Top Things to do in Texas
Top Hotels in Texas
- 1. Fairmont Austin
- 2. Drury Plaza Hotel San Antonio Riverwalk
- 3. The San Luis Resort, Spa and Conference Center
- 4. Blossom Hotel Houston
- 5. Hotel Contessa - Suites on the Riverwalk
- 6. Moody Gardens Hotel, Spa and Convention Center
- 7. Holiday Inn Resort Galveston-on the Beach, an IHG Hotel
- 8. Fairmont Dallas
- 9. Hilton Americas-Houston
- 10. The Beeman Hotel
10 Things to do in Texas That You Shouldn't Miss
Texas has great beaches for bird watching, boating, and fishing. Plus golf courses, cowboy and high art culture, and a rich history. Bask on the beach and bird watch between golf games before, during, or after spring break in Corpus Christi, Port Aransas, Crystal Beach, or South Padre Island. Explore East Texas from Dallas to Tyler, Texarkana, Jefferson, and Nacogdoches. Enjoy golf and big city life in Dallas or Houston. Visit Galveston's coastal Strand. Tour West Texas and Hill Country from San Antonio, New Braunfels, Austin, and Fredericksburg to Amarillo and El Paso.
Restaurants in Texas
1. San Antonio River Walk
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 26,381 reviews
The Paseo del Rio is San Antonio's favorite attraction. You can shop, dine, lounge in a cafe, or simply stroll along and let the strumming mariachi soothe your spirit.
Reviewed By M448ZSkathleenw - Mandeville, United States
The Riverwalk in San Antonio is a must for your list if in San Antonio. Even with the construction going on, the lively, colorful, variety offered on the Riverwalk has something for everyone; shops, restaurants, music, delectable treats, foliage, architecture, birds, ???? ducks, and of course- people watching. Every employee along the way was friendly, polite and engaging. The city streets were also safe to walk, and clean in most spots.
2. The Houston Museum of Natural Science
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 5,002 reviews
This outstanding science museum has a spectacular collection of mineral specimens, a dinosaur skeleton, space-station models, a planetarium, IMAX theater and a six-story butterfly center in which these beautiful creatures land delicately on outstretched arms.
Reviewed By Agarrino
Another mandatory visit while in Houston, is the Natural History Museum. You will need a complete day (or even more) to really check everything on display, since there are 4 floors full of interesting items: Full body dinosaurs skeletons, phosils of all sort, trilobites, scientist working in labs opened to visitors, an impressive collection of cristal minerals and jewels, sculptures and a great collection of ancient Egypt items, including three real mummys. Also great the butterfly interior garden.
3. The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 9,127 reviews
One of Texas’ most visited historic sites, The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza chronicles the life, death and legacy of President John F. Kennedy. The Museum is in the former Texas School Book Depository building, where evidence of a sniper was found after the assassination of President Kennedy on November 22, 1963. Much of the exhibit space looks as it appeared in the 1960s. Highlights include a sniper’s perch, the FBI model used by the Warren Commission, an original teletype machine that first transmitted news of the president’s death, Oswald’s wedding ring, historic films, photos and more. An interactive display overlooks Dealey Plaza. Admission includes an audio guide, available in eight languages including ASL. The museum is open daily except Thanksgiving and Christmas. RECOMMENDED: Buy timed-entry tickets in advance at jfk.org. The most convenient paid parking is adjacent to the building; stay in the far right lane of Elm Street to enter the parking lot.
Reviewed By jennlovesfood - San Diego, United States
I have always, always wanted to visit Dealey Plaza. I was not alive when President Kennedy was assassinated, but I am a history teacher and I have studied the Kennedy Assassination extensively because it is one of the most fascinating turning points in American history. We arrived in Dealey Plaza very early (about 8:30am) which was absolutely fabulous because we had time to explore the ground before the crowds of visitors arrived and before our Sixth Floor Museum entrance time. As a matter of fact, we pretty much had the place to ourselves for awhile so we could explore every inch of this fascinating historical landmark. We had the first time slot into the museum that morning so we met our tour group ahead of time. The audio tour and visual historical accounts on the displays were phenomenal. It was creepy to walk through this building but also incredibly interesting. The spot where Oswald fired the fatal shots that killed JFK is behind glass but you can stand at the windows next to it and see what the shot looked like. Not much has changed in Dealey Plaza except for the trees growing taller so it was a good representation of what the area looked like in 1963. Standing in that spot answered the question I always wondered - could Oswald have made the shots from that window. Just BEING in Dealey Plaza and standing on the 6th floor of the former Texas School Book Depository answered all the questions I ever had about this mystery. The other coolest thing EVER was seeing the actual suit worn by the police officer who was handcuffed to Oswald when Jack Ruby shot him. And there was Jack Ruby's hat on display - gave me chills. I had seen the pictures so many times but to see the actual artifacts in person was just awesome. I highly recommend this spot to ANYONE - not just history teachers or die hard history buffs. American history changed in this spot back in 1963 and it is worth exploring.
4. USS Lexington Museum on the Bay
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 3,355 reviews
Visitors can tour the longest serving Essex Class aircraft carrier of World War II. The 16-deck "Blue Ghost" displays military artifacts and more than 20 aircraft. See all five tour routes, 3-D mega theater, Lockdown on the LEX Escape Rooms, mess deck eatery and flight simulator. National Historic Landmark located on North Beach. Elevator from the hangar deck to the flight deck. Welcome aboard! Labor Day - Memorial Day 9am - 5pm Memorial Day - Labor Day & Spring Break 9am - 6pm See admission at https://usslexington.com/visit/hours-admission/
Reviewed By Swiss-Tony64 - Stroud, United Kingdom
What an excellent exhibit the USS Lexington is, helping to understand the challenges of life on board through the ships history We spent 6 hours on board following each of the deck tours and watching the films - we could of spent even longer The cost of visiting this ship has to be one of the best bargains around
5. Fort Worth Zoo
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2,407 reviews
City zoo that presents animal habitats as they exist in the world.
