Best & Fun Things To Do + Places To Visit In Nacogdoches, Texas

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Nacogdoches, Texas
Nacogdoches, Texas

You’ve reached the oldest town in Texas, where adventure blooms as much as its blueberries.

If you want to see Texas’ first official town, visit Nacogdoches for authentic travel experiences that will last a lifetime.

For a small city, the things you can do in this county seat range extremely wide. From walking miles of nature trails to strolling the historic downtown, your feet won’t take you to any less than stunning when you’re around town.

Whether you’re looking for a comfortable stay, a dining and shopping spree, or a sip of the best wines, you can do it all in Nacogdoches.

The lush land in East Texas provides ample opportunities for gardening and farming, earning it the title “Garden Capital of Texas.” From compact parks to native landscapes and an extensive network of gardens, everywhere you look, the body and soul.

Discover more town happenings as you read along the best things to do and places to visit in Nacogdoches, Texas.

Appleby Community Farm

Appleby Community Farm, Nacogdoches, Texas
Appleby Community Farm, Nacogdoches, Texas

Originally purchased as a Bed and Breakfast, there’s more in store for Appleby Community Farm than previously imagined.

The 9-acre farm produces all-organic crops a little north of Nacogdoches, Texas, with a calling to value physical, emotional, and spiritual health and keep them perfectly balanced.

The community’s overwhelming love and support for local, organic food kept them alive after all the hardships of their humble beginning. For nearly 15 years, they sold and produced fresh organic crops around town.

On several occasions, you can spot them in the Farmer’s Market with their organically grown vegetables and crops.

If it’s your first time visiting the Appleby Farm, you’ll see their sign and driveway one mile north of a gun store on Highway 59.

You can pick straight from the farm or select from “already-picked” crops and beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, herbs and spices, broccoli, peas, melons, pumpkins, rhubarb, squash, and more! They have most of the healthy and delicious fruits and vegetables you can find in town.

As the farm grows, so does their vision to become a local destination for families and add more amenities to support outdoor recreation like fishing, picnicking, and harvesting.

Their ultimate goal is to feed as many families who were financially and physically able to be a part of the community farm as those who couldn’t.

Address: 11825 US-59, Nacogdoches, TX 75965, United States

Bar Keeps Eatery and Taps

Bar Keeps Eatery and Taps, Nacogdoches, Texas
Bar Keeps Eatery and Taps, Nacogdoches, Texas

Eat like a local in a phenomenal dining hub in Nacogdoches, Texas.

Bar Keeps Eatery and Taps goes beyond East Texas cuisine with more gluten-free and vegan options. They serve Asian-influenced dishes like Edamame and Vegetable Ramen and food slightly out of your comfort zone but surprisingly delicious for an East Texas palate.

For your appetizer, have some delightful Samosas or Egg Rolls paired with a Pad Thai dish or Chicken Curry and Mango Creme Brulee for dessert! Besides the flavorful dishes, their food presentation is also top-notch!

Their expansive beer and liquor menus are as inviting as their specialty cocktails. If you’re not a fan of Whiskey, go ahead and order a Mars or local draft beer straight from the tap.

You will also like the welcoming, casual atmosphere in Bar Keeps. Although the place could get busy, they don’t get packed or congested, leaving you with bad service and accommodation.

There’s plenty of space to move around but not too much that socializing becomes impossible. It gives off a sports bar vibe at first sight, with lots of TVs to watch games.

With all the good things you can say about Bar Keeps, It’s safe to say this local eatery is one of the best in a small town like Nacogdoches.

Address: 3308 North St, Nacogdoches, TX 75965, United States

Caddo Mounds State Historic Site

Caddo Mounds State Historic Site, Nacogdoches, Texas
Caddo Mounds State Historic Site, Nacogdoches, Texas

The 93.8-acre Caddo Mounds State Historic Site, west of Nacogdoches, Texas, was home to Mound Builders of Caddoan origin for five centuries.

In this land stood a village and ceremonial center overlooking the Neches River built by a group of Caddo Indians known as the Hasinai. Unfortunately, a tornado struck and destroyed the original visitor center, and it is in the process of rebuilding.

