park and international historic site featuring a statue and reconstructed birthplace of one of Mexico's most famous military figures, Ignacio S. Zaragoza, who led Mexican forces to victory over the French in the battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. This event is celebrated annually in Mexico, Texas and numerous other places as El Cinco de Mayo. Texas is graced by several lighthouses along the Gulf Coast, most dating to the 1800s. Some are privately owned; others allow tours or serve as visitor centers. The Port Isabel Lighthouse along the Rio Grande is the only lighthouse in Texas open for climbing, and is located in Texas' smallest state park, Port Isabel Lighthouse State Historical Park.
The King Ranch National Historic Landmark along Texas' Gulf Coast offers a true Old West experience. Considered to be the birthplace of Texas ranching, the King Ranch sprawls across nearly 1,300 square miles (825,000 acres), making it larger than the state of Rhode Island and one of the largest working ranches in the country. Santa Gertrudis and Santa Cruz -- the two new breeds of cattle developed in the U.S. -- were originally bred at the ranch and can still be viewed there today. A variety of guided tours are offered.
Rodeo is a year-round sport in Texas, and you can find the live, heart-stopping action of a rodeo somewhere in the state every month. The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is one of the largest events of its kind in the world, attracting more than a million visitors from 50 countries. The West of the Pecos Rodeo is the home of the world's first rodeo, held July 4, 1883. Texas Cowboy Reunion Rodeo, held in Stamford, is the greatest amateur rodeo in the world and features such events as wild cow milking, nightly dances, a western art show and more.
If you prefer to immerse yourself in Texas' natural wonders, visit Inner Space Caverns, formed millions of years ago. The caverns, near Georgetown, lie beneath one of Texas' busiest interstate highways and are the state's most accessible underground attraction. Guided tours are offered. Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin, named after the 36th President's First Lady, was founded in 1982 and is dedicated to protecting and preserving North America's native plants and natural landscapes. The center has grown to become one of North America's leading environmental institutions, covering nearly 300 acres and displaying more than 500 species of native plants. The facility features garden exhibits, nature trails, outdoor classrooms, an observation tower, learning center and café.
Shopping enthusiasts are sure to find something special at First Monday Trading Days in Canton, which run from sunup to sundown, Thursday through Sunday prior to the first Monday of each month. This is one of the nation's largest and best-known flea markets, with more than 300 acres of antiques, art and handmade artifacts. Round Top is the smallest incorporated town in Texas. Twice a year, this tiny community holds an Antique Fair that was selected by Better Homes & Gardens as one of the top 10 shows in the country. Dallas is home to more shopping malls per capita than any other city in the world.
More than 500 fairs, festivals, and expositions are held in Texas each year -- more than any other state. The State Fair of Texas, established in 1886, is held in Dallas each September and October and runs for 24 days. Approximately three million people attend the fair every year, making it the largest annual fair in the United States. A highlight of the Texas State Fair is the Texas Star -- the tallest Ferris wheel in North America. Science aficionados will enjoy a visit to the University of Texas McDonald Observatory at Mount Locke, one of the world's leading centers of astronomical research. The facility is equipped with a wide range of state-of-the-art imaging and spectroscopy, and operates one of the first and most productive lunar ranging stations. The Visitors Center offers daily guided tours of the research facilities, solar viewing programs and "Star Parties" -- evening/nighttime viewing programs conducted at the Visitors Center Public Observatory at the base of Mount Locke. Science Spectrum in Lubbock is a non-profit museum of science education featuring more than 250 interactive exhibits, an OMNI theater, live animals, science demonstrations, fun shops and more.
For a truly amazing, out-of-this-world experience, visit the small community of Marfa in southwest Texas. The town has gained worldwide fame for its "Marfa Lights," unexplained nighttime phenomena consisting of bright orbs on the nearby prairie. There is a new viewing area just 10 miles east of town. Odessa Meteor Crater is the second largest in the United States -- approximately 165 meters wide. The meteor is estimated to have fallen more than 20,000 years ago.
Texas boasts an impressive number of fine- and performing-arts venues. From operas to concerts, from Shakespeare to stand-up comedy, and from ballet to choir performances, the stages of Texas explode with talent. The Austin Shakespeare Festival is one of only a few companies in the United States offering free Shakespearean performances to the general public. Texas also is famous for the PBS program, Austin City Limits.
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