Tyler, Texas is about an hour and half away from Dallas (three hours from Houston and four hours from Austin) which makes it a great location for a day trip.
If you take Interstate 20, keep an eye out for the exit to Tyler. It's listed with Lindale and is not directly off the highway. You have to drive south for a bit before you start seeing signs pointing you to the city.
Tyler is a relatively small city but Saturday afternoons feel rather crowded as you drive around the busier areas (such as the mall). The major tourist spots are located in the northern area of the city - The Caldwell Zoo, The Discovery Science Place Museum, and the Tyler Rose Garden.
The first stop on your tour should be the painted Wings mural located in downtown, specifically at 110 S Broadway Ave which is just a few blocks North from the The Discovery Science Place. Step on up on the sidewalk and take photos with the different styles and sized wings (they even have a pair for the kiddos).
You'll notice a lot of artwork around town. There's an Art Museum at the Junior College on 1300 S Mahon Ave. If you have a little bit of time, stop by during their business hours Tuesday-Saturday (10a-5p) or Sunday (1p-5p). $5 for guests over 13 years old; $3 for seniors; free for children or city employees.
The Discovery Science Place is at 308 N Broadway Ave. The museum is open Tuesday-Friday (10a-5pm), Saturday (10a-5pm) and Sunday (1pm-5pm). Please note from 9/12/22-9/30/22 they will be closed for maintenance. Admission is $10 for guests 13+; $8.00 for children 2-12; and free for those under 2. This is a fun hands-on museum. For more info, check out https://www.discoveryscienceplace.org/.
Also nearby is the infamous Tyler Rose Garden Center and Rose Museum located at 420 Rose Park Dr. Admission is free during their regular garden hours - Monday-Friday (8a-5p), Saturday (9a-5p) and Sunday (1p-5p). Roses are in bloom from mid-April through mid-October depending on the weather conditions. A little bit of additional info in listed on the CityOfTyler.org website. This is a small but family-friendly garden. The inside building hosts a variety of vendors. The very best time to visit is during the annual Texas Rose Festival in October. There will be all kinds of decorations and pagentry. Get more info here: https://www.texasrosefestival.com/
If you have time, drive around downtown and check out the Brickstreet District (you can't really miss the area since there are big signs and bricked streets turning off the main concrete roads). These buildings were erected between 1890 and 1940. Some will have plaques on their front porches. For specific details, check out the website, HistoricTyler.org. This site offers a colorful map of the historic landmarks or Click Here to download/print it yourself. Too bad the map doesn't include dates.
The University of Texas college system has a campus here in the southeastern area of town. They have a well-known baseball team so try to catch one of their games if you can.
My next review will be of the Caldwell Zoo located in the northwestern corner of Tyler.
No comments:
Post a Comment