Special churches, synagogues and missions
Rothko Chapel
The Rothko Chapel is an ecumenical chapel in the Menil Collection in Houston. The Rothko Chapel was built in 1971. It contains, among other things, a painting cycle from 14 works by Mark Rothko. Furthermore, the sculpture “Broken Obelisk” dedicated to Martin Luther King is on the grounds of the Rothko Chapel.
| Contact | 3900 Yupon Street Houston, Texas 77006 www.rothkochapel.org |
Cathedral Santuario de Guadalupe in Dallas
The Cathedral Santuario de Guadalupe in the city of Dallas was built in 1872 and is an excellent example of Gothic-style buildings from the Victorian era. After a renovation, the Roman Catholic Church now has a brand new bell tower with 49 bells.
| Contact | 2215 Ross Avenue Dallas, Texas 75201 |
Trinity Episcopal Church in Houston
The Trinity Episcopal Church in the city of Houston was built in 1919 in the Neo-Gothic style. The church, or rather its interior, is famous for the excellent window paintings and the artistic furnishings.
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Temple Emanu-El in Dallas
The Temple Emanu-El in the city of Dallas was built between 1873 and 1875 and is now the largest synagogue in the southern United States. However, today’s synagogue was not built until 1957. Temple Emanu-El is also known for its choirs that regularly perform their skills in various genres such as jazz, classical and pop.
| Contact | 8500 Hillcrest Road Dallas, Texas 75225 |
Mission Concepcion in San Antonio
The Mission Concepcion was built in 1731 and is one of the 4 protected missions of the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park. The mission is considered the best preserved of the four. In 1835, a battle between the Mexican army and Texas insurgents took place here. The complete restoration of the mission interior was completed in 2010 and a service is held here every Sunday..
| Contact | 807 Mission Road San Antonio, Texas 78210 |
Mission Espada in San Antonio
The Mission Espada was built in 1731 and is one of the 4 protected missions of the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park. The Espada mission was a model for the construction of numerous churches in Texas. The mission’s aqueduct is still functional and in use today.
| Contact | 10040 Espada Road San Antonio, Texas 78214 |
Mission San José in San Antonio
The Mission San José was built between 1768 and 1782 and is one of the 4 protected missions of the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park. The San José mission was a model for the construction of numerous buildings on the Texas Tech University campus in Lubbock. The mission was built from local limestone. The mission was only active until 1824 and restoration of the buildings began in 1930.
| Contact | 6701 San Jose Drive San Antonio, Texas 78214 |
Mission San Juan Capistrano in San Antonio
The Mission San Juan Capistrano was in 1731. However, this was only a small chapel. The mission was gradually expanded. However, there was one project that never ended. Restoration of the building began in the 1960s.
| Contact | 9101 Graf Road San Antonio, Texas 78214 |
Monuments, memorials
The John Fitzgerald Kennedy Memorial in Dallas
The John Fitzgerald Kennedy Memorial was built in 1970 in honor of the President who was shot in Dallas in 1963. The monument impresses with its simplicity and is very close to the place where John F. Kennedy was shot. The monument is a 9 x 9 m square which is bordered by 9 m high walls but has no roof. It is said to be simply a grave and symbolize the freedom of the spirit of Kennedy through the missing roof. Inside is another square with John Fitzgerald Kennedy engraved in gold script.
| Contact | 646 Main Street Dallas, Texas 75202 |
Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument
The Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument is located in northern Texas and is famous for being the site of flints. This place has been a National Monument since 1965. Investigations by the region uncovered flint extraction centers and areas for further processing of these stones. It is estimated that tools were made from these stones 13,000 years ago. Due to the striking color of the local stones, the distribution area, tools can be found all over the Great Plains and in the southwest of the USA, and the trade in these tools was reconstructed. The National Monument can only be visited on a guided tour, which explains the life of the Indians and lets you enjoy the wonderful nature.
| Contact | www.nps.gov/alfl/index.htm |
San Antonio Missions National Historical Park
The San Antonio Missions National Historical Park is dedicated to protecting and maintaining 4 historic missions and was founded in 1983. A description of the individual missions can be found above under Special Churches, Synagogues and Missions.
| Contact | www.nps.gov/saan/index.htm |
Big celebrations and events
Fiesta San Antonio
The Fiesta San Antonio is an annual street festival in the city of San Antonio. The roots of the festival go back to the 19th century and at the beginning the festival was used to commemorate battles between Alamo and San Jacinto. The Fiesta San Antonio is the largest festival in San Antonio with more than 3 million visitors spread across events across the city. A special highlight is the Battle of the Flowers Parade. This parade is the oldest event of the festival and attracts up to 350,000 visitors.
| Contact | www.fiesta-sa.org |
State Fair of Texas in Dallas
The State Fair of Texas is an annual 24-day fair held in late September in the city of Dallas. The event has been taking place in the historic Fair Park since 1886. The mascot of the event is the 16 m tall cowboy figure named Big Tex. This figure has accompanied the State Fair of Texas since 1952. Up to 2.5 million visitors flock to the State Fair of Texas annually, making it the largest state fair in the entire United States. One of the highlights of the State Fair of Texas is the football game played by the Texas and Oklahoma college teams.
