For many people the thought of Texas immediately conjures up images of cowboys, rodeos, and iconic country songs. Although these cliches may be true, Texas is much more diverse than most people ever realize. Texas has been home to many cultures and communities over the centuries. Native American, Spanish, Texan, and American cultures have left their mark throughout the state.

Today Texas is a vibrant and diverse state with an abundance of varied cuisines, music, and attractions. From the beaches of the Gulf Coast to the dry and windy climate of the West Texas region offers visitors a variety of landscapes and unique sites both natural and manmade.

Here is our list of 15 amazing landmarks in Texas for your bucket list.

Texas Landmarks for Your Bucket List

The Alamo

“Remember the Alamo!” the old phrase proclaims, and once you’ve seen it you’ll certainly remember this iconic landmark in San Antonio.

The Alamo building, which dates to 1718 was originally built as a Spanish mission to convert the local Native American population to Christianity and maintain control of the area.

In American history, it is most famous as the location for the Battle of the Alamo and the death of hero Davy Crockett.

Today the Alamo stands in her reconstructed glory as part of a sprawling museum complex in downtown San Antonio, just a short walk from the famous River Walk.

River Walk San Antonio

The San Antonio River Walk is arguably one of the most unforgettable places in Texas, having been featured in numerous films and music videos over the decades.

The River Walk straddles either side of the San Antonio River, consisting of parallel sidewalks that meander through downtown San Antonio and past the city’s five historic Spanish missions.

The paths are flanked by tall trees providing shade and numerous bridges and connections to the shops, bars, and restaurants as well as cultural sites in San Antonio.

The River Walk is host to many outdoor events during the year, including “Fiesta,” a 10-day celebration to commemorate the Battle of the Alamo held every April.

Big Bend National Park

The Big Bend National Park is a natural treasure of far-West Texas and the state’s largest national park.

The park is named after the bend in the Rio Grande River which forms the southern border of the park, on the other side is Mexico.

The park is a refuge for many species of plant and animal life and offers stargazing, scenic drives, hot springs, camping, and a variety of hiking trails.

The park boasts plenty of fun things to do for every interest, from history to geology and even fossils.

Cadillac Ranch

The appropriately named Cadillac Ranch is an outdoor public artwork and sculpture project consisting of ten classic Cadillacs partially buried nose-first into the ground, in Amarillo.

The project is the brainchild of the alternative art group Ant Farm.

Public interaction with the installation is actively encouraged and graffiti and painting of the cars to symbolize causes are common.

Cadillac Ranch is referenced throughout popular culture and was the subject of a Bruce Springsteen song and even singer Rhianna posted a selfie from the location in 2020.

LEARN MORE: Amarillo, Palo Duro Canyon, Caprock Canyons Road Trip

Photo credit: Richie Diesterheft from Chicago, IL, USA, Cadillac Ranch, CC BY 2.0

When I visited the Cadillac Ranch in April, it had turned into a muddy pond after heavy rainfall. That didn’t stop some folks from wading through the water, paint can in hand, determined to add their contribution to the cars.

Nine Cadillac cars buries nose-first into the ground and painted all over with graffiti.

State Capitol Austin

The State Capitol in Austin was built in 1885 and is one of the grandest and oldest buildings in the state.

The current building replaced older structures on the site, dating back to a wooden cabin first used after the declaration of the Republic of Texas in 1836.

The Texas Capitol is one of the few state houses to be taller than the US Capitol Building in Washington DC.

The grounds of the Capitol form a sort of park and are lush and dotted with memorials to various groups and events in Texan history, from Volunteer Firemen to the iconic Texas Rangers.

You can take a tour of the Texas State Capitol – it’s one of the best free things to do in Austin!

USS Lexington – Corpus Christi

The USS Lexington Museum in Corpus Christi is a World War II-era museum ship that opened in 1992.

The ship was gifted to the city of Corpus Christi in 1992 by the US Navy since the ship was quickly approaching retirement age.

Since then the ship has been transformed into a cool destination for everybody.

