Tyler's lifestyle has the characteristics, feel, benefits and safety of a small town, but also has a cosmopolitan atmosphere with the advantages of a variety of arts and cultural activities including a diverse choice of museums.
Goodman-LeGrand House and MuseumThe Goodman-LeGrand House and Museum, built in 1859, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and designated a Texas Historic Landmark. This historic home is open for walk-in tours, while group tours, photograph sessions, meetings, and other functions must be scheduled in advance. The home is located at 624 North Broadway just north of downtown. Adjacent to the home is the LeGrand Park & Gardens, also open to the public. The facility is owned and operated by the City of Tyler. Admission is free; donations are accepted. For more information ... Goodman-LeGrand Museum |
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Cotton Belt Depot MuseumThe Tyler Tap Railroad began operations in 1877, and later became part of the Cotton Belt Railway. The Cotton Belt train depot in Tyler was opened in 1905. Today, the depot is the home of the Cotton Belt Depot Museum, and the Tyler Transit offices. Included in the museum's collection are four large model train layouts, photographs, uniforms, hats, etc. that have been donated by former employees of the railroad, and friends of the depot. The Depot Museum has received visitors from all 50 states and 38 foreign counties, and is staffed by volunteers from the Cotton Belt Rail Historical Society. |
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Tyler Rose MuseumEstablished in 1952, the Tyler Municipal Rose Garden is the nation's largest rose garden, spanning 14 acres. The gardens include over 38,000 rose bushes and over 600 different varieties, as well as reflecting pools, walkways and fountains. It was listed in 2011 in Livability.com's top 10 most inspiring gardens in the USA.The gardens are a popular destination for both local residents and for visitors, and offer a diversity of photographic opportunities. Located adjacent to the Tyler Rose Garden is the Tyler Rose Museum, which showcases and documents the history of the annual Texas Rose Festival. |
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Tyler Museum of Art
The highly-respected Tyler Museum of Art, located on the campus of Tyler Junior College showcases both permanent, rotating and visiting collections. The Museum contains two major exhibition galleries on the ground floor, the North Gallery and the Bell Gallery. There is also a library, classroom, café, and gift shop. The museum's growing permanent collection features over 1,200 works including paintings, prints, photographs, and sculpture by artists such as James Surls, Vernon Fisher, Alexander Calder, and Charles Umlauf. The Museum is currently engaged in the design of a much larger facility. For more information, visit the website of the Tyler Museum of Art. |
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TJC Planetarium
The Center for Earth and Space Science Education (CESSE) Planetarium is located on the main campus of Tyler Junior College (TJC). The facility features a state-of-the-art high-resolution digital projection system, a new 40-foot diameter theater, new exhibit space, additional classroom and instructional space, and outdoor educational plazas. The new theater is equipped with Digistar 4, the latest in digital projection technology. TJC is one of only two facilities in Texas to utilize this new system – and one of only 50 worldwide. Similar to IMAX, the Digistar 4 offers giant-screen transfer capabilities that can present not only astronomy and other science-based programming but also expansion into geography and history. |
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Historic Aviation Memorial MuseumThe Historic Aviation Memorial Museum is a large regional aviation museum located at Tyler's Pounds Regional Airport, in the old passenger terminal building. The Tyler aviation musuem has tens of thousands of items in its archives, and includes outside displays of restored, historic aircraft. It includes a gift shop and library, a multimedia theater room, and provides a variety of educational programs. The hangar facility provides space for an aircraft restoration area and for the flying aircraft. Read more about HAMM |
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Texas African American MuseumThe Texas African American Museum (TAAM) was established in 2016. TAAM is a program under the auspices of Empowerment Community Development Corporation a 501(c) non-profit organization. The Museum is dedicated to the preservation of the African American History of Texas and America, and focused on education and historic preservation of African American history both on a regional and national level. The Texas African American Museum is located at 309 West Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard, in Tyler. For more information, visit the website of the Texas African American Museum or TAAM on Facebook. Phone the museum at 903.218.1388 |
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Carnegie History CenterThe Carnegie History Center is located at 125 South College Avenue in downtown Tyler, in a historic structure that originally housed a Carnegie Public Library. Although the old Library in-and-of-itself is a historical treasure, the exhibits housed within weave together the history of Smith County, Texas seamlessly through permanent and temporary exhibits. This museum displays artifacts that reflect the historic, social, economic and political culture of Smith County. The building also is the home to the Smith County Historical Society. |
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American Freedom MuseumThe American Freedom Museum is located just a few blocks from downtown Bullard on the Brookhill School campus, south of Tyler. The Museum contains 15,000 sq.ft. of galleries showcasing a collection of over 600 artifacts and documents about our nation’s history. We recommend a trip to the museum, and exploring the Hall of Presidents and the Hall of Freedom. Parking is free and bus parking is available. |
And if you're looking for a good place to take children or school groups, tour the Caldwell Zoo or the Discovery Science Place.
Tyler has a wide range of places to see and things to do year-round for kids and teens, plus seasonal events such as the Tyler Azalea Trail in March and the Texas Rose Festival in October.
From movie theaters to water parks, from zoos to camping, Tyler has it all!