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Area Attractions

Area Attractions of the Texas Coastal Bend

The Texas Coastal Bend, encompassing Corpus Christi, Mustang Island, and Port Aransas, offers unforgettable area attractions for nature lovers, history buffs, and families alike. Whether by land, by water, or by air, the Texas Coastal Bend will capture your heart and imagination. Discover miles of beach along Mustang Island. Visit nature preserves, estuaries, and bay systems through the eyes of institutions, organizations, and people that preserve the history of this area.

Corpus Christi and Port Aransas stand as gateways, offering a wealth of experiences to ignite your curiosity. Museums like the Texas State Aquarium bring the wonders of the Gulf of Mexico to life. The USS Lexington Museum serves as a powerful reminder of the region’s role in American history. The Corpus Christi Museum of Science and History features educational exhibits emphasizing the Gulf Coast’s importance to the natural world.

In Port Aransas, Farley Boat Works is a living exhibit located at 716 West Avenue C. The building has been restored and is now a living museum with a functional boat building shop. Step back in time at the Port Aransas Museum. Exhibits showcase early island living to the present day. The museum also runs tours of the historical Chapel on the Dunes, the oldest consecrated church on Mustang Island.

Local organizations like birding centers and historical societies connect you with passionate individuals who dedicate their lives to protecting the unique environment and rich heritage of the Coastal Bend. Please consider visiting these various places on your next stay on the Texas Coastal Bend.

HORACE CALDWELL PIER

From the 1950s to present day, Keepers Pier has always been revered as one of the best and most productive fishing piers on the entire US Gulf Coast. It`s location, water depth, and abundance of fish species can make for an outstanding fishing experience that will leave you with memories for years to come. This concrete Pier stretches 1230 feet out into the Gulf, putting you on the same fish you will find on a boat 10-15 miles out. The record fish for the pier is a 13 Feet, 7 inch Tiger Shark caught back in the 60s, but the most recent record was an 11′ 7″ Tiger Shark caught on Memorial Day 2003. Today you can find almost every salt water species at Keepers Pier. Anglers catch Pompano, Tarpon, King Fish, Shark, Speckled (Spotted) Sea Trout, Red Fish, Black Drum, and many others.

Location: 230 N. On the Beach Port Aransas, Texas 78373
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TEXAS STATE AQUARIUM

Texas State Aquarium is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit association. The Aquarium relies on general admissions, memberships, retail sales, event rentals and the generous support from donors to maintain its operations. The Texas State Aquarium receives no city, state or federal funding for its operations. The idea for the Texas State Aquarium was conceptualized by its founders early on to focus on the species in Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. The exhibits would contain representatives of the area`s main marine ecosystems. The Gulf of Mexico opened in 1990 with a commencement from former President Bush speaking to a front lawn packed full of supporting visitors. After years in the making, the Caribbean Journey, part of the original vision, opened its doors in 2017. The Caribbean Journey doubles the size of the aquarium and provides homes to an exciting collection of sea and land creatures. It is here that you can break into the mesmerizing secrets of the underwater and jungle world. For those wishing to spend time in an extraordinary place, a promising unforgettable experience awaits. The Texas State Aquarium is the perfect platform for people and families to learn, bond and discover together. Visit us when you are considering things to do in Corpus Christi, Texas.

Location: 2710 N. Shoreline Blvd, Corpus Christi, TX 78402
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USS LEXINGTON AIRCRAFT MUSEUM

Commissioned in 1943, she set more records than any other Essex Class carrier in the history of naval aviation.The ship was the oldest working carrier in the United States Navy when decommissioned in 1991. The USS Lexington arrived at Corpus Christi beach in 1992 as a result of active fundraising, strong community support, and the world`s oldest aircraft carrier has since served as a naval aviation museum, educational facility, and popular area tourist attraction. "The Blue Ghost" has remained self-sufficient, never receiving funds from government agencies. The revenue that keeps this national treasure open has come solely from grants, donations, admissions, Ships Store sales, special events, and the youth overnight program.

Location: 2914 N Shoreline Blvd, Corpus Christi, TX 78402

Toll Free: 1-800-LADY LEX
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PADRE ISLAND NATIONAL SEASHORE

Padre Island National Seashore (PINS) is the largest undeveloped barrier island in the world, the Seashore is more than 130,000 acres of dunes, grasslands, and beaches. PINS separates the Gulf of Mexico from the Laguna Madre, one of a few hypersaline lagoons in the world. The park protects 70 miles of coastline, dunes, prairies, and wind tidal flats teeming with life. It is a safe nesting ground for the Kemp`s ridley sea turtle and a haven for over 380 bird species. It also has a rich history, including the Spanish shipwrecks of 1554. Malaquite Visitor Center at Padre Island National Seashore.