The ship boasts an escape room and flight simulator, and visitors can tour the ship and see the quarters sailors lived in.

The museum is constantly being updated and renovated to open up new sections of the ship to visitors.

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McDonald Observatory – Fort Davis

The McDonald Observatory was founded in 1933 near Fort Davis in far West Texas.

The astronomical observatory is situated on top of Mount Locke and the lack of nearby big cities makes it a perfect dark-sky location for observing the night skies.

Visitors to the site can view daily live solar viewings in a special theater and take part in tours of the observatory’s largest telescopes.

The observatory is a haven for astronomy fans and offers numerous events at night where visitors can stargaze with other enthusiasts. You can learn more at the official website.

San Antonio Missions

Although the Alamo is the most well-known, San Antonio is home to five historic former Spanish missions, which are still standing.

The Alamo is not part of the official missions park; however, it is the oldest and the others were established shortly after.

The missions of Concepcion, San Jose, San Juan Capistrano, and Espada are included in the park which follows the flow of the San Antonio River on the south side of the city.

The missions are not all situated close together and are best accessed by bike.

Padre Island National Seashore

Padre Island National Seashore is situated on the longest barrier island in the world.

The park consists of 66 miles of undeveloped shoreline and many parts are only accessible with a 4-wheel drive.

The pristine white sands of the beaches are perfect for family outings and are open to all manner of outdoor activities.

Kayaking and camping are available for intrepid visitors and the beach is a nesting ground for the Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle.

During the early morning hours of the summer months, when they do a sea turtle hatchling release, you can catch a glimpse of sea turtle hatchlings as they scurry for the water. You can call the Hatchling Hotline at 361-949-7163 for schedule information. Sea turtle hatchling releases usually occur at 6:45 am at Malaquite Beach.

NASA Space Center

Space Center Houston serves as the official museum and visitor center for NASA’s Johnson Space Center.

The museum contains more than 400 pieces related to the space race.

The museum is home to three space capsules including Mercury 9, Apollo 17, and Gemini 5.

Other attractions at the museum include Mission Mars, an exhibit designed to show NASA’s plans for exploration of the red planet.

Independence Plaza features a replica of a space shuttle and visitors can actually climb inside.

Prada Marfa

The Prada Marfa is an art installation located in rural Davis County, about 35 miles northwest of the city of Marfa on Highway 90.

The installation resembles a Prada boutique, but instead of being located in a posh European city center, this store is surrounded by nothingness.

To give authenticity to the project, artists Elmgreen and Dragset sourced real Prada goods from the 2005 Fall collection.

What the sculpture represents is up to the viewer but for most, it is a fabulous location for selfies.

LEARN MORE: Road Trip From Austin to Alpine, Terlingua, Marfa, Big Bend

Enchanted Rock

Enchanted Rock, located some 17 miles north of Fredericksburg, is a giant pink granite rock that you can hike to the top and explore some caves too.

Like Uluru in Australia, Enchanted Rock is referred to as a monadnock, a rock or mountain that juts sharply out of otherwise flat or sloped land.

The local Native Americans believed the rock to be of magical or spiritual significance and attributed various myths to the rock.

As the temperature changes, warming in daytime and cooling in nighttime there are mysterious sounds emitted from the granite as it cools or warms.

Guadalupe Mountains National Park

Located in the northern Chihuahuan Desert of West Texas, the Guadalupe Mountains National Park is a stunning site of natural beauty.

Guadalupe Peak is located in the park and is the highest point in Texas at a height of 8,751 feet.

El Capitan marks the southern terminus of the mountain range and served as a landmark for the old stagecoach trails.

Hiking, camping, backpacking, and horseback riding are favorite activities at the park. You can get more information from the National Park Service website.

A hike to McKittrick Canyon provides a stunning outdoor location to view the changing of the leaves in the fall.

Summary

From quirky to scientific and manmade to natural formations these top Texas landmarks offer a variety of places for you to explore in the Lone Star State. All are interesting and worthy of a great Texas road trip filled with fun and adventure.

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