Beaumont is Texas’ city of lost gold – Black Gold that is. It’s also the melting pot between Texas and Louisiana, meaning you don’t have to jump the Sabine to visit Cajun Country. It’s right here in Beaumont!
Culture
Beaumont’s history began to boom in 1901 when the Lucas Gusher blew at Spindletop marking the first major oil discovery in the state of Texas. Stop by the Spindletop Gladys City Boomtown to take a stroll through a recreated boomtown and learn about the first Texas discovery of black gold.
If you want to learn even more about town, you should check out the McFaddin-Ward House sitting inside a historic mansion that was built in 1906 and belonged to W.P.H. McFaddin, who owned the Lucas Gusher.
Stop, drop and roll cause this museum is the hottest place in Beaumont…no seriously. The Fire Museum of Texas is the place to learn about Firefighting in Texas and where you can see what it’s like to be a fireman. You can even get a photo with the largest working fire hydrant in the world!
Outdoors
If you need to get outside, head to Village Creek State Park just north of Beaumont to bask on its sandy shores. If you are really feeling up for an adventure, grab a canoe and take a trip down the Village Creek Paddling Trail. The Big Thicket Outfitters would be happy to set you up.
To have a first-hand experience with some of Beaumont’s wildlife, head to Gator Country, a wildlife park dedicated to the alligator. You can see Big Al and Big Tex (the two largest captive gators in Texas) and hold the smaller, baby versions.
Food
After all this fun, you’ll be hungry, I guarantee. So head to the original Jason’s Deli in the Gateway Shopping Center where founder Joe Tortorice Jr. first opened the deli in 1976 to see the humble roots of Texas’s best sandwich chain.
To sample the best Cajun cookin’ in Texas, head to Larry’s French Market down the highway in Groves. They’ve got an all-you-can-eat buffet of all your Cajun favorites like boudin balls, shrimp etoufee, gumbo and more!
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Beaumont, TX
