While most simply fly past Baytown on I-10, those that know better stop and explore this incredible town where oil and water really do seem to mix quite well.
Culture
Then if you need a haircut, shoeshine or just to brush up on your animal taxonomy, head to the Trophy Barber Shop where old-school barbers are cutting hair surrounded by the heads of dozens of exotic animals. This place is kind of hard to describe…Just go check it out.
Every trip to Baytown should include hopping the Lynchburg Ferry across the Houston ship channel to nearby La Porte, Texas to see the San Jacinto Battleground. San Jacinto is the place where the Texian Army, out-numbered and exhausted, beat the powerful Mexican Army in only 19 minutes to claim Texas independence. Walk the area where Sam Houston and his men planned their final attack and claimed independence for Texas. You take an elevator to the top of the monument peer out over battlefield and then explore the amazing museum housed on the ground floor.
Go wild with a hands-on experience at the Eddie V. Gray Wetlands Center. You’ll learn about all the amazing animals (birds, mammals, gators, snakes…) that call this part of Texas home and you can even pet a baby alligator…
Battleship Texas is an amazing sight to behold. This dreadnought fought in both WWI and WWII and is now in its permanent home here in Texas. With all the guns on deck, it definitely qualifies as Texas’s largest gun show and possibly its largest museum.
If you’re less about nature, and more about speed, check out the Royal Purple Raceway where you can race against other cars to see who’s the fastest or just watch the races from the stands. Either way, this raceway is a rush!
Portrait of a Warrior Art Gallery
Since filming, the Portrait of a Warrior Art Gallery has relocated to Northwest Houston, adjacent to the Fallen Warriors Memorial Park, and has been renamed to the Fallen Warriors Memorial Art Gallery.
Outdoors
While it may seem like this place is dominated by the oil industry without a single breath of nature anywhere to be found, that’s not true at all. The Baytown Nature Center is a huge outdoor park where folks can play on the playscapes, do some fishing and crabbing, or hike on its amazing trails.
Food
After your head is full of history, you’ll want to fill your belly as well, so head to the Monument Inn to eat some of the best seafood in Texas while looking out over the Houston Ship Channel. You can go with the all-you-can-eat fried extravaganza or try a nice fillet of blackened red fish covered in one of their signature sauces. The “monumental” sauce will make your eyes roll back in your head.
Hot or cold, broiled, boiled or fried, the Baytown Seafood Restaurant & Market has been selling fresh, quality seafood since 1993.
Sav-Fer Da Flavor
Unfortunately, Sav-Fer Da Flavor has closed since we filmed this episode.
Keep Exploring
Baytown, TX
