Pecos, Texas! The only way to get there is if you are actually intending to get there, it is absolutely in the middle of no-where West Texas! This small town, which will seem big after driving through so many small towns to get here, may not have much; but it is loaded with history!
Home of the very first rodeo, with the actual hallowed rodeo grounds still hosting rodeos today. Ever heard of Pecos Bill, yep this is where that tall tale began. This is the birthplace of cowpokes joining sports! Welcome to the western side of West Texas!
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Things To Do In Pecos, Texas:
West Of The Pecos Museum
One of the biggest things to do in Pecos, Texas (besides going to a rodeo) is visiting the West of the Pecos Museum. This museum is the heart of tourism in Pecos, Texas. Not only is it the heart, but it is the history of it as well. That’s right this museum is a giant history museum or a dolled up antique mall.
This is not an interactive museum so if you are looking for activities and immersive opportunities, this is not the place. It is a look and see museum. The only somewhat interactive part of the museum is the saloon replica with a moving bar tender that tells a story. Other than that the museum is filled with old pictures, art, saddles, clothes, furniture, antiques, and newspaper articles.
If you are looking to come with your kids, I can not promise that they will find it fun. My kids enjoyed going from room to room and asking me what different things were, but it was a very quick tour for us.
It was quick for us only because my toddlers have an attention span of like 5 seconds, but if you are going through without toddlers you could be here for a good long while. I mean looking at the museum from the outside you would never know that it is that big inside. I think it was 3 floors and it just kept going and going. There is so much to see!
My kids favorite part of the museum was the end. The last room you walk through is the gift shop and there is a whole section dedicated to cantaloupe. Side note, Pecos, Texas has the juiciest cantaloupe I have ever had and they sell it all over town. So of course we had to buy a bag of Pecos Cantaloupe jelly beans to snack on. I highly recommend it! It was so fun to learn about Pecos, see it, read about it, and then eat a piece of it!
Location: 120 E Dot Stafford St, Pecos, TX 79772
Hours: closed Sun-Mon, Tues-Sat 10am-4pm
Admission: $8 adult, $7 senior (65+), $4 (6-15), ages 5 and under FREE
Pecos Boot Trail
Driving through Pecos, Texas there is one thing you will not miss and that is the decorative boots all over town. There are gorgeous individually painted boots spread throughout town. These boots are painted with Pecos history, businesses, culture, and lifestyle. Basically anything that has to do with Pecos you can find on a boot somewhere around town.
To see all of the boots, first stop at the Pecos Chamber of Commerce and pick up your own Pecos Boot Trail Passport. This little booklet will map out where the boots are, so that you can see them all.
Not only is the passport good as a map, but it also has a spot to get stamps. As you stop at each boot, walk into the business that sponsors that boot and get yourself a stamp. Once you have received all of your stamps head back to the Pecos Chamber of Commerce for your prize!
This was a super fun activity to do with kids, and my kids loved picking out their prize t-shirts at the end!
For more information on the Pecos Boot Trail click here!
Location of the Pecos Chamber of Commerce: 100 E 1st St, Pecos, TX 79772
Pecos Veterans Memorial Park
Grab yourself a picnic and head down to the Pecos Veterans Memorial Park. This is one of the newest things to do in Pecos, Texas. This beautiful park has be recently redone and is gorgeous.
Unlike the rest of old Pecos, this park is green (turf grass), has a small creek running through it, and flowers. It is really a breath of fresh air in the midst of all of this oil field town. This is a great spot to picnic, walk around, and admire the monuments that honor our troops.
Location: Easterbrook Dr &, Kerr St, Pecos, TX 79772
Admission: FREE
Million Dollar DQ
I know that this one seems a little weird, because you can eat at DQ anywhere. But did you know that DQ or Dairy Queen originated from Texas! What makes this DQ even more special is that for a while this was a million dollar revenue DQ.
Just look at the boot from the Pecos Boot Trail out front to prove it. So in honor of a piece of yet another piece of Texas history stop in and get yourself something to eat the Million Dollar DQ!
Location: 1226 S Eddy St, Pecos, TX 79772
Hours: 10am-10pm daily
Pecos Bill Statue and Garden
Just like the rest of this small town, Pecos has an itty bitty garden to commemorate the tall tale star of the town, Pecos Bill. Walk through and smell the roses! Oh yeah and enjoy watching Pecos Bill ride a tornado lassoed by a snake!
Location: 100 E 1st St, Pecos, TX 79772
Admission: FREE
Balmorhea State Park
Anyone who is from West Texas can tell you if you are in Pecos, Texas the one thing you HAVE to do is drive down to Balmorhea State Park. Balmorhea is technically not part of Pecos, but it is close enough to be considered a great thing to do in the area. I mean if you are honestly coming all the way to Pecos, Texas than 40 minutes south is not much more! It is so worth it! It is my absolute favorite place to be in all of West Texas!
Balmorhea State Park is actually Americas largest natural spring fed pool. This gorgeous pool is in the middle of nowhere, but is an absolute oasis! Jump off the diving board into a cool pool filled with fish and turtles swimming right next to you! I mean literally the little fish are nibbling at your toes!
After a day in the West Texas heat, there is nothing you are going to enjoy more than floating on a tube on this gorgeous pool. If swimming doesn’t sound fun enough, try snorkeling or even scuba diving. Yep you read that right! This state park offers scuba diving in the pool to truly see the gorgeous wildlife of this clear spring water.
Biggest downside to this park is that it is so gorgeous that everyone wants to go! So if you are going on a weekend or really anytime in the summer, be sure to reserve your tickets a week to 2 weeks before you go.
West Texas has many more state parks just as fun, click here to see what other Texas State Parks are nearby.
Location: 9207 TX-17, Toyahvale, TX 79786
Hours: 8am-7:30pm daily
Admission: $7 per adult, kids 12 and under are FREE
Things you will need when visiting Balmorhea State Park:
- Towels
- Water
- Camp Chairs
- Water float
- Food (no glass allowed)
- Picnic
The Best Things To Do Near Pecos, Texas:
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