Location: 20420 Park Road 22 Corpus Christi, TX 78418
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MUSTANG ISLAND STATE PARK

Mustang Island (originally called Wild Horse Island) which gets its namesake from the wild horses (mesterios) that the Spaniards brought in the 1800’s, has been developed into a vacation destination. Mustang Island State Park is a state park located south of the city of Port Aransas, Texas, United States on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico that covers 3,954 acres and has a 5-mile beachfront. The land was acquired from private owners in 1972 and opened to the public in 1979.

Location: 17047 TX-361, Port Aransas, TX 78373
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UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS MARINE SCIENCE EDUCATION INSTITUTION

The first of today`s marine research facilities on the Texas coast continues to change our understanding of the world`s oceans and coasts and educate a global population dependent on the ocean ecosystem. Check out their website or Facebook page for future updates on Symposiums, classes, and progress of various public educational programs.

Location: 750 Channel View Dr Port Aransas, Texas 78373
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PORT ARANSAS ART CENTER

The mission of the Port Aransas Art Center is to provide a place where artists and art patrons may gather, and to encourage, educate and support one another in a pleasant gallery and classroom setting where fine art is produced and presented for sale. Toward these ends, the Center offers art classes for all ages, art exhibitions, and a wide range of activities to encourage social interaction. Drop in classes available.

Location: 104 N. Alister Street Port Aransas, Texas 78373
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PORT ARANSAS MUSEUM

The Port Aransas Preservation and Historical Association (PAPHA) is dedicated to preserving and encouraging the preservation, restoration and reproduction of historic buildings, structures, sites, places, objects, culture, ecology and customs of Port Aransas as a means of positively contributing to and enhancing the community`s natural beauty, well-being and distinctive character.

Location: Community Center Complex 101 E. Brundrett at Alister St. Port Aransas, Tx 78373
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PORT ARANSAS COMMUNITY THEATER

The Mission of the Port Aransas Community Theatre (PACT) is to entertain, inform, and educate, thereby enriching the cultural life of the Texas Coastal Bend area. PACT shall provide area residents and visitors the opportunity to attend and participate in quality presentations of a cross-section of the finest theatrical works available. PACT shall provide education in the theatre arts to adults, young adults and children. In meeting these goals, PACT shall be mindful of the standards of its audiences and shall maintain fiscally sound management.

Location: 2327 St. Hwy 361, Port Aransas, TX 78373
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PORT ARANSAS NATURE PRESERVE AT CHARLIE`S PASTURE

Over 1200 acres of nature preserve look out over the bird-filled marshes and salt flats on the east side of town. An excellent site for shorebirds, herons, ibis, spoonbills, particularly Snowy, Piping and Wilson`s Plover.

Location: 710 W Avenue a, Port Aransas, TX 78373
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SAN JOSE ISLAND

Search for Seashells on San Jose Island. Better known by locals as St. Joe`s Island, offers some of the best angling from the rocky edges of the North Jetty. Locals and visitors catch the passenger ferry daily from Fisherman`s Wharf in Port `A`. Boasting 21 miles of undisturbed golden sand, vehicles are prohibited on this particular Texas shoreline. San Jose Island is a collector`s resource for beautiful and unique seashells including lightning whelks, shark eyes, sand dollars, starfish, angel wings, and more. Call Fisherman`s Wharf for your San Jose Island excursions.

Location: 900 Tarpon St, Port Aransas, TX 78373
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LEONABELLE TURNBULL BIRDING CENTER

Located down the street from the Community Park at the south end of Ross Avenue next to the Nueces County Water Treatment Facility. A boardwalk and observation tower provide fantastic wildlife viewing. Stretching above shallow, brackish water, the boardwalk offers panoramic views of hundreds of resident and migratory birds, waterfowl, and marine creatures, including roseate spoonbills, egrets, herons and more.

Location: 1356 Ross Ave, Port Aransas, TX 78373
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Roberts Point Park

This 50-acre park is located on a peninsula of land that juts into the Corpus Christi Ship Channel and forms a safe harbor for the municipal harbor that has 250 boat slips for permanent and transient vessels. The park features a large pavilion for special events such as fishing tournaments, fish weigh-ins, family cookouts, and school outings. An observation tower overlooks the ship channel and provides an excellent spot for watching the dolphins as they bow-surf in front of the cargo ships and tankers that travel the channel. The amphitheater serves as a music venue for monthly concerts that are presented to the public free of charge on the 2nd Friday of each month from April through October.

Location: located at the ferry landing

Corpus Christi Museum of Science and History

We aspire to cultivate a community in which discoveries lead to lifelong passions for understanding the past, exploring the present, and imagining a brighter future. Our work is not bound to race, age, or faith, but by a nuanced understanding that the complexities of the past and present and the possibilities of the future are woven together and that we all play a role in creating what’s next. Though we are a science and history museum dedicated to preserving objects and stories of the past, we stand together facing forward.
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