You can see exhibits and approximately 200 artifacts of the Caddo’s tools, pottery, and weapons in the park’s small mobile building or read informative signs about their fascinating history.

First, you’ll have to walk through a 0.7-mile interpretive trail leading to the reconstructed sites of Caddo dwellings and ceremonial center, a village area, and three earthen mounds, including two temple mounds and a burial mound.

Discover the Caddo’s everyday life and ancient civilization more than 1,200 years ago from the park’s mini-museum, including insights into their culture and beliefs.

The site itself is accessible and family-friendly, with a couple of electric golf carts in case of immobility.

This little gem is off the beaten path but worth the stop if you’re around Piney Wood. You can pack a lunch and set up a little picnic in one of the oldest historical sites in Texas!

Address: 1649 TX-21, Alto, TX 75925, United States

Decades Downtown

Decades Downtown, Nacogdoches, Texas
Decades Downtown, Nacogdoches, Texas

A small, family-owned business down Main Street, Decades Downtown, is your stop for vintage shopping and local antiquing in Nacogdoches, Texas.

Bring home a little something with you from this quaint store that has stood in the oldest town for a long time. You can browse for hours, and no one will hover over you while you see a large selection of antiques, books, jewelry, furniture, and more vintage resale and retail items you won’t find elsewhere.

Before shopping in a big brand store, make a quick detour to Decades Downtown, listed not only under an antique store but also a consignment store, a rock shop, a metaphysical supply store, and a great place for your art supply needs in Nacogdoches downtown shopping district.

They carry unique handmade items you can gift to your family or friends, such as handcrafted wooden crates, keychains, beads, and charming decorated magnets.

Their friendly staff will happily accommodate you throughout your gift shopping and retail side trip!

Address: 412 E Main St, Nacogdoches, TX 75961, United States

Durst-Taylor Historic House And Gardens

Durst-Taylor Historic House And Gardens, Nacogdoches, Texas
Durst-Taylor Historic House And Gardens, Nacogdoches, Texas

Visit the second oldest building in Nacogdoches, Texas, still standing on its original site.

Durst-Taylor Historic House And Gardens is an 1830s wood-frame house owned by the Blackburn family. Through its liveable times, many early businessmen, bankers, and political leaders formerly settled here.

Now a house museum with a functional smokehouse, blacksmith shop, and heirloom garden, this structure was meant to illustrate a simple Texas life in the 1840s.

Start your tour from the Visitors Center to the primitive house near the old El Camino Real de Los Tejas and La Calle del Norte intersection.

Notice the exterior and interior features of the house, including its pier-and-beam foundation, a wooden porch, red-bricked roof and chimney, and historic gardens.

Catch the Old-Fashioned Sweet Tooth Sugarcane event held in the house annually featuring sugarcane grown at the museum made into syrup. It’s a free and fun event for the family where you can also tour the home and gardens and learn the history of Nacogdoches.

It takes more or less half an hour to see the entire local attraction. You’d be glad you drove by for a short sightseeing tour and had a few historical tidbits of the great timeline of Texas.

Address: 304 North St, Nacogdoches, TX 75961, United States

Fortney House

Fortney House, Nacogdoches, Texas
Fortney House, Nacogdoches, Texas

You wouldn’t expect this museum-like, Victorian house to be a unique shopping destination in the Nacogdoches Historic District of stately old homes.

Just three blocks north of Main Street, the Fortney House is not like any other store in the state. It is a shop inside an 1897 Victorian mansion with 14 rooms of varying themes and collections and an outdoor yard filled with art!

Each room has curated items to match different themes and make shopping twice the fun.

Their themed rooms include the Texas room, the Mancave, the Chime Porch, the Safari, the Game Room, the Bar Room, the Wild West, and more! With many collections coming in and out, their rooms are always changing, making your every experience personal and unique.

They also have backyard items to decorate your patio or balcony, like colorful wind spinners, garden stones, bird baths, fountains, statues, and benches.

Some very unique gift items they feature are the little hedgehog boot scraper, bags made from military canvas, and a beautiful jellyfish glass globe.

