247 Best Sights in Texas, USA

Visit this U.S. Army military history museum to learn the story of Fort Sam Houston from the late 19th century to the present. It's filled with exhibits about the site's early days, with displays that include old uniforms, firearms, vehicles, and personal papers, which you can see on a self-guided tour. The museum is located in the Quadrangle, which was once an outdoor prison and now where dozens of peacocks, deer, ducks, and other wildlife roam freely. Fort Sam Houston is a National Historic Landmark.

This peaceful covered picnic area between the Persimmon Gap and Panther Junction visitor centers is beside the parking lot for the Fossil Discovery Exhibits. There's a pit toilet.

Just a short jaunt from downtown Fredericksburg is this magical little herb farm churning out an endless variety of fresh herbs and serving guests culinary creations inspired by an edible garden. Fredericksburg Herb Farm offers blissful relaxation in its cozy B&B and spa and has created a vast array of heavenly scented candles, toiletries, cooking oils, and herbal rubs and marinades for cooking. One of the gardens is artfully designed in the shape of a star with an old windmill in the center. Each arm of the star represents herbs for specific purposes—medicinal, cosmetic, culinary, crafting, or ornamental.

For locals, Friedrich Wilderness Park is a great close-to-home spot with more than 10 miles of hiking trails, a mere 20 miles from the Alamo on the northwest side of town near Six Flags Fiesta Texas. This 600-acre hilly haven for rare birds and orchids is a nesting site for two federally listed bird species: the black-capped vireo and the golden-cheeked warbler. As a protected area that minimizes impact on the environment, rollerblades, scooters, skateboards, and bicycles are not allowed.

Bird-watchers from around the world are often spotted here. Some species are seasonal, such as blue jays (fall and winter), eastern meadowlarks (spring), red-winged blackbirds (spring and summer), scissor-tailed flycatchers (spring, summer, and fall), and double-crested cormorants (winter). You can see turkey vultures, finches, Carolina wrens, doves, northern woodpeckers, northern cardinals, mockingbirds, and more year-round. For trail conditions, check out their Facebook or Twitter, call the park office, or go to Friends of San Antonio Natural Areas ( fosana.org).

It's not very secluded, but Frijole sports attractive picnic shelters near the parking area, which also has restrooms. Two picnic tables are also set up under tall trees near Frijole Ranch History Museum.

Branching off the Frijole Ranch Trail, this relatively flat hike leads to Pine Springs Campground and Visitor Center. The 5½-mile round-trip through desert vistas takes about four hours. Moderate.

Hand-built in 1933 by Hough LeStourgeon's company from stones gathered from the region, this popular tourist stop teems with oddities and relics—take, for instance, the two-headed goat or the mummified cow fetus. The collection here is truly eclectic. 

Galveston Island State Park, on the western, unpopulated end of the island, is a 2,000-acre natural beach habitat ideal for birding, walking, and renewing your spirit. It's open daily from 8 am to 10 pm. The Nature Center is open weekends from 10 to 2.

Housed in the carriage house of the historic Ashton Villa, one of the city's historic Victorian-era mansions, the exhibit ("And Still We Rise ...") tells the story of the origin of Juneteenth, the day in 1865 (June 19, 1865 to be exact), when Union General Gordon Granger and others read General Order No. 3, announcing that the formerly enslaved residents of Texas had been emancipated two and a half years earlier by Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation (Confederate general Robert E. Lee had surrendered to Union General Ulysses S. Grant in April of that year). June 19 has since been declared a federal holiday in the U.S. to commemorate this event.

This 12,244-acre natural area about 26 miles from downtown is home to numerous varieties of trees and several species of rare birds, such as the golden-cheeked warbler. It also offers views of surrounding Bexar County and glimpses of San Antonio. Protected Habitat Area trails are open September through February, but other trails of varying difficulty are available year-round. There is a picnic area, a playground, camping, mountain-biking trails, nature/interpretive trails, and a visitor center/museum. The area is very popular, and reservations are recommended for both camping and day use. Reservations can be made online or by phone at the Texas State Parks Customer Service Center, 512/389--8900.

