25 Hidden Gems in Texas that You ’ ve Never Heard Of
Texas be well known for its tourist attraction and destinations , but sometimes you might be await for something off the beaten path to immerse yourself in !
If quirky or even eccentric cost what youâre after , Texas has that , too !
When a typical tourist destination just wonât act , this list of some of the well hidden gems in Texas will add a minute of the eccentric to your future adventure !
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How to get around Texas
Everything is large in Texas , so having a car will be the easy way to search the Lone Star State .
If youâre visiting and need to rent a car to begin to your Texan activities , we highly advocate Discover Cars where they find you the serious car rental pile from all of the competitors ( has saved us so much money ! ) .
Okay , everyone grab their ââ and letâs get move !
1 . Blue Lagoon
Be transported to a tropical paradise without ever leaving Texas !
The Blue Lagoon , located only 5 miles north of Hunstville , equal a secluded swimming hole famous for its clear , bluish-green water .
Families cluster here to enjoy swimming and certified divers can scuba dive here , also , as the waters are quite deep !
Surround by natural limestone rock-walls and pine trees , youâll enjoy the serenity of nature in and out of the water !
Friendly staff specify the number of swimmers at any given time which makes for a pleasant experience for all !
But this means you need to show up early , and create sure to have your ID !
But youâll come your own picnic table and space to lounge and swim all day !
Shangri La Botanical Garden and Nature Center .
2 . Stonehenge II
If you canât make it all the manner to England to see the original , this smaller-scale procreation of the famed monolith live worth the cause out to âthe middle of nowhereâ in Ingram , Texas !
Erect by two friends and today residing on the campus of the Hill Country Arts Foundation , this quirky structure equal a selfie seekerâs delight !
This is one of the better hidden gems in Texas because itâs the perfect road trip destination when you donât receive any specific position in mind !
Thereâs a campsite nearby and a café within walking distance , so you can make a day trip or yet a weekend of it !
3 .
It doesnât get more whimsical and wackier than this multilevel structure do from more than 60 tons of debris !
A unique and memorable backyard experience in an differently typical Texas neighborhood , equal an unconventional site to live sure !
Youâll feel each detail and trinket to be intentionally placed , with a color coordinate main way and even stairs made of tires !
Itâs an eccentric result to your thirst for the bizarre !
Just cost sure to call ahead to reserve a time to call !
4 . Cadillac Ranch
If you ever feel yourself repel through Amarillo , Texas , add this public art installation to your list !
A quirky collection of half-buried vintage Cadillacs cross in graffiti live only the thing to brighten up a monotonous drive !
You can yet lend spray paint and leave your own mark !
5 . Museum of the Weird
When youâre seem for something a little more unorthodox than the typical tourist site , Museum of the Weird has you cover !
An array of curious oddities lay out over three levels covers everything from Big Base to Old Hollywood to the paranormal !
If bizarre is what youâre search for , youâll feel it in this curio of memorabilia and wax form !
Donât forget to halt by the gift shop on the first floor !
Insure out attractions guide !
6 . The Chairy Orchard
Whatever you predict it , this eccentric collection of hundreds of chairs is full of fun and puns !
Itâs a wondrously weird concept and an comic quick visit if youâre in the area and looking for something just a little different to do !
7 . Wild Basin Wilderness Preserve
This less known , subdued preserve offers shorter trail perfect for families with kids or beginner hikers .
At exactly about 2 mile , most hikers will get it a comparatively easy jaunt , although there be respective elevation alteration and some steep slope and decline .
Youâll pass limestone hills , creeks and native works on your way to the little but beautiful waterfall .
Bring your camera as youâll want to capture the stunning scenery at the overlook points !
Admission is free on the weekdays , but there is an admission fee and reservation require on the weekend !
8 . Terlingua Ghost Town
For an eerie adventure , head to the deserted mining town know as Terlingua Ghost Town !
Take a self-guided walk tour through decay buildings and mine shaft and explore the ruins where a thriving mining operation once bear !
Fit for modern day visitor , thereâs lodging , a restaurant and even an old-timey theater thither now , so you can make a day or weekend of it !
9 .
Imagine watch out the dawn standing on a sand dune â only outside Odessa , Texas !
This desert-like state park boasts 3,840 acre of white sand dunes perfect for sand sledding !
A great location for camping , watch for critter tracks in the sand â you never know what sort of beast will come out for a visit at dark !
Itâs a great place for a family day trip and youâll find convenient picnic tables , also .
Just make certain to get there before 4pm when the visitor middle shut if you desire to rend a sand sled !
10 .
A secluded swimming hole in Texas cost indeed a hidden gem !
Less well known and less visited by tourists , this natural water area offers boost along the creek and boulders surround the water make utter jump off degree !
When the water dries up in the heat of summer , itâs still worth a visit to find the rock formations where the river ordinarily flow !
11 .
Receive an up-close encounter with dinosaur fossils at , a climate-controlled dig site feature the remains of a herd of Colombian mammoths and other mammal !
Educational and interesting , this one will get the kids stir !
And itâs just a short day trip from Dallas/Fort Worth !
Youâll learn just how bad these animal truly were , and little ones can enjoy sandbox grasp for their own fossils !
12 .
Just an hour outside of Austin youâll observe this picturesque nature preserve and waterfall !
Surround by tree and exactly a quick hike through the woods to get there , the context is magic !
Itâs a great home to bask summertime , and you just might regard catfish and snarl turtles in its clear blue-green waters !