Reviewed By tenerifegreg - Kaiserslautern, Germany
I went to the Ft Worth Zoo on a Wednesday, when the cost of admission is half-price. Tickets must be purchased in advance online, in order to take advantage of this saving. The zoo was somewhat empty, due to COVID-19 precautions, but in a way, it was far more enjoyable without as many people. My favorite was the parakeet cage, where you can pay $1.00 and get a stick of birdseed to feed the parakeets with. The elephant exhibit was closed due to remodelling, but there are plenty of other areas to see - primate exhibit, reptile exhibit, penguin, large cats, etc. There's a Texas Town exhibit with a children's petting zoo, and a Texas History 101 walk-through that teaches responsible ecological preservation, and care for the environment. I enjoyed that, perhaps most of all. Some of the gift shops and restsurants are closed, or at minimal staffing due to COVID precautions. The front gift shop had some toy monster trucks for sale, 50% off, for a very reasonable price. If you get the chance, make sure to ride the zoo train. It's a pleasant experience for the entire family.
6. Texas State Capitol
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 7,840 reviews
If it's in Texas, it must be bigger and better. That is the motto that architects followed with the Capitol Building in Austin. At one time, it was the tallest capitol building in the nation. Others might be taller now, but this is still a beautiful building that shows off many of the natural resources which are so prevalent in Texas, such as limestone and the landscapes.
Reviewed By Wanderer776418 - Dublin, United States
A must even if you have little time. Lots of history, recommend you take a tour it’s free if you stop in or with tour company ( shortened version) just to learn some of facts that make it special!
7. Natural Bridge Caverns
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 3,847 reviews
Come on down (way down) at the largest underground attraction in Texas! Daily guided tours allow guests to explore large underground chambers and see huge formations. The largest room is bigger than a football field. Above ground, discover rocks, minerals, and rough-cut gems at the Natural Bridge Mining Company Sluice. The Canopy Challenge will test your agility on over 40 different obstacles while you are on our 4 story, 60 foot high Adventure Course. Then you can fly across the scenic Texas Hill Country on our zip-lines! (Canopy Challenge is open daily but weather dependent.)
Reviewed By 688kerstens - Tulsa, United States
We did both the hidden passages and the Discovery Tour and both were wonderful. We bought the combo ticket ahead of time online and you pick your time slot for the Hidden Passages Tour and when you arrive at Natural Bridge Caverns and check in they place you in the next availble timeslot for the Discovery Tour (which allowed us about 30 minutes down time betweent the 2 tours). The caves are very different but equally beautiful. It is VERY humid down in the caves and feels pretty warm. T-shirts and shorts are perfect. The hidden passages tour had stairs to climb and you went down and back up the same path. The Discovery Tour had some stairs but alot of ramps and you went one way through the cave. I would say both are equally difficult to tour depending on whether you prefer stairs or ramps. With that said-it is not difficult unless you have alot of issues with stairs. The tour guides give you plenty of time to rest along the way and they are in no hurry having the group move through the caves. We had all ages in our tour group from 2 year olds through elderly individuals. Very beautiful. Hard to appreciate the beauty from photos. On the premises is also alot of other fun things to do...a maze, zip line, panning for rocks. Very nice facility with food and drink available, nice restrooms, plenty of places to sit and relax. You can take a bottle of water down into the cave with you but that is it. Our tour guide, Harrison, for the Hidden Passages tour was wonderful! Try and request him if possible. Super funny and informative! Definitely worth the 30 minute drive from San Antonio!
8. Lake Texoma
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 34 reviews
Just North of Dallas, huge Lake Texoma spans the Texas Oklahoma border and offers many varieties of recreational activities.
Reviewed By judithw453 - Big Bear Lake, United States
I am an Odyssey member of thousand trails and travel extensively. I have stayed at Lake Texoma's campground numerous times and have always been completely satisfied. I made a reservation in November of 2019 for a cabin using my membership. Friday the 14th I was supposed to check in and found that the person who made my reservation at thousand trails main office also cancelled my reservation 5 minutes after she made it. I waited 3 months only to find I had no reservation. Because thousand trails now requires all business transaction to go through their central office, I was unable to rebook my cabin. I called the main number three different times and was put on hold for a total of 3.5 hours. I also left 2 messages for a call back. I was never contacted. Instead I went to the Texoma’s local bsns office and told them what had happened. They originally told me that they did not have permission to help me but after 3.5 hours they booked my cabin for the week I originally booked and I moved in. My childhood girlfriend was arriving in Dallas the next day from Kuwait. I did not want to tell her that we had no place to stay. Fortunately for the extreme efficiency and kindness of the local Texoma staff we are now happily staying at the park. Thank you girls you are truly wonderful and appreciated!
9. Waco Mammoth National Monument
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,150 reviews
Reviewed By mondyann - Hudson, United States
Great guided tour with Robert Very informative Was an interesting fun day Learned about female and male mammoths along with other animals and to see where they are still digging for more bones
10. Galveston - Port Bolivar Ferry
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 4,109 reviews
Reviewed By SugarBritches2013 - Galveston Island, United States
It’s just kind of exciting to ride your bike onto the fairy and go across the bay and just see all the things and smell the Seabreeze and take pictures of the seagulls flying across the ferry boat and watching the ships go by.You also sometimes get a chance to see the dolphins swimming next to the ferry which is kind of neat as well.
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