Festival Hours Set for Tyler Attractions
EDITOR’S NOTE: Numbers listed before items under Museums and Sites correspond to numbers on the Tyler Attractions map.
Museums
1. Rose Museum: At 420 Rose Park Drive, the Rose Museum preserves and pays tribute to Tyler’s rose history as the Rose Capital of America and provides a showcase for the Texas Rose Festival and rose-growing industry.
Hours during the Texas Rose Festival are: 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday; 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday.
Regular museum and gift shop hours are 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday; 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Saturday and 1:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m. Sunday. Closed Mondays November-February. Admission is $3.50 for adults and $2 for children ages 3-11.
2. The Discovery Science Place: Three exhibit halls are featured at this downtown Tyler children’s math and science museum, at 308 N. Broadway Ave. In Discovery Landing, permanent exhibits illustrate mathematics and scientific concepts, the Ship Awakening, KIDS-TV Station, the Trinity Mother Frances Body Theatre, the Magic School Bus Computer and more hands-on activities for children of all ages. Home Town USA, in Joyce Buford Hall, features a Tyler Morning Telegraph newspaper office, grocery store, bank, auto care center and do-it-yourself art gallery.
The latest exhibit, “Weather Watchers’’ is now open.
Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 1 p.m. through 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission $5. Members and children 2 and under are free. Call (903) 533-8011.
3. Smith County Historical Society Museum and Archives:
The center, 125 S. College Ave., houses the Smith County Historical Society archives. Exhibit space includes a gallery and rotating shows on local history. Ask to see the film on Tyler’s brick streets. Hours: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. Archive hours: Wednesday, 1-4 p.m.. Admission is free.
4. Goodman Museum: The Good-man Museum is a nationally registered historic house, built prior to the Civil War. It was donated to the city of Tyler in 1939 to be used as a museum and community center. The museum provides a unique glimpse of life in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. 624 N.
Broadway Ave. Hours noon-5 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday-Friday.
Maintained by the Tyler Parks and Recreation Department. For additional information, or to schedule a group tour call (903) 531-1286. Admission is free.
5. Tyler Museum of Art: The most exciting art museum in East Texas features world-class exhibitions ranging from European masterpieces to fabulous contemporary works in a variety of media. Enjoy a light lunch at the Museum Café Tuesday-Friday 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., and find unique treasures and gifts at the Museum Gift Shop open during regular Museum hours. Hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and 1-5 p.m. Sunday (closed Mondays). Call (903) 595-1001 for information.
6. Historic Aviation Memorial Museum: Located on the north side of Tyler Pounds Regional Airport, 150 Airport Drive (the old airport terminal).The museum includes exhibits, meeting rooms and a gift shop. See the largest collection of aviation art in East Texas, as well as aircraft memorabilia and military aircraft. Hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday, 1-5 p.m. on Sunday. Closed on Monday and Tuesday.Admission fee is adults $5, active military personnel $4, agest 13-17 $3, children under 12 are admitted free. To arrange group tours, call 903-526-1945. The museum’s Web site is tylerhamm.org.
Cotton Belt Depot Museum: 210 E. Oakwood St. Open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Free Admission. It displays an extensive collection of model trains and artifacts from the old Cotton Belt Railroad that played an important role in Tyler’s early development.
Sites
7. Bonner-Whitaker-McClendon House: Listed on the National Historic Register, the birthplace of noted journalist Sarah McClendon and the site of early Texas leadership, this rare Eastlake Bracketed High Victorian residence, built in 1878, welcomes visitors to memorable and fun historic tours and hosts premier special events in East Texas.
Owned and operated by the Society for the Preservation of the Bonner-Whitaker-McClendon House, a nonprofit organization, all proceeds go towards the preservation, maintenance and operation of the house and are tax deductible. $5 admission for tours. Regular hours, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday; 1 p.m.-4 p.m. Sunday and by reservation during the week. For reservations and further information call (903) 592-3533.
8. Brookshire’s World Of Wildlife and Country Store: Visitors see hundreds of mounted animals, reptiles and fish and a replica of a Brookshire’s 1920s-era store, Old Jacksonville Highway just south of Loop 323. Hours: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday.