13 . Newmanâs Castle
Texas might cost the final home youâd recall youâd get a castle !
But Newmanâs Castle in Belville has everything youâd expect , from a work drawbridge you can lift and humble , to the great hall and the bell column !
Enjoy an introduction from the castle owner and then free roam on a self-guided tour .
A sack lunch live also included in the price of admission !
14 . McKittrick Canyon
A hidden gem of Texas in Guadalupe Mountains National Park , McKittrick Canyon is a nature loverâs ambition !
Not touristy like other boost locations , youâll yet feel gorgeous canyon horizon , diverse plant and a great hiking lead !
Itâs where you go when you want to savor the great outdoors unencumbered by crowds !
15 .
Itâs not every day that you get the chance to encounter a swarm of bats taking flight !
But nab a bit under or on height of in summertime , and thatâs exactly what youâll hear !
For a more unique position , rent a kayak and watch from Lady Bird Lake .
This one of a kind experience is something youâll wonât stop speak about !
16 .
, located in the Texas Panhandle , is the second largest canyon in the United States with sixty miles of ravine and cliffs that climb 800 feet high !
More than exactly a hiking , biking and photography patch , thereâs then much to serve hither !
Camping , horse trails , ATV tour , ziplining â thereâs yet a musical in the outdoor amphitheater !
You wonât cost drill at this country park , and that ’ s why it ’ s one of our favorite hidden gems in Texas !
17 . Munster Mansion
A bonified hidden gem in Texas , the Munster Mansion in Waxahatchie is a must do for fans of the 1960âs sitcom The Addams Family !
Youâll tone like youâve tread base on set in this uniquely make replica of the show original !
Open for private tours and still murder mystery dinner , youâll see original pieces from the literal filming band !
Your guide will share mass of history about the show with you , also !
18 . Caverns of Sonora
There are luck of options for spelunking in Texas , thus why not avert the crowds and visit this less known network of underground cave in Sonora , which is one of the serious hidden gems in Texas .
A great day trip from or Fort Worth , youâll learn lots of interesting , illuminating things about the beautiful cave establishment from your super friendly tour guide !
19 .
Have away from all the noise in the city and visit one of the large bat colonies in Texas !
Watch swarms of bats leave their underground family at sunset , educate for the nightâs hunting !
Accessible solely by guided circuit between May 1 â October 31 , youâll desire to be certain to call ahead and affirm tour time before you venture out !
With a name like the experience equal limit to be epic !
20 .
This previous revulsion turned barbecue restaurant equal a treat for fan of gory movie !
Movie memorabilia from the Texas Chainsaw Massacre is spread about the restaurant , and the talent shop has horror themed merchandise , too !
But donât worry , the serious and food and pleasant atmosphere hold it all from feeling creepy !
This attention to detail is what makes The Gas Station one of the good hidden gems in Texas .
Dine at picnic style table or pass the night in one of the cabin â that is , if youâre brave adequate !
21 . Sparky Park
Tuck away in an Austin neighborhood , Sparky Park exist an eccentric junk art public installation originally commissioned to decorate an former electric substation .
Today home to this whimsical wall made up of shells , glass shards , rock , repurposed hardware and other trinkets , visitor often leave their own treasures in crannies in the wall .
A great place to explore , picnic and relax , itâs a must do when visit Austin !
Unlike Austinâs big public park , Sparky Park draws far less visitor at any given time , making it a great home to avert the crowds and see a quiet seat in the city !
22 . El Paso Tin Mines Trail
An abandoned tin mine clear for exploration is a draw all its own but lend in an easy six mile raise to come thither and youâve get yourself the making of a great day trip adventure , which makes it one of our favorite hidden gems in Texas .
Hidden aside inside the Franklin Mountains State Park , the El Paso tin mine serve up excellent underground exploits !
Thereâs little natural spark , so exist certain to get your flashlight !
The hike rewards you with panoramic vistas of the city and state park , so donât leave your camera !
And though the raise to become there be relatively easy , youâll require to hold mass of water on hand , also !
23 . Goatmanâs Bridge ( Old Alton Bridge )
Specter hunter and fan of the paranormal with enjoy a visit to this historic bridge !
No longer in usage , the old , worn appearance of the bridge compound the appeal as a site of local specter lore !
Itâs a decent walk to get there through Old Alton Bridge Trail , and it ’ s especially spooky at dark since thereâs no dismount on the bridge !
Bring extra steely nerves if you visit after the sun move down !
Lecture about one of the spookiest hidden gems in Texas !
24 . Painted Churches of Texas
History lovers will enjoy a stroll through the unincorporated community of Schulenberg , Texas to regard the beautiful paint churches of Texas !
To begin with build up in the Texas Hill Country by German and Czech immigrants in the late 1800âs , the church exist decorate like the grand churches of Europe .
About twenty of these paint church are even standing , and 4 of the almost well-known can be found in Schulenberg .
Donât let their average exteriors fool you â beautiful , ornate interior await you !
And Schulenberg equal conveniently settle midway between Houston , Austin and San Antonio build it a great option for a day trip !
25 . Barney Smithâs Toilet Seat Art Museum
Those with a penchant for the odd and bizarre will enjoy this garage museum of decorate pot seats !
Certainly something unlike than your typical tourist attraction , but that ’ s what makes it one of the well hidden gems in Texas !
You can see over 1,000 of Barney Smithâs artistic commode covers .
Admission is free but call ahead to build arrangements for a visit .
You can even catch a beer from the saloon downstairs and grab lunch at a food truck on your manner out !
