Although Texas is a top vacation destination known for outdoor adventure and distinctive Western experience, the state is also full of fantastic opportunities to immerse yourself in its vibrant arts scene, unique culture and rich history.
An inventory
© Erica FuchsFrom visual arts to live music, every region of Texas is full of attractions, events and venues featuring local celebrities and world-renowned talent.
Art lovers will be able to admire remarkable works galleries and museums across the state. THE El Paso Museum of Art, San Antonio Museum of Art and that of Houston Museum of Fine Arts all feature extensive collections and traveling exhibitions. THE Museum of Texas Artists in Port Arthur, southeast of Beaumont, was founded in 1972 to focus solely on artists from the Lone Star State. THE Dallas Arts District is the largest contiguous urban arts district in the United States and a must-see area, with galleries, theaters, performance spaces, and public events, including the annual festival Dallas Art Fair. And one of the most unusual artistic centers of the State is also one of the most charming: the desert town of Marfa, in West Texas. This vibrant community is full of artists and creatives, from painters to photographers, as well as galleries, museums, and events that all revolve around art.
Home to artists such as Beyoncé, Janis Joplin and Willie Nelson, Texas is also a music lover's paradise. Austin is known as the live music capital of the world and is home to both Austin city limits (the TV series And the annual music festival) and the legendary SXSW Festival, where icons and indie bands come together for a week of musical magic. Music festivals for all kinds of genres exist all over Texas, from UTOPiAfestwhich coincides this year with the solar eclipse and will be an incredible place to catch it, for Kerrville Folk Festival in the hill country and Cattle Country Music Festival at Gonzales, which featured Eric Church, Whiskey Myers and Tanya Tucker this year. And whether it's bars, dance halls, auditoriums or amphitheaters, the state has an endless range of concert halls where talented singers, songwriters and instrumentalists take the stage.
Cultural impacts
© Kevin Brown c/o State Fair of TexasWith iconic annual events-like the mammoth State Fair of Texas in Dallas every fall—more festivalsWith activities and places of interest celebrating the state's diverse heritage and landscapes, culture enthusiasts will never run out of great things to see and do in Texas.
Hispanic heritage is woven throughout the fabric of the state. San Antonio Festival, for example, is an 11-day event celebrating the city's history and people. It takes place every April and is the largest cultural festival in Texas, dating back to 1891. Latino Cultural Center in Dallas is a multidisciplinary space that hosts performances, rotating exhibitions, lectures and more to promote the advancement of Latino and Hispanic arts and culture. And Charro Days Festival in Brownsville, every spring celebrates the charro—a traditional Mexican horseman—with parades, a carnival and tasty traditional cuisine.
Other notable cultural events across Texas include: Long live! El Pasoan annual outdoor musical performance celebrating the city's four cultural influences (Native American, Mexican, Spanish and American); Oktoberfest in Fredericksburg and Sausage Party in New Braunfels, who tip their Tyrolean hat to the German roots of their towns; and the Texas Folklife Festivalwhich celebrates the kaleidoscope of nationalities in the state's population.
For something more original and cultural, check out the Plano Balloon Festival, a three-day hot air balloon celebration on land and in the sky; THE Luling Watermelon Shot, a four-day event that promotes the city's watermelon industry with a carnival, car show and multiple melon-centered competitions; And Texas Sand Festival– the largest beach sand sculpture festival in America – held every April in Port Aransas.
Make history
The proverbial cup truly runs over for history buffs in Texas, where every corner of the state since Big turn At Gulf Coast offers a fascinating glimpse into the past.
While historical sites And history museums can be found throughout the Lone Star State, some of the most famous are grouped in the South Texas Plains-specifically, in San Antonio and along the San Antonio River. There you will find treasures such as the Alamo And San Antonio Missions, the latter having been designated a world heritage site by UNESCO. THE San Jacinto Museum and Battlefield at La Porte and Casa Navarro State Historic Site in San Antonio also pay homage respectively to the battles and key figures of the Texas Revolution.
Visitors interested in more specialized aspects of Texas history can choose from a variety of destinations. Passionate about space travel? Transfer to Houston Space Center, where tours, exhibits and even overnight stays explore the work of NASA. Want to immerse yourself in maritime history? THE Iron barque from 1877 Elissa, a former cargo ship and now the state's official tall ship, is anchored in Galveston's historic seaport and offers daily tours. Looking for underground satisfaction? Walk around Houston Buffalo Bayou Park Cistern, an 87,500 square foot underground reservoir built in 1927 and decommissioned in 2007. Passionate about archaeology? Explore Hueco Tanks State Park and Historic Site to see the pictograms created thousands years ago.
Stunning historic architecture also abounds throughout Texas. About halfway between San Antonio and Houston is the town of Schulenburg, home to the Historic Painted Churches of Texaswhich were built by European immigrants in the 1800s. On the east end of Galveston, along the Gulf Coast, is a stunning collection of beautifully restored 19th-century buildings, including the Grand Opera of 1894 and the 1892 Episcopal Palace, a national historic landmark. And more recent architectural marvels include the various art deco buildings of Fair Park in Dallas and Robert Bruno's UFO-like Steel House in Ransom Canyon.
To find out more about all the amazing things to see and do, or to request a free travel guidevisit Traveling to Texas. And visit our Hello, Texas hub to see what else the Lone Star State has to offer.