Abner Cook, a leading architect of his day, designed this mansion, one of Austin's most elegant dwellings. Since 1865, this building has been the home of every Texas governor since the state's fifth, Elisha Marshall Pease. Constructed of bricks made in Austin and wood from nearby forests, the two-story National Historic Landmark bears the marks of those who have lived here, including James Hogg, the governor who, to keep his children from sliding down the banister on their rears, hammered tacks into the railing (the tack holes are still visible). Many fine furnishings, paintings, and antiques are on display, including Sam Houston's bed and Stephen F. Austin's desk. Free 20-minute tours are available if you reserve in advance.

Part of the University of Texas, the Ransom Center is one of the world's greatest collectors and exhibitors of important literary papers and other artifacts related to the arts and humanities. Among its fantastic riches are the papers of Norman Mailer, Isaac Bashevis Singer, and Arthur Miller; Woodward and Bernstein's Watergate research materials; more than 10,000 film, television, and radio scripts; more than 10,000 film posters; and one million rare books, including an original Gutenberg Bible. Traveling exhibitions bring artifacts from classic masterpieces like Gone With the Wind and artist Frida Kahlo's "Self-Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird" to the space. 

Many documents can only be seen with advance notice, so call ahead if you have a specific item in mind.

The site of the 1968 World's Fair, Hemisfair is in the process of being transformed into a 40-acre public space for the city. The site currently houses some of San Antonio's best-known attractions: the Tower of the Americas, the UTSA Institute of Texan Cultures, and the Mexican Cultural Institute, as well as the Yanaguana Playground and Splash Pad for children, which was recognized by the Urban Land Institute as an outstanding example of a vibrant, open urban space. Parts of the park are currently under construction; the Mays Family Foundation donated $1 million to build a garden in their matriarch Peggy's honor, a 25,000-square-foot space near the remaining historic homes on the site. The park is open every day from 5 am to midnight, and almost any time of day or night you will see people on the walking paths, dog walkers (dogs must be on a leash), and residents and visitors enjoying community programming like free concerts and outdoor workouts. Hemisfair is also home to various annual festivals and city celebrations. Check their website for upcoming events.

With more than 5,300 acres of rolling hills, spring-fed creeks, and thick patches of live oaks, this natural park is a slice of backcountry paradise. Adventurers seeking an avenue for primitive camping, mountain biking, backpacking, limited fishing, and even horseback riding will find happiness here. The park is undeveloped, so you'll need to bring your own water, and you'll need to pack out what you bring in.

This shopping area is defined by the architecture of its 19th- and early-20th-century buildings, many of which survived the storm of 1900 and are on the National Register of Historic Places. When Galveston was still a powerful port city—before the Houston Ship Channel was dug, diverting most boat traffic inland—this stretch, formerly the site of stores, offices, and warehouses, was known as the Wall Street of the South. As you stroll up the Strand, you'll pass dozens of shops and cafés.

The story goes that Austin musician Amy Cook took a can of red spray paint to write her then-partner, Liz Lambert, a love letter on the side of Jo’s Coffee (one of Lambert’s businesses). The mural has since become a photo op for locals and visitors alike, and on any given day, you could see a couple getting engagement photos snapped or best friends hamming it up for Instagram against the now-famous mint-green backdrop. Lines for a quick photo op can stretch around the block on weekends.

This mostly level 0.6-mile round-trip hike crosses an arroyo into meadowlands and offers a relaxing way to savor Dog Canyon's peaceful countryside in less than an hour. Easy.

This Mesozoic-era karst cavern 24 miles north of Austin was discovered in 1963 and opened to the public three years later. Visitors enter from a 1¼-mile hiking path. Tours vary in length from just a little more than an hour to nearly four hours, the latter not suitable for kids under 13. The temperature is a year-round 72°. Sometimes there are $1 coupons on the website.

More than 15,000 people signed the guest register in 2013 to see this nostalgic collection of 25 recreational vehicles, lovingly restored over the past quarter century by father-and-son team Jack and Trent Sizemore. Parked inside 10,000 square feet (so far) of climate-controlled display space, these rolling gems include RVs from every decade from the 1920s to 1970s. The RVs themselves are packed with period memories—old-timey cracker boxes to vintage cameras and dominos—to create a snapshot of the travel culture at the time. Look for the bus used in the movie RV starring Robin Williams. Need a place to park your own RV? Ask the Sizemores about their Amarillo Best Wonderland RV Resort.