Groups of 15 or more need reservations. Admission is free.
9. Caldwell Zoo: More than 2,000 animals from Africa, South America and North America live in natural habitats at the 85-acre park. Admission $7.50 for adults 13-54; $6.50 for seniors 55 and older; $4 for children age 3-12; free for children 2 and younger. Accredited public or private nonprofit school groups, sixth grade and under, admitted free.
All other groups receive 20 percent discount off regular admission.
Located at 2203 Martin Luther King Blvd. Hours 9 a.m.-5 p.m. March- Labor Day and 9 a.m.-4 p.m. after Labor Day through February.
10. T.B. Butler Fountain Plaza: The landscaped downtown square is known for its “dancing” fountains.
A monument to Smith County peace officers killed in duty and the grave marker of “Shorty the Squirrel” also are there.
Tiger Creek Wildlife Refuge: Providing rescue and rehabilitation for abused and neglected big cats, located 2.8 miles north of Tyler State Park in Red Springs. Guided tours available. Hours: 10 a.m-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday. Closed on New Year’s Day; Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Admission: Adults, $10; seniors, $9; Children 4-12, $8 and children under 3 free. Phone (903) 858-1008.
11. Tyler Municipal Rose Garden: The world famous Rose Garden, 1900 W. Front St., is breathtaking when its 38,000 rose bushes and 500-plus varieties of roses are in bloom.
Special tours are scheduled during the Texas Rose Festival. Friday’s tour begins at 10 a.m.
Admission is free.
Theater
Rogers Children’s Theatre: Year-round educational programs for children (classes start at 2½ years) and adults in the Tyler Civic Theatre Center, located next to the Tyler Rose Garden building at 410 Rose Park. Phone: (903) 593-7827.
Ivah Albright Children’s Theatre (formerly Tyler Children’s School of Performing Arts): The theater, located at 1400 E. Fifth St. (Jean Browne Theatre on the campus of Tyler Junior College), stages productions throughout the year. Phone: (903) 534-3875.
Tyler Civic Theatre: The theater-in-the-round stages live performances from fall to spring. The new David and Jacqueline Braithwaite Theatre is next to the Tyler Rose Garden building. Call (903) 592-0561.
Parks
Bergfeld Park: The park at South Broadway Avenue and Fourth Street has playground and workout stations and two tennis courts. The amphitheater is used for concerts throughout the year.
Camp Ford Park: Site of training center and the largest prisoner-of-war camp west of the Mississippi River during the Civil War.
More than 20 acres of wooded trails and markers tell the story of soldiers from both sides. Exhibits and a film are available at the Smith County Historical Society Museum downtown. Phone (903) 592-5993.
Located at the corner of Texas Highway 271 and the North-Northeast Loop 323 extension, park is open during daylight hours. Admission free.
Faulkner Park: Located at 410 W. Cumberland Road just off U.S. Highway 69, park amenities include tennis courts and a tennis pro shop, baseball fields, picnic areas, restrooms, a pavilion, playground and a fishing pond. Hours of operation for the Faulkner Tennis Facility are 9 a.m.-9p.m. Monday-Friday; 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday and noon-5 p.m. Sunday.
Fun Forest Park: The park at Garden Valley Road and Glenwood Boulevard attracts residents with its Olympic-size swimming pool, baseball fields, tennis and basketball courts.
Glass Recreation Center: The Glass Recreation Center, located at 501 W. 32nd St. in Tyler, is a multi-use facility, with locker rooms and showers, a weight room, two multi-purpose rooms, arts and crafts room, kitchen facilities, basketball/volleyball courts in the gymnasium, walking/jogging track, computer lab and administrative offices. Memberships are $15 per year for adults and $10 a year for children. Day passes are also available. Hours are 8 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday.
Phone (903) 533-1397.
Lindsey Park: The park on Spur 364 has five softball-baseball fields, several soccer fields, basketball court, playground, a disc golf course and concessions.
Martin Creek Lake State Park: Located 15 miles east of Henderson on Texas Highway 43, the park offers fishing, camping, swimming, boating, and hiking and biking trails.
Also, the park has RV sites, cabins and screened shelters. For more information, call (903) 836-4336.
