Things to Do in Jefferson, Texas

Jefferson's main attraction is the town itself — a 19th-century riverport whose historic district was placed on the National Register in 1971. Visitors stroll past brick storefronts, wrought-iron galleries, and grand antebellum homes, browse antique and gift shops, and stay in more than a dozen bed-and-breakfasts that have earned Jefferson its reputation as a B&B capital of Texas.

The famous Excelsior House hotel, welcoming guests since the 1850s, anchors the downtown and has hosted presidents and dignitaries over the years. Each spring the town's Historic Pilgrimage brings the past to life with locals in antebellum dress, home tours, and a reenactment of the celebrated Diamond Bessie murder trial (the 1877 killing came to trial in 1878) — a tradition staged since 1955. Museums and historic sites scattered through town fill in the steamboat-era story.

Jefferson is widely called one of the most haunted towns in Texas, and it leans into the reputation. The Historic Jefferson Ghost Walk leads visitors by lantern light through dark alleyways and courtyards with tales of the town's spectral residents — the Excelsior House among the town's most famously haunted buildings — running year-round and drawing ghost hunters from across the region.

For a different kind of outing, guided boat tours wind through the cypress-lined bayous of nearby Caddo Lake, with outfitters based in Uncertain and Karnack. Together, the ghost walks by night and the bayou tours by day make for a full weekend of distinctly Jefferson experiences.

Just east of Jefferson lies Caddo Lake, one of the few natural lakes in Texas — a maze of cypress and Spanish moss that's perfect for fishing, paddling, and guided bayou tours from the communities of Uncertain and Karnack, with camping and trails at Caddo Lake State Park. It's an easy day trip from town.

Nearby towns add still more. Marshall, the Harrison County seat just to the south, offers museums, a historic courthouse, and its famous Wonderland of Lights at Christmas; Longview to the southwest adds the shopping, dining, and attractions of a small city. Between the historic downtown, the ghost tours, the bayou, and Caddo Lake, Jefferson offers a full and unusual menu of things to do.