Discover Waco: Museums, Mammoth Fossils, and Nature

Explore Waco through mammoth history, museums, natural sciences, and public art. When planning your stay, the city offers a range of themes: you can explore the history of Texas, the soft drink industry, or wildlife and landscapes. The perspective that interests you most can help you plan your time in Waco.

Mammoth History and Texas Institutions

Tours at Waco Mammoth National Monument lead from the Welcome Center along a 300-yard paved trail to the Dig Shelter. There, mammoth fossils are preserved in their original position in the bone bed. The fossil evidence represents the first and only documented evidence of a nursery herd of Ice Age Columbian mammoths in the United States. The tour route thus connects with a distinctive scientific subject.

The Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum is the official museum, hall of fame, and repository of the Texas Rangers. The Texas Ranger Museum opened in the park in 1968 as an educational attraction, using the history of the Rangers to tell the story of Texas. The Texas Sports Hall of Fame also focuses on the state’s history, highlighting influential people and moments in sports. Founded in 1951, it was the first state sports hall of fame in the United States. Waco therefore offers different ways to explore Texas history side by side: the Rangers and their history on one hand, and sports figures and defining moments on the other.

Museums, Science, and Everyday Culture

The Dr Pepper Museum is housed in Waco’s 1906 Artesian Manufacturing and Bottling Company building. It is the only nonprofit museum in the United States devoted to the entire soft drink industry. Its focus thus extends beyond the history of a single beverage to encompass a whole industry.

The Mayborn Museum Complex focuses on natural sciences and the cultural history of Central Texas. The complex includes the Governor Bill and Vara Daniel Historic Village, where nine wood-frame buildings illustrate a community of the 1890s. Admission to the Mayborn Museum Complex includes the Village; check the current admission terms before your visit. The Cultural Crossroads exhibit also offers a specific historical connection: it includes a reconstruction of the facade of the Waco Suspension Bridge.

Wildlife and Trails in Cameron Park

Cameron Park Zoo is home to more than 1,700 animals from 300 species. The Asian Forest is home to critically endangered orangutans, Sumatran tigers, and Komodo dragons. The zoo also features naturalistic habitats and up-close animal encounters. The variety of the collection and the design of the habitats are two distinct aspects of a zoo visit.

Hiking and biking trails in Cameron Park run along the River Trail and climb to 100-foot bluffs overlooking the rivers. The park offers a different way to spend time in Waco than the museums and collections: here, the focus is on trails, activity, and river views. The trails mentioned are used for both hiking and biking.

Public Art

The Waco Sculpture Zoo is a collection of 27 animal-themed artworks by leading artists from across the United States. The artworks can be viewed from University Parks Drive, the River Walk, and from the water. These three viewing contexts give you different ways to experience the collection without limiting it to a single museum visit. If you are interested in public art, the Sculpture Zoo also offers a different way to explore animal subjects than the living animals at Cameron Park Zoo.

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