Tyler State Park: The 985-acre park nestled in piney woods around a spring-fed lake has facilities for camping, swimming, fishing, boating and hiking. You can rent canoes and paddleboats or use picnic sites.
Reservations are needed for overnight camping. It is located 2 miles north of Interstate 20 on Farm-to-Market Road 14.
Tyler Senior Citizens Center: Recreational facilities, activities and meals available for seniors. Under direction of Tyler Parks Department.
Admission is free. Hours, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday. 1915 Garden Valley Road. (903) 597-0781.
Woldert Park: Located on 32nd Street, adjacent to the Glass Recreation Center, this park offers picnic areas, restrooms, pavilion, playgrounds, tennis and basketball courts, baseball and softball fields, a swimming pool, hiking and biking trails and a fishing pond.
East Texas
East Texas Arboretum and Botanical Society Inc.: The Arboretum contains 100 acres of rolling hills, meadows and dense woods.
Located on Patterson Road, 1.8 miles west of downtown Athens off Texas Highway 175 West. Admission: $2 per vehicle or membership. Call (903) 675-5630.
East Texas Oil Museum: The museum brings to life the excitement of an East Texas oil boom town of the early ’30s. Exhibits include the life-size Boom Town USA.
Hours: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday (until 5 p.m. April-September); 2-5 p.m. Sunday. Located in Kilgore on U.S. Highway 259 at Kilgore College.
The Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center: Aquatic nature center and largemouth bass hatchery featuring 300,000 gallons of aquariums, daily dive show, visitor center, gift shop and tram tour of hatchery. a
Fishing for catfish and bluegill (equipment and bait provided) available at no extra charge. Hours are 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, and 1 p.m.-4 p.m. Sunday.
Rates are adults $5.50, seniors $4.50, children 4-12 $3.50.
Group rates are available. Located 4 miles east of Athens on FM 2495. Call (903) 676-2277.
Texas State Railroad: This unique state park has stations located at Texas Highway 84 west, three miles from downtown Rusk and Texas Highway 84 East, two miles from Loop 256 in Palestine. For more information, call 903-683-2561 or 1-800-442-8951.
Museums
1. Rose Museum: At 420 Rose Park Drive, the Rose Museum preserves and pays tribute to Tyler’s rose history as the Rose Capital of America and provides a showcase for the Texas Rose Festival and rose-growing industry.
Hours during the Texas Rose Festival are: 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday; 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday.
Regular museum and gift shop hours are 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday; 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Saturday and 1:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m. Sunday. Closed Mondays November-February. Admission is $3.50 for adults and $2 for children ages 3-11.
2. The Discovery Science Place: Three exhibit halls are featured at this downtown Tyler children’s math and science museum, at 308 N. Broadway Ave. In Discovery Landing, permanent exhibits illustrate mathematics and scientific concepts, the Ship Awakening, KIDS-TV Station, the Trinity Mother Frances Body Theatre, the Magic School Bus Computer and more hands-on activities for children of all ages. Home Town USA, in Joyce Buford Hall, features a Tyler Morning Telegraph newspaper office, grocery store, bank, auto care center and do-it-yourself art gallery.
The latest exhibit, “Weather Watchers’’ is now open.
Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 1 p.m. through 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission $5. Members and children 2 and under are free. Call (903) 533-8011.
3. Smith County Historical Society Museum and Archives:
The center, 125 S. College Ave., houses the Smith County Historical Society archives. Exhibit space includes a gallery and rotating shows on local history. Ask to see the film on Tyler’s brick streets. Hours: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. Archive hours: Wednesday, 1-4 p.m.. Admission is free.
4. Goodman Museum: The Good-man Museum is a nationally registered historic house, built prior to the Civil War. It was donated to the city of Tyler in 1939 to be used as a museum and community center. The museum provides a unique glimpse of life in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. 624 N.
Broadway Ave. Hours noon-5 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday-Friday.
Maintained by the Tyler Parks and Recreation Department. For additional information, or to schedule a group tour call (903) 531-1286. Admission is free.
