Planning to Visit Texas City and Confused about Where to Go and What to See (2020): Here is the Complete List of 10 Best Places to Visit in Texas

Texas, also known as ‘The Lone Star State’ is the second largest state of the USA in terms of area and population and is located in the south-central region. Famous for guns, oil, cowboys and barbeque; Texas has its power grid, which is separate from the rest of the US. But these aren’t the only famous things in Texas, but a lot of other fascinating and interesting facts about Texas are popular among tourists and locals. Few of the interesting facts about Texas are - Texas is the only state where flags of six different nations, which have ever ruled Texas, fly over it. The six countries are Mexico, France, Spain, the Republic of Texas, the Confederate States of America and the United States. Texas is also the most wool-producing state in the US and has also the nation’s largest herd of whitetail deer. Texas was an independent state from 1836 to 1845 and is the only state which has become a part of the US using a treaty. A living oak tree near Fulton is the oldest tree in Texas, which has an estimated age of more than 1500 years and the only natural lake in Texas is the Cado Lake. Farming is done on more land in Texas than any other state, the cattle population is close to 16 million and more species of Bats reside in Texas than any other state of US.

Texas is full of natural beauty and the world's largest rose garden - The Tyler Municipal Rose Garden, located here has more than 500 varieties of 38,000 rose bushes cultivated in an area of 22 acres. Dallas, Houston and San Antonio cities located in Texas are among the top ten most populous cities in the US. Dell has its headquarters in Texas and even Compaq originated from Texas. Also known for its fast speed roads, Texas has the fastest average speed (legal) of 126 km/h and on a stretch of a toll road between Austin and San Antonio, the average speed is 137 Km/h.

Texas is huge in terms of area and covers 6.95 lakh sq. Km.; this large area has a glorious past and a sparkling present, woven in several strings of art, history and culture, food and drink, cinema, music, sports, nature and man-made marvels etc. Texas has some of the other places worth visiting for everyone; be it the history lovers or the adventure enthusiasts and so much to explore, that one visit wouldn’t be enough to discover it all. Few famous art galleries and museums of Texas are The Contemporary Austin, Mexic-Arte, Museum, Blanton Museum of Art, El Paso Museum of Art, Texas Artists Museum and Stark Museum of Art. Many famous and beautiful churches are worth visiting in Texas, which include Painted Churches of Texas, St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Praha, Blessed Virgin Catholic Church and Saints Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church, which would mesmerize the viewers with their enchanting beautiful designs, architect and interior decorations. Few historic sites include ‘The Alamo’, Texas State Capitol, Galveston East End Historic District, Heritage Farmstead and Dealey Plaza etc. You can also enjoy the waterside activities at Kayak - The Texas Gulf Coast and enjoy underwater sports in Galveston or Padre Island. For the adventure junkies, various activities like hiking, bird watching, rock climbing, mountain biking or exploring flora and fauna in the Big Bend National Park will leave you craving for more.

But, there are few things which you shouldn’t try in Texas and certain precautions you should take while travelling in Texas. If you want to travel different parts of Texas, then plan even the short trips across cities as Texas is vast and travelling by car from one city to another means you may be covering 1000 odd kilometres in between (not to forget the traffic jams during rush hours). If possible, take flights to cover large distances as that would save you time, but if you wish to capture the enchanting scenic beauty, then embrace yourself for long journeys by car as there is no public transportation network connecting the cities except flights. People in Texas consider mannerism an important part of the conversation, so do remember to say please and thank you wherever required. Don’t forget to go hungry in a restaurant, as the food is served in large portions and don’t try Non-Texas beer as you will find plethora of Texas Beer brands and microbreweries along the way and don’t miss the truck stops and local shops as they would give you a glimpse of the real Texas culture.

Texas is well known for its tornadoes and thunderstorms, so if you are a thrill-seeker then you might like to visit during those months when the weather is a bit dangerous, else mostly travellers refrain from going there in the months between March and August when Tornadoes are common in Texas. The months from April to September are the thunderstorm period when they do occur once in every 3-5 days and in between; the months of March, April and May is the time when tornadoes and thunderstorms are at peak. The months of June to August are summer months with extreme heat, wind storms, hail storms, fires and even hurricanes showing their angst forms.

Then comes the best time for travelling and exploring the natural sites of Texas, which are the months of September to November, when the weather is mild and this spring season has warm days and colder nights which allows you to enjoy the outdoor activities and travel light and easy. Winter is in full bloom during the months of December to February and cold waves and sometimes snowfall also occurs in few parts, especially in the month of January.

