9 Best Things to Do in Texarkana, Arkansas

By VI Staff on June 12, 2020 - Updated

Courtesy of Sherry - Fotolia.com

Texarkana is a large city in Arkansas with a twin city across the state line in Texarkana, Texas. Surrounded by a dense oak-hickory forest known as the Pine Woods atop the flat Gulf Coastal Plain, Texarkana is a popular outdoor recreation destination with a variety of activities to enjoy, such as fishing on Lake Millwood, having fun in the sun at the Holiday Springs Water Park, and exploring the haunted streets of Texarkana on walking tours.

1.Lindsey Railroad Museum

Texarkana was founded by the Texas & Pacific Railroad and the Cairo & Fulton Railroad in 1873; the Lindsay Railroad Museum is dedicated to showcasing Texarkana’s 138-year railroad history. The museum features art and photographic displays displaying the region’s history and how the city became the regional hub of nine railroad systems including the Missouri Pacific, Kansas City Southern, and Texas & Pacific. The museum also houses a theater in which to watch films about railroads, first-person stories about working for the railroads, and an array of memorabilia such as flags, badges, patches, and uniforms. The Lindsay Railroad Museum can be visited by appointment through the Texarkana Museums System.

202 East Broad Street, Texarkana, Arkansas 71854, Phone: 903-748-1235

2.P. J. Ahern Home

The P.J. Ahern Home is a beautifully preserved Classical Revival Style mansion dating back to 1905 that hosts an array of exhibits and cultural programs relating to the history of the city. Located in the heart of the Quality Hill Historic District in Downtown Texarkana, the P.J. Ahern Home was designed by the Burdsal Company in the Classical Revival style based on a floor plan designed by Mr. and Mrs. Ahern. The mansion features several rooms, including four bedrooms, two bathrooms, a dining room and kitchen, a central hall, music room, and parlor, all of which are illuminated by original gas and electric combination chandeliers. The P.J. Ahern Home offer regular docent-led tours and is available for rent as a venue for small weddings, meetings, and events.

403 Laurel St, Texarkana, AR 71854, Phone: 903-793-4831

3.State Line Post Office and Federal Building

The United States Post Office and Courthouse, also known as Texarkana U.S. Post Office and Federal Building and as Texarkana U.S. Post Office and Courthouse is a courthouse that straddles the border between Arkansas and Texas. Built between 1932 and 1933, the building acts as the courthouse for the United States District Court for the Western District of Arkansas and the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the United States Post Office and Courthouse has historical exhibits on the second floor that is open to the public

State Live Avenue, Texarkana, AR 71854, Phone: 903-792-3794

4.Four States Auto Museum

The Four States Auto Museum (formerly the Tex-Ark Antique Auto Museum) is a museum in Texarkana, Arkansas dedicated to presenting and preserving the history of the automobile. Established in 2004 with a mission to ‘preserve, collect, exhibit, operate, and interpret a collection of antique automobiles,’ the museum is located on a site formerly used for automobile body and wagon construction. The Four States Auto Museum features a comprehensive collection of automobiles that include over 20 cars and motorbikes that are displayed on a rotating basis spanning 100 years of automotive history, along with a variety of automobilia. Highlights of the collection include a Nash Metropolitan, a Civil War vintage horse-drawn hearse, a Studebaker dragster, a Ford Model T, and Model A, and a 2015 Chevrolet Corvette. The museum also hosts various educational events and functions and maintains a collection of automotive-related books, periodicals, and newspapers.

217 Laurel St, Texarkana, AR 71854, Phone: 870-772-2886

5.Haunted Texarkana Ghost Walk

The Haunted Texarkana Ghost Walk is a 90-minute walking tour that winds its way through old Texarkana beginning at the Lindsey Railroad Museum with a free tour of the museum. Led by owner and tour guide Brandy Aaron, the journey takes visitors into Downtown Texarkana's bloody heart to learn the authentic local history complete with dark shadows, whispering ghosts, cutthroat murders, ghastly crimes, and eternally lost souls, as well as offers carefully researched and historically accurate stories along its tour route. Before the tour starts, participants are encouraged to explore the area take in some of the varied historical offerings inside the Lindsey Railroad Museum, which is included in the ticket price. The tour offers ticket holders the chance to use cold spot thermometers and EMF meters as they wander through roughly a mile of Historic Downtown Texarkana.

100 E Front Street, Texarkana, AR 71854-5907, Phone: 430-342-9679

6.Holiday Springs Water Park

Holiday Springs Water Park is a seasonal water park and leisure center with a variety of thrilling water slides, swimming pools, wave pools, the last river and private cabanas. Attractions include the Ozark Cliff Hanger, the Texas Sky Fall, Neptune’s Revenge, Blue Beast, and the Green Monster, along with River Rapids, a wave pool, two children’s pools, Paradise Lagoon Pool and Spa, and a sand castle area for children. Private cabanas are available to rent, and the center has a lifeguard station and fully trained lifeguards on duty.

5501 Crossroads Pkwy, Texarkana, AR 71854, Phone: 870-772-2200

7.Texarkana Symphony Orchestra

The Texarkana Symphony Orchestra is a performing arts initiative conducted by Marc-André Bougie. Hosting performances in the historic Perot Theatre, the Texarkana Symphony Orchestra was established to present the transformative power of symphonic music to the community through live performance and education. The Orchestra’s season runs from September through May and performs a series of symphonic pops, classical masterworks, educational and family concerts for a variety of audiences. The Texarkana Symphony Orchestra has recently expanded to create the Texarkana Youth Symphony Orchestra, which is open to middle and high school students between the ages of 10 and 19.

421 Hickory St, Texarkana, AR 71854, Phone: 870-773-3401

8.Cattleman's Steak House

Cattleman's Steak House is a cowboy-style chophouse located on a working ranch in Fabens that serves mouthwatering cuisine including prime steaks, fresh seafood, and traditional barbecue. Established more than 50 years ago, the locally owned and operated steakhouse has been serving legendary cuisine in a relaxed atmosphere with exemplary service ever since. Signature dishes on the menu include Grilled Tilapia, Broiled Red Snapper, Frog Legs, Stuffed Crabs, and Quail, and all dishes are served with homemade soup, fresh garden salad and a choice of potato (baked, twice baked or fried). Cattleman's Steak House is open for lunch and dinner, Monday through Saturday.

3450 S Fabens Carlsbad Rd, Fabens, TX 79838, Phone: 915-544-3200

9.Hopkins Icehouse

Located downtown Texarkana, the Hopkins Icehouse is a locally-owned and operated eatery that is housed in a historic building dating back to the early 1900s and serves creative, freshly prepared cuisine for lunch and dinner, seven days a week. In addition to the delicious homestyle cooking, the restaurant offers daily specials including old-fashioned burgers, hand-tossed pizzas, and fried fish plates, and Sunday brunch boasts mimosas, eggs Benedict, chicken and waffles, and traditional biscuits and gravy. The Hopkins Icehouse also offers catering services and hosts open mic nights on Friday nights and live bands on Saturday nights.

301 E 3rd St, Texarkana, AR 71854, Phone: 870-774-3333