Brazos Trail Region

800-344 3720 or 254-675-3720

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WHERE HISTORY AND THE ARTS MEAN BUSINESS

Few small towns can crow about a prehistoric past, a royal visitor, nationally recognized artists, and a bustling downtown where antiques shops, restaurants and galleries rub shoulders with the oldest, continuously running “picture show” in Texas. Catch a first-run movie and ample old-time nostalgia at the restored Cliftex Theater.

Shady oaks, spring-fed streams and limestone cliffs make this Bosque County community hard to resist. A Texas Main Street city, Clifton promotes its scenery, heritage and the arts. The Bosque Museum features the “Horn Shelter” exhibit, which interprets a significant archaeological discovery: In 1970, the 11,000-year-old skeletal remains of a man and a girl were excavated at a rock shelter along the Bosque River. The museum also pays homage to Norwegian immigrants, who settled the area in 1854, with the largest display of Norwegian artifacts in the Southwest. Clifton is the designated “Norwegian Capital of Texas.” In 1982, the city welcomed Norwegian King Olav V; each December, it hosts a “Norwegian Country Christmas.”

Clifton is a burgeoning arts community and home to several members of the Cowboy Artists of America. The Bosque Arts Center, in a renovated and expanded historic building, offers an impressive permanent collection, live theater, and art and music classes. The city boasts a state cultural district designated by the Texas Commission on the Arts. Explore all they have to offer on your next visit!