Small Town Activity Ideas

Many people have friends or family that arrive around the holidays. If you are like me, you want to show them a god time while they are in town. East Texas is a great area for living but sometimes it is possible to overlook attractions you know just because you live in town and don’t think like a tourist.

This area has many small museums that showcase the rich history of the area. Jefferson, Texas is probably the most notable small town because it gets more press. The bed and breakfast inns and shopping bring people to town. There is also the Jefferson Historical Museum, which houses art, Native American artifacts, items from an old General Store, and memorabilia from East Texas. It is a good place to visit and it is self guided so you have plenty of time to look at the items. There is also the Gone With the Wind museum. It houses memorabilia from the movie and it the building is a style much like the movie home.

Carthage, Texas, has a small but informative museum. There are murals depicting Native American life in Texas. The museum houses artifacts also from the cotton and oil industries, as well as other pieces showcasing small town life. The Tea Room restaurant is on the first floor and they serve lunch options. Try the spiced-orange tea. It is different but good. Carthage also has the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame and the Tex Ritter museum. Both have fun things to look at.

Kilgore has the Oil Museum on the campus of Kilgore College. That is one of my favorite local museums. Interactive exhibits put you back into the oil boom days. There are guided tours and videos that explain the oil industry in more detail.

If art is more your style. The Michelson Museum of Art in Marshall features a mix of artistic styles. There are permanent exhibits but also traveling exhibits. The museum is free but they ask for donations.
There is another somewhat unknown art museum in Tyler Texas on the campus of Tyler Junior College. They offer changing exhibits. There is also a café with good food and reasonable prices.


So hopefully with these tips you can entertain guests during the holidays. Below are links with more detail on the museums.


Historical Museum of Jefferson: http://www.visitjeffersontexas.com/content.cfm?p=details_view&LID=2&CID=3
The Gone with the Wind Museum: http://www.scarlettohardy.com/
Museum and Tea Room: http://www.carthagetexas.com/Chamber/tea_room.htm
Texas Hall of Fame: http://www.carthagetexas.com/halloffame/
Tex Ritter: http://carthagetexas.us/halloffame/museum.htm
Kilgore Oil: http://www.easttexasoilmuseum.com/Pages/contact.html
Marshall Art: http://www.michelsonmuseum.org/michelsonmuseum.org/Welcome.html
Tyler Art: http://www.tylermuseum.org/