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The Atlas Obscura Guide To Texas

313 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Texas

Updated January 19, 2023

Cities

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Unusual Attractions in Texas

Dripping Springs, Texas

Hamilton Pool

An emerald-green grotto just a short trip from Austin.

Austin, Texas

Museum of the Weird

Continuing the tradition of the dime museum in style.

Austin, Texas

Cathedral of Junk

A unique structure in suburban Austin comprised entirely of other people's castaways.

Fort Worth, Texas

Fort Worth Water Gardens

A modernist landscape of water and sci-fi concrete.

Austin, Texas

Uncommon Objects

One part antique store, one part curiosities hodge-podge.

Amarillo, Texas

Cadillac Ranch

A sculpture made of 10 Cadillacs as a monument to the "Golden Age" of the American automobile.

Austin, Texas

Congress Bridge Bats

Home to the largest urban bat colony in North America, estimated at 1.5 million bats.

Wimberley, Texas

Jacob's Well

A popular swimming hole that hides one of America's most deadly diving spots.

See All 313 Things To Do in Texas

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Texas

Cedar Creek, Texas

Pecan Pie Vending Machine

A 24-hour vending machine restocked daily with homemade full-sized pecan pies.

Houston, Texas

The Hobbit Café

A taste of Middle Earth, in the middle of the Bayou City.

Waco, Texas

Dr Pepper Museum

Housed in a century-old building, this museum's dedicated not just to soft drinks, but to the free enterprise system.

Bastrop, Texas

The Gas Station

The pit stop from "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" now serves beef and pork barbecue, not people.

See all 10 Places to Eat in Texas

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Plan Your Trip

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Guided Tours of Texas

Atlas Obscura Itineraries

7 Creative Ways to Take in San Antonio’s Culture

If you’re planning a trip to San Antonio, all signs will point you to the Riverwalk, the most-visited tourist destination in the whole state. And while the area offers countless bars, restaurants, and shops, the city is host to a wide array of cultural gems, waiting in plain sight. Whether it’s visiting gorgeous missions, touring sculpture gardens, or immersing yourself in African-American history, San Antonio contains fascinating excursions that will brighten up any trip.

Explore Texas

Museums And Collections 28

Architectural Oddities 21

Outsider Art 17

Roadside Attractions 13

Unique Restaurants & Bars 6

Places To Stay 3

Texas Leaderboard

Places Added

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Recent Texas Activity

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ltdann61

has been to Fort Worth Stockyards
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pjvcombe

has been to Congress Bridge Bats
corpuscorvid

wants to go to Sparky Park
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wants to go to Casa Neverlandia
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wants to go to Museum of Natural and Artificial Ephemerata

Stories About Texas

Podcast: Chapel Creek Ranch

Join us for a daily celebration of the world’s most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places.

by The Podcast Team

September 14, 2022

Video: Roaming the Salado Sculpture Garden

Salado Creek is guarded by a sculpture of a doomed mermaid, whose tears are said to feed its waters today.

Sponsored by Visit Salado

Video: A Resilient Fairytale Cottage

This house, considered the most ornate small cottage in Texas, features incredible architectural ornate details as well as a combination outhouse and former lending library.

Sponsored by Visit Alvin

Video: The Joys of Bat-Watching

Every evening, locals and visitors congregate at Austin’s Congress Avenue Bridge to watch a show made up of 1.5 million performers. Specifically: bats.

Sponsored by Visit Austin

Video: Next Stop: Space History

This facility is home to a lifesize replica of the original shuttle Independence—the only one of its kind in the world that’s mounted to an aircraft carrier.

Sponsored by Visit Bay Area Houston

Video: A Legendary Texas Music Community

In this town located 15 minutes outside of Fredericksburg, musical performances are hosted 363 days a year. Grab a beer and kick back under 300-year-old oak trees that have heard some of the best country musicians of all time.

Sponsored by Fredericksburg Convention and Visitor Bureau

Video: The Garden Where Nature Comes to Life

Riverside Nature Center is a 2-acre property that packs in over 200 species of wildflowers, grasses, and ferns, 140 species of trees, and a Monarch Waystation for butterflies to stopover on their way from Canada to Mexico.

Sponsored by Kerrville Convention & Visitors Bureau

Video: Reliving the 19th-Century Schooling Days

School is always in session at the West Bay Common School Children’s Museum, where the 1898 Schoolhouse Session is designed to showcase a day in the life of a turn-of-the-century student.

Sponsored by Visit League City

Lists Featuring Texas

Target Marathon

Prada Marfa.

30 Places to Go Deep in the Art of Texas

Saddle up for the state's ultimate creative road trip.

Including Stonehenge II, Target Marathon, and Robert Bruno’s Steel House

Winter Solstice 2019

The Spiral Jetty

Double Negative's north trench

A Tour of Spectacular 1970s Art Made From the Landscape Itself

Eight places to witness the incredible ambition of the Southwest land art movement.

Including Sun Tunnels, The Spiral Jetty, and Complex City

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