Step into this lovely, lush, flowering oasis within Brackenridge Park that was originally a rock quarry. A man-made 60-foot waterfall is the focus, along with beautiful rock bridges and walkways over and around lily ponds with hundreds of koi fish. The entire place is filled with photo ops perfect for Instagram. The Jingu House café at the top of the garden offers a wide variety of teas and light lunch fare. 

This self-guided program for kids of all ages is taught through a free booklet of nature-based activities (available at visitor centers). Upon completion of the course, kids are given a Junior Ranger badge or patch.

The park offers a self-guided Junior Ranger Program: kids choose activities from a workbook—including nature hikes and answering questions based on park exhibits—and earn a badge once they've completed four. If they complete six, they earn an additional patch. Workbooks are available at the visitor center or at the park website.

Nikhila Narra Davis co-founded Narra Vineyards in the Texas High Plains with her family, and together they sustainably farm 140 acres of grapes for some of the best winemakers in the state. Davis began experimenting making her own wine using lesser-known varieties like Teroldego, a red Italian varietal typically grown in northeastern Italy, and has now launched her own brand of wine under the label Kalasi Cellars. At the spacious, modern tasting room in northeast Fredericksburg, sheep keep the grounds free from weeds and a refurbished tuk-tuk promises rides down to the production facility. Wines like Malvasia Bianca and Muscat of Alexandria perfectly complement the Indian-inspired snack menu with offerings like samosas, tikka masala pizza, and a chaat sampler plate.

Sitting at the highest point in Kerr County and overlooking the beautiful Texas Hill Country, Kerrville Hills Winery was the first winery established in Kerrville in 2008. Built on the footprint of a Kerrville homestead, the tasting room features the building's original double-sided fireplace, winery-facing windows, and unique rustic warehouse decor. Award-winning winemaker John Rivenburgh has a passion for growing high-quality, sustainable Texas grapes, and has gained acclaim for his full-bodied reds like Tannat, Tempranillo, and the Sagrantino. After a wine tasting, grab a glass of your favorite selection as you watch the sun set behind the hills.

Originally established in 1925, Kiddie Park is now located on the grounds of the San Antonio Zoo but can still be called America's oldest children's amusement park. It has a separate entrance next to the zoo's entrance. Although modern updates have occurred though the years, Kiddie Park preserves its 1920s style that made the park so popular for generations, like with its old-fashioned Ferris wheel and the popular hand-carved Herschell-Spillman carousel. Most rides are for ages 12 and under, but adults can ride on the carousel and flying saucers when accompanying a child.

Established in 1925, this is America's original and oldest children's amusement park. The Herschell-Spillman Carousel's 36 jumping horses have been revolving since it opened in 1925. A Ferris wheel, a small rollercoaster, and many other rides will keep your kids busy for hours. You can get popcorn, pizza, and more at the snack bar.

If you need a little relief from the Texas heat, a trip here will certainly cool you off. Just a few miles east of Marble Falls in Spicewood, the springs are actually two separate swimming holes on a private ranch opened to the public. From Highway 71, splash through a low-water crossing and up to a hilltop bluff with hypnotic views of rolling grasslands, sprawling oak trees, and an undisturbed horizon. Park your car near the main house and stroll down a flight of outdoor stairs to the spring-fed pools. Be prepared for the biting chill as your toes hit the water.

Meaning "Little Village," La Villita is a prime place for shopping, dining, and entertainment and the host to more than 200 festive events each year. It was the original settlement in Old San Antonio and one of the city's first neighborhoods founded almost 300 years ago. Stroll among the adobe, brick, and stone structures in varying architectural styles. Enjoy browsing (and buying!) at about two dozen boutiques and galleries selling art, jewelry, and handmade items by local and regional artists, who occasionally present workshops and exhibitions on-site. La Villita Historic Arts Village is named on the National Register of Historic Places. Be sure to pick up a map so you don't miss anything in this charming hamlet.