Whether a local or a traveler, the two-story Fortney House attracts many people visiting the town not just for its unique design but for the authentic and original home items only they carry.

It’s a house tour and fun shopping at the same time only in Nacogdoches!

Address: 310 N Mound St, Nacogdoches, TX 75961, United States

Front Porch Distillery

Front Porch Distillery, Nacogdoches, Texas
Front Porch Distillery, Nacogdoches, Texas

Stop in and grab a bottle or two in a place of great drinks and conversation in an old-town setting.

Front Porch Distillery is worth visiting around the Nacogdoches area if you’re looking for a variety of artisan craft spirits, ranging from rum, vodka, Whiskey, and more.

This family-owned distillery is dedicated to producing high-quality and authentic products in the oldest town in Texas. It’s a favorite weekend spot and local destination for more than just the bottles but a fun atmosphere and great people.

Front Porch offers a tour around the distillery, starting from the tasting room, where you’ll find exceptional mixed drinks with their signature spirits.

Watch and learn how their signature spirits are being crafted, as well as the different types of equipment used in the process. Save some extra bucks because you might want to purchase from their wall of bottled liquors and trinkets!

Conclude your tour with local music and food (from trucks!) on their porch, where the fun begins. Don’t forget to bring your drink and share it with a companion or the locals. You can get a house cocktail or peppered vodka to-go if you want your friends at home to try them, too.

A random detour to Front Porch could just be the highlight of your weekend!

Address: 7905 US-59, Nacogdoches, TX 75964, United States

Millard’s Crossing Historic Village, Inc.

Millard’s Crossing Historic Village, Inc., Nacogdoches, Texas

Stroll through historic homes and typical town structures in a reconstructed village on the north side of Nacogdoches, Texas.

Millard’s Crossing Historic Village is a non-profit historical site that depicts the pioneer settlement and agricultural heritage in East Texas, as well as its 19th-century architecture.

The museum complex is named after the railroad track that once crossed through the Millard family property, bordering the north side of the village.

Small and large groups are welcome to have self-guided and guided tours of the past in this village comprised of simple log cabins to modern Victorian houses, and Texas Historical Landmark homes and buildings from 1800’s-early 1900, furnished with antique furniture and 19th-century decorative.

It even has a General Store where actual gifts and items are for sale and churches with wedding and banquet facilities decorated in their particular era.

Learn how the settlers lived in the early days of Nacogdoches through fun and educational demonstrations, classes, and hands-on activities open for all ages.

A simple visit to this historic village is a step back in time and a glimpse into early East Texas history.

Address: 6020 North St, Nacogdoches, TX 75965, United States

Nacogdoches Railroad Depot

Nacogdoches Railroad Depot, Nacogdoches, Texas
Nacogdoches Railroad Depot, Nacogdoches, Texas

Home to railroad artifacts and oral histories, the Nacogdoches Railroad Depot is a historical city landmark depicting the importance of transportation in the early development of Nacogdoches, Texas.

This transportation museum stood in the original wooden Depot struck by lightning in 1883 and burned to the ground.

It was rebuilt by Southern Pacific Railroad in 1911 to transport goods, passengers, and even soldiers from Nacogdoches to faraway places before it was discontinued in 1954.

Today, the Depot houses the rich history of the railroad and its passengers and is the only surviving passenger depot on the old Houston East and West Texas rail line. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992.

You are welcome for a tour, whether large or a school group tour, in the Railroad Depot down Tyler Road.

Watch the model train display and other toy train exhibit in one of the best buildings in town. You’ll see that the grounds are well-kept, and the views are great on all sides.

If you’re lucky, you can catch their annual Christmas festivities featuring a complex toy train set great for kids and taking pictures, especially if it’s your first visit.

Address: 101 Old Tyler Rd, Nacogdoches, TX 75961, United States

Naca Valley Vineyard

Naca Valley Vineyard, Nagocdoches, Texas
Naca Valley Vineyard, Nagocdoches, Texas

Visit the only winery with a vineyard in Nacogdoches for a fine wine in warm East Texas!