Texas is a state with dozens of visits-worthy places and every place has something significant and attractive, so it’s quite a task to choose a few of them. Still, we have tried to research and listed the best places to visit in Texas, which will be worth your time and money and the memories of a lifetime will be your souvenir from this journey.

Austin, being the capital of Texas tops our list. This city is buzzing with tourists, activities, music and nature as well as manmade beautiful structures. Austin is well known for its love for music and live music performances are being held almost every night at different places. Two annual music festivals are also organized in the city, which are: South by Southwest (SXSW) and the Austin City Limits Festival. The city boasts of beautiful lakes, parks and famous Museums and once you are tired of roaming around the city, you’ll find food trucks selling mouth-watering barbeque to restaurants selling farm to table cuisines to satiate your taste buds. The Texas State Capitol building, which is one of the famous state legislatures in the US is 308 feet tall and has a 22-acre park surrounding it which houses various monuments.

Houston city is considered as the heart and soul of Texas as it has earned the reputation of the hub for science and technology over the years and also has many attractions for the art and history lovers. Space Centre Houston is a place where you can witness NASA’s latest projects; learn about space exploration and upcoming mission and even click a selfie with the space shuttle replica which is mounted on a shuttle carrier. Nature lovers can explore the Houston Museum of Natural Science and you can also soak some sun on the beautiful Galveston Beaches. People interested in art and culture must visit the Museum District and the Theater District.

Dallas is known to be a lively city with its famous attractions like the Reunion Tower, the Dallas World Aquarium and many world-class restaurants and bars serving mouth-watering cuisines and drinks. Tourists won’t have to worry about renting a cab as the city offers free transportation to explore her, like the M-Line trolley and D-Link shuttle service. You shouldn’t miss Nasher Sculpture Center, Dallas Museum of Art, The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza (the place where former President of US, John F. Kennedy was shot) and Dallas Heritage Village which are a few of the most famous places in Dallas.

Two world-famous attractions which make this city special are The world-famous Alamo and the enchanting riverside which runs along the San Antonio River. The Alamo is a popular historical monument of Texas and the River Walk along the San Antonio River which stretches for several miles has an array of nice cafes and shops can be explored on foot or by renting a bicycle. There is the San Antonio Museum of Art, McNay Art Museum and San Antonio Missions National Historical Park for the art lovers and the wildlife junkies shouldn’t miss the San Antonio Botanical Garden and San Antonio Zoo which has more than 9000 animals of almost 780 species.

Alpine is a small town located in the foothills of West Texas, which is famous for its scenic locations and the nearby World Famous Big Bend National Park. It’s a town where you can stay for a day or two and take a stroll in the park, visit the Museum of Big Bend and visit the art galleries, cafes, boutique shops and the weekly farmers market. Few more popular places in Alpine are Hancock Hill, Historic Walking Tour, Kokernot Field, Chihuahuan Desert Nature Center and Davis Mountains State Park which are nearby Alpine.

Padre Island is the longest undeveloped barrier island in the world and it stretches 112 km from end to end. Padre Island is home to hundreds of species of migratory birds (about 350 different species of migratory birds visit here), rare sea turtles and a lot of beaches and dunes spread in an area of more than 130,000 acres. There is a busy resort town towards the south of Padre, Island where several shops, restaurants and spas are located to give a luxury and exotic feel to visitors. Tourists can enjoy a luxurious vacation or simply come here to relax and unwind on the sea beaches.

Famous for its many wineries and fine restaurants, Fredericksburg reflects its German legacy and the culture of art and music. The Pioneer Museum is a famous Museum, which well defines the history of this place. Enchanted Rock State Natural Area spread in 640 acres and 425 feet high have humans visiting it for 10,000 years, have many legendary tales associated with it and is a wonderful place to be explored by the adventure lovers. Old Tunnel State Park (thousands of bats would welcome you), National Museum of the Pacific War and Vereins Kirche Museum are also worth visiting places in Fredericksburg.

The small town of New Braunfels is just a short drive away from the city of San Antonio and was established in the year 1945 by Germans. The proximity to rivers Guadalupe and Comal make this town a special place as both the rivers have abundant opportunities to swim, fish and indulge in several water sports and activities. Tourists can also visit the 70 acres Schlitterbahn Waterpark located nearby or indulge in adventure trips of the limestone caves at the Natural Bridge Caverns. The Gruene Historic District is home to German Architecture and has some real German buildings which date back to the 19th century.

Galveston is a buzzing magnificent resort city built on an island of the same name. It has six cruise ship ports and like a true tourist place, has an array of world-class restaurants, hotels and cafes. Visitors have so many options which include but not limited to Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier, The State Park in the western part, and beautiful beaches on the eastern part of the island which stretches two miles and also an educational nature centre which has different animals kept in huge glass pyramids.