Austin City Limits Music Festival
The Austin City Limits Music Festival is a three-day musical spectacle held in Austin each September or October. The festival, which has been held since 2002, attracts over 70,000 visitors annually and takes place in Zilker Park, in southern Austin. Visitors can enjoy around 130 international musicians from the genres of rock, indie, country, folk and electro.
| Contact | www.aclfestival.com |
Zoos, parks and amusement parks
Six Flags Over Texas near Arlington
The Six Flags Over Texas amusement park in Arlington was opened in 1961 and today covers an area of approximately 0.86 km². With its 13 roller coasters, 5 water rides and many other attractions, the park is worth a visit. The proximity to the Fort Worth / Dallas metropolitan area should make the visit even easier.
| Contact | www.sixflags.com/overTexas/index.aspx |
SeaWorld in San Antonio
The SeaWorld in San Antonio was opened in 1988. Today the SeaWorld San Antonio covers an area of approximately 1 km² and is the largest of all SeaWorld s. In addition to the expected animal shows, visitors will also find 3 roller coasters and 9 water rides here.
| Contact | www.seaworld.com/sanantonio |
Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville
The Gladys Porter Zoo in the city of Brownsville was opened in 1971. The zoo covers an area of approximately 13,000 m². The zoo is home to over 1,600 animals from over 400 species, including 47 endangered species. Up to 375,000 people visit the zoo each year.
| Contact | www.gpz.org |
Houston Zoo
The Houston Zoo was opened in 1971. The zoo covers an area of approximately 220,000 m². Over 4,500 animals from over 900 species live in the zoo. The zoo’s main attractions include alligators, elephants, chimpanzees, rhinos and giraffes. Up to 1.6 million people visit the zoo each year.
| Contact | www.houstonzoo.org |
Fort Worth Zoo
The Fort Worth Zoo was founded in 1909 and was initially home to just a lion, 2 bears, an alligator, a coyote and several rabbits. Today there are over 5,000 animals from over 435 animal species living in the zoo. According to several magazines, the zoo is one of the best zoos in the entire United States. The main attractions of the zoo are penguins, chimpanzees, gorillas, elephants, tigers and much more
| Contact | www.fortworthzoo.org |
El Paso Zoo
The El Paso Zoo covers an area of approximately 140,000 m² and is home to animals from over 220 species. The zoo’s main attractions are lions, antelopes, gazelles, zebras, giraffes, tapirs, elephants and sea lions.
| Contact | www.elpasozoo.org |
Dallas Zoo
The Dallas Zoo covers an area of approximately 430,000 m² and was founded in 1888. The zoo is the largest in all of Texas and is home to over 1,800 animals from over 400 species. The zoo’s main attractions are lions, antelopes, gazelles, zebras, giraffes, tapirs and elephants. In 2004 a gorilla escaped from its enclosure and injured 3 visitors to the zoo.
| Contact | www.dallaszoo.com |
National parks
Guadalupe Mountains National Park
The Guadalupe Mountains National Park was founded in 1966 and covers an area of approx. 350 km² part of the mountain range of the Guadalupe Mountains. The park is located in the far west of Texas. The landscape of the park differs significantly from that of the surrounding Chihuahua desert. The Guadalupe Mountains National Park also contains the highest mountain in Texas, the Guadalupe Peak. In the park you can still find the remains of an old stagecoach station near the Pine Springs Visitor Center. Visitors will also find the McKittrick Canyon in the park, which is particularly worth seeing in autumn, as the maple trees then provide a unique play of colors. Visitors can relax on the many hiking trails in the park or ride through the park on horseback.
| Contact | www.nps.gov/gumo/index.htm |
Big Bend National Park
The Big Bend National Park is located in southwestern Texas near the border with Mexico. The park was founded in 1944 and now covers an area of approximately 3,242 km², making it one of the largest national parks in the USA. The park largely occupies the river and border area of the Rio Grande. This Texas National Park is also in the Chihuahua Desert. The park and its desert vegetation are very popular with visitors. Yuccas and several types of cactus can be found here. There are also some black bears in the forest of the park. Pumas also occur here. The park is also characterized by its wealth of fossils. There are currently considerations to expand the park due to its proximity to the US Mexico International Park.
| Contact | www.nps.gov/bibe/index.htm |
Other natural beauties
Big Thicket National Preserve
The Big Thicket National Preserve is a conservation area in eastern Texas near the Louisiana state border near the city of Beaumont. The area has been protected since 1974 and was included in the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve list in 1981. In the swampy conservation area there are over 100 different tree species and a large number of different animal species, the most interesting of which are certainly alligators and venomous snakes. In 1928 the last Texan black bear was shot here.