The family-owned Naca Valley, about nine miles from downtown Nacogdoches, Texas, has all you need to know about wines. Besides having the only vineyard in town, they also have a winemaking facility, a tasting room, a wine lab, and storage, all in their 2,000-square-foot facility.

Your winery experience is more than just tasting. You can also see through their expansive viewing windows to witness the interesting process of making local wines.

Their facility combines modern, vintage, and rustic design with a touch of nature, thanks to the surrounding lush trees, perfect for a relaxing view or an afternoon with friends on the deck.

Once a best-kept secret in Nacogdoches, the winery has gained popularity for its warm welcome, gracious hosts, and exceptional service. If you’re here on a hot day, you might as well grab a glass of wine-a-ritas!

Take a break from the busy Nac area with grapes in a bottle and a delicious wood fire oven pizza from Andys Cookery & Catering. They also have food trucks that offer wider dining options (mostly BBQ)!

Oftentimes, you will be serenaded by live music from local musicians in the extended outdoor seating under a starry night.

Don’t mind spending a pleasant hour or two in Naca Valley, a crown jewel in the East Texas area.

Address: 9897 FM 1878, Nacogdoches, TX 75965, United States

Oak Grove Cemetery

Oak Grove Cemetery, Nacogdoches, Texas
Oak Grove Cemetery, Nacogdoches, Texas

Oak Grove is one of the oldest cemeteries in Nacogdoches, Texas, with a first marked grave dated 1837.

It is the final resting place of many Texas nobles and legendary individuals from the Republic era, Spanish and Mexican Colonization, World War I and II, the Great Depression, and post-war civilizations.

Located northeast of the square on North Lanana Street, the four signers of the Texas Declaration of Independence are buried here, including Thomas J. Rusk and the founders of Texas.

If you’re wondering where the oldest section is, it lies north of the main gate. At the back portion of the cemetery, you can find a covered shelter with historical information plaques and burial directories for visitors.

Originally called the American Cemetery, Oak Grove was utilized as a heritage tourism site to commemorate its deep-rooted history in the City of Nacogdoches and Texas Independence.

See the tombstones and monuments of Texas dignitaries, historical figures of Texas, and an old church nearby.

For a more detailed itinerary, you can pass by the Visitor Center downtown Nac for more information on what you can do in Oak Grove.

Or you can just wander through and appreciate the structures which had stood the test of time and connect with the past.

Address: 196 N. Lanana St., Nacogdoches, Texas, United States

Old Time String Shop & General Mercantile

Old Time String Shop & General Mercantile, Nacogdoches, Texas
Old Time String Shop & General Mercantile, Nacogdoches, Texas

Shop in a decade-old store in historic downtown Nacogdoches, Texas, where they value simplicity and the older ways of life.

The building of the General Mercantile & Oldtime String Shop was formerly a general store and the site of Stone’s Cafe, where Bonnie Parker from “Bonnie and Clyde” once worked.

Sometime after 1990, owners Steve and Sheryl started carrying a variety of old-time merchandise, from acoustic musical instruments to accessories, houseware, clothing, and more – the rest is history!

You know where to look if you’re looking for something simple and old, whether it be an old-style toy, an instrument, interesting books, or old handmade straw brooms. It’s like going back in time!

They are easy to spot because nothing much has really changed physically. They still have the original, old wooden doors and floors, brick walls, and high ceilings.

You can find almost everything local in this semi-general store, such as local honey, canned goods, and soda water.

After over 40 years of experience in repairing and building acoustic stringed instruments like guitars, violins, or banjo, you can bring yours to the shop if you need tuning or repair. Simply communicate what needs to be done, and they will be happy to help.

On Saturday afternoons, don’t miss a jam session of old-timey fiddle music in front of the store! Every small town needs a quaint store like Old Time String Shop & General Mercantile.

Address: 216 E Pilar St, Nacogdoches, TX 75961, United States

Ruby M. Mize Azalea Garden

Ruby M. Mize Azalea Garden, Nacogdoches, Texas
Ruby M. Mize Azalea Garden, Nacogdoches, Texas

Look no further than Nacogdoches because this small town has the largest azalea garden in all of Texas.

