Things to Do in Nacogdoches, Texas

Start with the Old Stone Fort Museum on the SFA campus, a replica of Antonio Gil Y'Barbo's 1779 stone trading house that tells the story of frontier Nacogdoches and the rebellions and republics that swirled around it. Downtown, the Sterne–Hoya House Museum — the 1830s home of Adolphus Sterne, where Sam Houston was baptized — preserves one of the oldest homes in the city.

For a fuller immersion, Millard's Crossing Historic Village gathers a collection of relocated and restored 19th-century East Texas buildings into a walkable village. The historic train depot and the markers throughout the El Camino Real district round out a town where the history is genuinely old by Texas standards.

Nacogdoches is the Garden Capital of Texas, and the gardens are a real draw — especially in spring. On the SFA campus, the Ruby M. Mize Azalea Garden is one of the largest azalea gardens in the state, blazing with color in March and April, while the nearby SFA Mast Arboretum showcases more than 7,500 kinds of plants collected and tested by the university's horticulture program. Together they make the campus a destination for gardeners and walkers.

The city's azalea heritage ties into its annual events and its identity. A stroll through the gardens in peak bloom is one of the signature East Texas spring experiences, and the university's forestry and agriculture focus means the plantings are both beautiful and well curated.

Downtown Nacogdoches, with its historic red-brick streets, has been named a Best Historic Venue by Texas Meetings and Events and is a member of the Texas Main Street Program. The walkable blocks are lined with locally owned shops, restaurants, coffee houses, and galleries, and the district hosts markets and festivals throughout the year. It's the kind of downtown that smaller towns dream of having.

The presence of SFA's roughly 10,500 students keeps things lively. The university brings concerts, theater, art exhibitions, and college sports, and the Cole Art Center and other campus venues are open to the public. Between downtown and campus, there's usually something happening.

Nacogdoches's signature event is the Texas Blueberry Festival, held downtown on the second Saturday in June — a celebration of the region's blueberry farms that fills the streets with vendors, music, food, and crowds. The city's calendar also includes seasonal events tied to its gardens, history, and downtown.

For outdoor time, Lake Nacogdoches, about 10 miles west of town, offers fishing and boating on a scenic reservoir, and the Lanana Creek Trail provides a walking and biking path linking the campus and town. The surrounding Piney Woods and the nearby national forests put hiking, camping, and more fishing within easy reach — fitting for the home of SFA's forestry school.