Longview, TX Tourist Attractions
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Longview (pop. 77,000) was established in the early 1800's on 100 acres of land purchased by the Southern Pacific Railroad. Today the town is home to Le Tourneau University and a major industrial center.
Longview Museum of Fine Arts
Longview Museum of Fine Arts focuses on the work of artists from the Southwest, particularly Texas.
Gregg County Historical Museum
Housed in the 1910 bank building, the Gregg County Historical Museum offers displays on agriculture, communications, and military items related to the history of the area.
Opera East Texas (formerly Longview Opera Company)
The original Longview Opera Company became Opera Longview in 2001 and then Opera East Texas September 2005. Performances are offered in Longview, Tyler and Kilgore.
R G Le Tourneau Museum
The museum houses some patents, business artifacts and earth moving equipment from R G Le Tourneau.
Surroundings
Marshall
Marshall (pop. 25,000) was settled in 1839 and still maintains some historic homes. The town is home to East Texas Baptist University, Texas State Technical College, and Wiley College.
Harrison County Historical Society Museum
The museum is housed in the restored county courthouse and displays a variety of artifacts related to the history of the area.
Starr Family State Historic park (temporarily closed)
This Italianate style home was built in 1870 and owned by James F. Starr. The home is the main attraction of this 3 acre park.
Michelson Museum of Art
The museum features the works of the Russian-American artist, Leo Michelson.
Kilgore
The town of Kilgore (pop. 12,000) came to life with the development of the Great Northern Railroad in 1872. Oil was discovered in the 1930's in this area and Kilgore became a boom town.
East Texas Oil Museum
The museum re-creates a 1930's boom town through the use of dioramas, films, photos, and other mementos.
Rangerette Showcase
The museum is a tribute to the Rangerette precision drill and dance team. Props and costumes and films from the teams history are on display.
Gaf Auto Museum
The museum contains a private collection of classic and antique automobiles.
Mount Pleasant
Mount Pleasant (pop. 14,000) is a commercial center for agriculture and home to Northeast Texas Community College. The area is popular with fishermen and birders.
Legends and Lawless Museum
The museum is a tribute to John Way, Texas, and the Wild West.
Franklin County Museum, Mount Vernon
The Franklin county Museum, housed in the old city hall, offers displays of butterflies, bird eggs, musical instruments, carvings, and American Indian artifacts.
Pittsburg
Pittsburg (pop. 4,500) is an agricultural center for poultry, livestock and fruit production. The town also features a number of old buildings and an historic downtown.
Northeast Texas Rural Heritage
Located in the 1901 Cotton Belt Railroad depot, the museum features automobiles, agricultural equipment, artifacts, photos and documents dating back to 1854.
Jefferson
Jefferson was a major port on Big Cypress Bayou. Steamboats were the main transportation and connected the city to New Orleans. A number of "firsts" occurred in Jefferson, including the first ammonia refrigerant ice plant in the world, and the first city to use artificial gas for street lighting. Today the town has more than thirty structures marked as historical sites by the state.The turning point for the city came when it decided it could rely on steamboats for it's life line and refused an offer to have the railroad service the town. The town that once boasted a population of 30,000 could not keep pace with other railroad towns and the population and growth in the area began to recede.
Excelsior Hotel
Excelsior Hotel was built in the mid 1800's and hosted such guests as Ulysses S. Grant, Rutherford B. Hayes, Jay Gould and Oscar Wilde. The hotel rooms are furnished in period with many of the original furnishings.
Texas Heritage Archives and Library
Housed in the 1865 Haywood House Hotel, the Texas Heritage Archives collection features 600 historic maps of Texas, the Southwest, and the New World, some of which date to the early 1500's.
Henderson
With the discovery of oil in the 1930's the town developed into what is now an oil and agriculture center. Many of the town's business buildings were destroyed by a fire in 1860. Most of the designated historic structures in the town today were built after this time.
Depot Museum and Children's Discovery Center
The museum is housed in the 1901 Missouri Pacific Railroad Depot and features displays on the county's history. The warehouse section of the building is a children's center with interactive, educational displays. There are also several other historic structures on the museum grounds.
London Museum and Tea Room, New London
The museum is a memorial to those who died in the New London School when it exploded in 1937. A pocket of natural gas trapped in the basement combined with a spark from the shop was eventually determined to be the cause of the explosion. Mollie Ward, who by chance left school early that day and survived, was instrumental in developing the museum.The museum also displays artifacts from the towns history.
Gilmer
The town developed in 1848 on the Cherokee Trace historic route and became a trade center for the local settlers. A number of historic markers are located around the town.
Historic Upshur Museum
Located in the 1925 Gilmer Post Office, the museum offers displays on forestry, a model drilling rig, as well as other miscellaneous historical items.
Shelby County Museum, Center
Housed in the 1905 Weaver-Oates historic home, the museum displays historical items from across the county.
San Augustine
Once the eastern gateway to Texas, San Augustine (pop. 2,200) has a lively history and many historical sites.
Cullen House
This large 1839 Greek Revival style house was the home of Ezekiel W. Cullen, a judge of the First District Court of Texas. The house contains numerous antiques and historical artifacts, including a wardrobe that once belonged to Sam Houston.
