CORPUS!
Gateway to Padre Island National Seashore! Need more be said? Certainly, because from here on its all gravy. Corpus Christi is the Tropical Trail Region's largest city, a deep-water seaport brimming with restored (and tour-ready) Victorian homes including the 1908 French-Galvan House, culture, art, and floating (!) museums like the Museum of Asian Cultures with its stunning bronze Buddha and Chinese kites, the Art Museum of South Texas with its classic-to-modern permanent collection, and the U.S.S. Lexington—the decommissioned WWll naval aircraft carrier complete with a mega movie theater on board. Corpus is also home to a marine archeology fan's treasure trove at the Museum of History and Science with over 23 shipwreck collections, including items from Sieur de la Salle's 1686 ship, La Belle.
The city owes a lot of its success to its ideal location: a seat along the coast and at the mouth of freshwater Nueces River, something understood by General Zachary Taylor when he made his first encampment there after Texas Annexation and on his way to secure the border at the Rio Grande. Today, Corpus Christi is a hub for rail lines, a strategic spot for a naval air station, refining oil and gas, and, finally, the business of heritage and nature tourism. Business, in other words, is good. But as every beach bum statewide knows, the sun, sand, and surf are even better.
Corpus Christi boasts a state cultural district designated by the Texas Commission on the Arts. Explore all they have to offer on your next visit!
Related
Tropical Trail Region
Corpus Christi Heritage Park
1581 North Chaparral Street Corpus Christi, TX 78401 (361) 826-3462 Website
Corpus Christi Heritage Park1581 North Chaparral Street
Corpus Christi, TX 78401
Tropical Trail Region
Art Center of Corpus Christi
100 North Shoreline Blvd. Corpus Christi, TX 78401 (361) 884-6406 Website
Art Center of Corpus Christi100 North Shoreline Blvd.
Corpus Christi, TX 78401
Tropical Trail Region
Lake Corpus Christi State Park
23194 Park Road 25 Mathis, TX 78368 (361) 547-2635 Website
Lake Corpus Christi State Park23194 Park Road 25
Mathis, TX 78368
Tropical Trail Region
Corpus Christi Museum of Science & History
1900 N Chaparral Street Corpus Christi, TX 78401 (361) 826-4667 Website
Corpus Christi Museum of Science & History1900 N Chaparral Street
Corpus Christi, TX 78401
Tropical Trail Region
García Plaza at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi
6300 Ocean Dr. Corpus Christi, TX 78412 (361) 825-4500 Website
García Plaza at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi6300 Ocean Dr.
Corpus Christi, TX 78412
Galvan Ballroom1632 Agnes St.
Corpus Christi, TX 78401
Tropical Trail Region
South Texas Botanical Gardens & Nature Center
8545 South Staples Corpus Christi, TX 78413 (361) 852-2100 Website
South Texas Botanical Gardens & Nature Center8545 South Staples
Corpus Christi, TX 78413
Tropical Trail Region
Texas State Aquarium
2710 North Shoreline Blvd. Corpus Christi, TX 78403 361-881-1230 or 800-477-4853 Website
Texas State Aquarium2710 North Shoreline Blvd.
Corpus Christi, TX 78403
Tropical Trail Region
Texas State Museum of Asian Cultures
Texas State Museum of Asian Cultures 1809 North Chaparral St. Corpus Christi, TX 78401 (361) 881-8827 Website
Texas State Museum of Asian CulturesTexas State Museum of Asian Cultures
1809 North Chaparral St.
Corpus Christi, TX 78401
Tropical Trail Region
USS Lexington
2914 North Shoreline Blvd. Corpus Christi, TX 78403 800-523-9539 or 361-888-4873 Website
USS Lexington2914 North Shoreline Blvd.
Corpus Christi, TX 78403
Tropical Trail Region
Selena Museum
5410 Leopard St. Museum housed at Q-Productions Corpus Christi, TX 78408 (361) 289-9013 Website
Selena Museum5410 Leopard St.
Museum housed at Q-Productions
Corpus Christi, TX 78408