Ruby M. Mize Azalea Garden features over 6,500 azaleas, making it the largest azalea garden in the state. Situated in a half-century-old Loblolly Pine Forest, over 8,500 flowering plants, ornamental trees, and shrubs surround Ruby M, including varieties of Japanese Maple and camellias.

Imagine the colors that glisten and fill your eyes when you step foot in this 11-acre garden.

You can take a guided tour through Ruby south of SFA’s Johnson Coliseum on North University Drive for maximized access and an informative stroll to the garden.

If this is your usual destination whenever you’re around the Nacogdoches area, it would be nice to drive around the garden on a fine afternoon when the sun shines through the flowers and trees. It’s also a perfect setting for a picnic to share with a family or loved one!

Stroll, walk, or bike along the paved trails, especially in spring when the azaleas bloom and the trails smell fantastic.

You may get lost through the garden’s beauty, but you won’t get lost in the area because it’s easy to get to and navigate!

They are also pet-friendly, so feel free to bring along your furry friends (with a leash!) while admiring this local gem.

Address: 2404-2498 N University Dr, Nacogdoches, TX 75965, United States

SFA Mast Arboretum

SFA Mast Arboretum, Nacogdoches, Texas
SFA Mast Arboretum, Nacogdoches, Texas

Visit the first university arboretum in Nacogdoches, Texas, and see a diverse collection of native plants in a 10-acre lot.

The SFA Mast Arboretum is an oasis in the middle of Nacogdoches operating “sun up to sun down!”

It is home to more than 7,500 plant species, including various display gardens along Lanana creek trail at Stephen F. Austin State University.

Started as a small garden project in 1985, SFA Mast had its humble beginnings before it expanded into one of the most diverse collections of plants in the South. Its dedication to conservation, education, and research earned it a reputation around Nac.

On your visit, you’ll see modern art pieces and sculptures by local artists installed around trails and in the art department of the university.

It’s a beautiful place to take a little walk, jog, or relax in a shaded area on one peaceful afternoon.

Address: 1924 Wilson Dr, Nacogdoches, TX 75964, United States

Sterne Hoya House Museum and Library

Sterne Hoya House Museum and Library, Nagocdoches, Texas
Sterne Hoya House Museum and Library, Nagocdoches, Texas

This 1830 dogtrot house, built by a prominent revolutionary leader, Adolphus Sterne, is the town’s oldest frame house.

The Sterne family resided in this house until 1869 before the von der Hoya family occupied it and later donated it to the City of Nacogdoches, Texas.

Sterne Hoya House Museum depicts the life of the Sterne family during the Texas Revolution and the occupancy of the Hoya family during the Victorian Period.

It also houses a Texas history library and one of the earliest wine cellars in the state.

At no cost, you can have a guided tour of the house museum and observe how its interior and architecture illustrate the life of two families in different historical periods. You’ll see many antiques, original furnishings, and family heirlooms in every corner of the house.

The Sterne Hoya House also tells a lot about the early days of Nacogdoches, the oldest town in Texas.

Address: 211 S Lanana St, Nacogdoches, TX 75961, United States

The Blueberry Place

The Blueberry Place, Nacogdoches, Texas
The Blueberry Place, Nacogdoches, Texas

To save the best for last, stop by Blueberry Place and pick different varieties of blueberries, but you’ll have to catch the season!

Pick the large, sweetest berries of three varieties – Tifblue, Climax, and Bluebell – in the 2-acre piece of land in Blueberry Place.

The first batch usually ripens in late May and can be picked through June, so if you’re visiting Nacogdoches for some berries, make sure you’ve noted this on your calendar.

Two later varieties can usually be picked around June until mid-Jul, although it’s not as large as the first batch.

The place is also pesticide-free so you can eat straight from the bush!

To say the least, Blueberry Place is Nac’s local paradise for its beautiful flower gardens, abundant plant life, and sustainable area, where life is simple and free from the pressures of city life!

Address: 451 County Rd 2052, Nacogdoches, TX 75965, United States

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