5. Tyler Museum of Art: The most exciting art museum in East Texas features world-class exhibitions ranging from European masterpieces to fabulous contemporary works in a variety of media. Enjoy a light lunch at the Museum Café Tuesday-Friday 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., and find unique treasures and gifts at the Museum Gift Shop open during regular Museum hours. Hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and 1-5 p.m. Sunday (closed Mondays). Call (903) 595-1001 for information.
6. Historic Aviation Memorial Museum: Located on the north side of Tyler Pounds Regional Airport, 150 Airport Drive (the old airport terminal).The museum includes exhibits, meeting rooms and a gift shop. See the largest collection of aviation art in East Texas, as well as aircraft memorabilia and military aircraft. Hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday, 1-5 p.m. on Sunday. Closed on Monday and Tuesday.Admission fee is adults $5, active military personnel $4, agest 13-17 $3, children under 12 are admitted free. To arrange group tours, call 903-526-1945. The museum’s Web site is tylerhamm.org.
Cotton Belt Depot Museum: 210 E. Oakwood St. Open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Free Admission. It displays an extensive collection of model trains and artifacts from the old Cotton Belt Railroad that played an important role in Tyler’s early development.
Sites
7. Bonner-Whitaker-McClendon House: Listed on the National Historic Register, the birthplace of noted journalist Sarah McClendon and the site of early Texas leadership, this rare Eastlake Bracketed High Victorian residence, built in 1878, welcomes visitors to memorable and fun historic tours and hosts premier special events in East Texas.
Owned and operated by the Society for the Preservation of the Bonner-Whitaker-McClendon House, a nonprofit organization, all proceeds go towards the preservation, maintenance and operation of the house and are tax deductible. $5 admission for tours. Regular hours, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday; 1 p.m.-4 p.m. Sunday and by reservation during the week. For reservations and further information call (903) 592-3533.
8. Brookshire’s World Of Wildlife and Country Store: Visitors see hundreds of mounted animals, reptiles and fish and a replica of a Brookshire’s 1920s-era store, Old Jacksonville Highway just south of Loop 323. Hours: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday.
Groups of 15 or more need reservations. Admission is free.
9. Caldwell Zoo: More than 2,000 animals from Africa, South America and North America live in natural habitats at the 85-acre park. Admission $7.50 for adults 13-54; $6.50 for seniors 55 and older; $4 for children age 3-12; free for children 2 and younger. Accredited public or private nonprofit school groups, sixth grade and under, admitted free.
All other groups receive 20 percent discount off regular admission.
Located at 2203 Martin Luther King Blvd. Hours 9 a.m.-5 p.m. March- Labor Day and 9 a.m.-4 p.m. after Labor Day through February.
10. T.B. Butler Fountain Plaza: The landscaped downtown square is known for its “dancing” fountains.
A monument to Smith County peace officers killed in duty and the grave marker of “Shorty the Squirrel” also are there.
Tiger Creek Wildlife Refuge: Providing rescue and rehabilitation for abused and neglected big cats, located 2.8 miles north of Tyler State Park in Red Springs. Guided tours available. Hours: 10 a.m-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday. Closed on New Year’s Day; Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Admission: Adults, $10; seniors, $9; Children 4-12, $8 and children under 3 free. Phone (903) 858-1008.
11. Tyler Municipal Rose Garden: The world famous Rose Garden, 1900 W. Front St., is breathtaking when its 38,000 rose bushes and 500-plus varieties of roses are in bloom.
Special tours are scheduled during the Texas Rose Festival. Friday’s tour begins at 10 a.m.
Admission is free.
Theater
Rogers Children’s Theatre: Year-round educational programs for children (classes start at 2½ years) and adults in the Tyler Civic Theatre Center, located next to the Tyler Rose Garden building at 410 Rose Park. Phone: (903) 593-7827.
Ivah Albright Children’s Theatre (formerly Tyler Children’s School of Performing Arts): The theater, located at 1400 E. Fifth St. (Jean Browne Theatre on the campus of Tyler Junior College), stages productions throughout the year. Phone: (903) 534-3875.
Tyler Civic Theatre: The theater-in-the-round stages live performances from fall to spring. The new David and Jacqueline Braithwaite Theatre is next to the Tyler Rose Garden building. Call (903) 592-0561.
