Founded in Crockett in 1871, Mary Allen Junior College provides a concrete starting point for exploring the town’s educational history. Historic buildings, blues and public art, and events with different themes also feature. If you’re looking for a hotel in Crockett, you can plan your trip around the topic that interests you most: local history, music, or an event date.
College History and Historic Buildings
The Mary Allen Museum was established to preserve the administration building as a multiethnic arts center and museum and to commemorate the history of Mary Allen College. This connects the preservation of a specific building with remembrance of the town’s educational history. The Houston County Courthouse is also among Crockett’s historic sites.
The Houston County Historical Museum is housed in a railroad depot built in 1909. The Historic Ritz Theatre, in turn, grew out of an opera house founded in 1885. The histories of the two buildings lead to different local themes: a former railroad depot on the one hand, and the development of an opera house into a theater on the other. Camp Street Cafe also has its own building history: it was established in 1998 in a historic tin building.
Historic Routes, Blues, and Art
Crockett lies along the historic Old San Antonio Road. Another named connection is El Camino Real de Los Tejas, designated a National Historic Trail in 2004. In Crockett, Davy Crockett Spring & Mural is located in Brewer Park on El Camino Real de los Tejas. The site thus connects a park setting with a named historic route, while the Old San Antonio Road has its own connection to the town’s history.
Blues and public art also have specific points of reference: a statue of Sam “Lightnin’” Hopkins stands on historic Camp Street, and the Historic Camp Street Blues Mural was completed in 2013. Together, these sites draw attention to a musician and to the artistic recognition of the blues. Crockett City Park also has a trail for walking and running—a different focus from the historic buildings and artworks.
Fiddling and a Christmas Tradition
The World Championship Fiddlers Festival offers two days of championship fiddling and live music. Since dates and performers may change, it’s a good idea to check the schedule and program before your trip. The Holiday Tour of Homes is a different kind of event: a Christmas tradition in Crockett, it is hosted by the Downtown Crockett Association. Locations and ticket details may change, so check this information before planning your visit.
City Park or Woodland Landscape
For a nature experience in the wider region, Davy Crockett Loop is located in Davy Crockett National Forest between Crockett and Alto. Its landscape includes wetlands, swamps, ponds, wooded bottomlands, and upland pine forests. This is on a different scale from the trail in Crockett City Park: walking and running are the focus there, while the loop features a varied forest and wetland landscape.
Nature in the wider region offers a focus of its own.
For the broader travel overview: Houston County.
