Eastland: Old Rip, Art and History

Eastland is located along Interstate 20. The city offers several different reasons to choose it as a destination: county history surrounding Old Rip, art and stage performances, recurring events, and recreation at Leon Reservoir. If you’re looking for a hotel in Eastland, you can plan your stay around the places and dates that matter to your trip. The following distinctions offer an overview of the themes that may shape a stay.

Old Rip and the History of Eastland County

The Eastland County Courthouse is associated with Old Rip: the famous horned toad’s final resting place is here, and its glass coffin is still on display in the courthouse. Old Rip’s life and death are commemorated there on the last Monday in February. The building itself is also notable: it is an Art Deco structure with a stepped massing, central tower, and elaborate terracotta ornamentation. The same place thus links the Old Rip tradition with a clearly recognizable architectural style.

The Eastland County Museum focuses on the history of Eastland County. In addition to its permanent exhibition, it has rooms for temporary and traveling exhibitions. The Genealogy Room complements this focus with family histories from the county, obituaries, yearbooks, and cemetery records. It opened in late 2024 and provides computer and internet access for research. The room is open Thursday through Saturday during the museum’s regular hours, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.; check the hours before your visit.

The Eastland Law Enforcement Museum is housed in the former county jail, built in 1897. It displays artifacts and memorabilia related to the history of Eastland County and law enforcement. The jail’s history also includes its use in 1927 to house one of the notorious Santa Claus Bank Robbers.

Art, Historic Buildings, and Stage Performances

The Lyric Art Center is located on historic Old Rip Square in a building that served as the Lyric Movie Theatre and Campbell’s General Store in the 1930s. The center offers musical events, dance classes, art exhibitions, and community dances. Its current use as a cultural venue sits alongside the building’s former life as a movie theater and store.

The Outdoor Art Museum includes reproductions, each with information about the artist’s background or the art style. By 2015, the Outdoor Art Museum included 42 works of art spread throughout Eastland; the collection may have changed since then. The Burkett House is a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark with features of the Spanish Colonial Revival style.

The Majestic Theatre’s history and its current program offer two distinct points of interest. The theater was built in 1920 and was fully equipped for stage productions. Today, it shows feature films from Friday through Monday. Its program also includes classic film screenings, concerts, meetings, school and religious events, and touring stage productions for children and adults. The schedule may change; check current dates before your visit.

Festivals and Event Venues

The annual RipFest is held at Old Rip Square in Eastland. Its program includes a 5K run, a large parade, vendor booths, live entertainment, a children’s fun run, a car show, and a wide variety of food. Individual program items may change. The Rip’s Ribs Cook-Off, a barbecue event, is also held annually at Old Rip Square in downtown Eastland. The Rip’s Wine Festival is held every year in downtown Eastland. If one of these festivals is the reason for your trip, check the dates and program in advance.

Grimes Memorial Garden features bronze statues, a fountain, an open courtyard, and a covered patio for outdoor events. The Lumber Yard Event Center can accommodate up to 250 guests and opens onto this patio. These details offer a concrete sense of the event venues without assuming a particular date.

Parks and Planning Your Stay

City Park is one of three public parks in Eastland. Leon Reservoir is about seven miles south of the city and is used, among other things, for recreation. This gives you a choice between a public park in Eastland and a recreational destination to the south.

When looking for a hotel in Eastland, a specific reason for your trip is a useful starting point: county history and exhibitions, a theater performance or festival, and the recreational sites mentioned above each offer a different focus. If your plans depend on museum hours, the Majestic’s schedule, or a festival, check the relevant hours and dates for your travel dates.

Discover more destinations: Cisco, Ranger, Gorman

For the broader travel overview: Eastland County.