Parks
Bergfeld Park: The park at South Broadway Avenue and Fourth Street has playground and workout stations and two tennis courts. The amphitheater is used for concerts throughout the year.
Camp Ford Park: Site of training center and the largest prisoner-of-war camp west of the Mississippi River during the Civil War.
More than 20 acres of wooded trails and markers tell the story of soldiers from both sides. Exhibits and a film are available at the Smith County Historical Society Museum downtown. Phone (903) 592-5993.
Located at the corner of Texas Highway 271 and the North-Northeast Loop 323 extension, park is open during daylight hours. Admission free.
Faulkner Park: Located at 410 W. Cumberland Road just off U.S. Highway 69, park amenities include tennis courts and a tennis pro shop, baseball fields, picnic areas, restrooms, a pavilion, playground and a fishing pond. Hours of operation for the Faulkner Tennis Facility are 9 a.m.-9p.m. Monday-Friday; 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday and noon-5 p.m. Sunday.
Fun Forest Park: The park at Garden Valley Road and Glenwood Boulevard attracts residents with its Olympic-size swimming pool, baseball fields, tennis and basketball courts.
Glass Recreation Center: The Glass Recreation Center, located at 501 W. 32nd St. in Tyler, is a multi-use facility, with locker rooms and showers, a weight room, two multi-purpose rooms, arts and crafts room, kitchen facilities, basketball/volleyball courts in the gymnasium, walking/jogging track, computer lab and administrative offices. Memberships are $15 per year for adults and $10 a year for children. Day passes are also available. Hours are 8 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday.
Phone (903) 533-1397.
Lindsey Park: The park on Spur 364 has five softball-baseball fields, several soccer fields, basketball court, playground, a disc golf course and concessions.
Martin Creek Lake State Park: Located 15 miles east of Henderson on Texas Highway 43, the park offers fishing, camping, swimming, boating, and hiking and biking trails.
Also, the park has RV sites, cabins and screened shelters. For more information, call (903) 836-4336.
Tyler State Park: The 985-acre park nestled in piney woods around a spring-fed lake has facilities for camping, swimming, fishing, boating and hiking. You can rent canoes and paddleboats or use picnic sites.
Reservations are needed for overnight camping. It is located 2 miles north of Interstate 20 on Farm-to-Market Road 14.
Tyler Senior Citizens Center: Recreational facilities, activities and meals available for seniors. Under direction of Tyler Parks Department.
Admission is free. Hours, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday. 1915 Garden Valley Road. (903) 597-0781.
Woldert Park: Located on 32nd Street, adjacent to the Glass Recreation Center, this park offers picnic areas, restrooms, pavilion, playgrounds, tennis and basketball courts, baseball and softball fields, a swimming pool, hiking and biking trails and a fishing pond.
East Texas
East Texas Arboretum and Botanical Society Inc.: The Arboretum contains 100 acres of rolling hills, meadows and dense woods.
Located on Patterson Road, 1.8 miles west of downtown Athens off Texas Highway 175 West. Admission: $2 per vehicle or membership. Call (903) 675-5630.
East Texas Oil Museum: The museum brings to life the excitement of an East Texas oil boom town of the early ’30s. Exhibits include the life-size Boom Town USA.
Hours: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday (until 5 p.m. April-September); 2-5 p.m. Sunday. Located in Kilgore on U.S. Highway 259 at Kilgore College.
The Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center: Aquatic nature center and largemouth bass hatchery featuring 300,000 gallons of aquariums, daily dive show, visitor center, gift shop and tram tour of hatchery. a
Fishing for catfish and bluegill (equipment and bait provided) available at no extra charge. Hours are 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, and 1 p.m.-4 p.m. Sunday.
Rates are adults $5.50, seniors $4.50, children 4-12 $3.50.
Group rates are available. Located 4 miles east of Athens on FM 2495. Call (903) 676-2277.
Texas State Railroad: This unique state park has stations located at Texas Highway 84 west, three miles from downtown Rusk and Texas Highway 84 East, two miles from Loop 256 in Palestine. For more information, call 903-683-2561 or 1-800-442-8951.
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