Discover Wharton

Wharton brings together a park along the Colorado River and a trail on a former railroad line with architectural history, theater, and technological history. When planning your trip, you can choose different areas of focus: riverfront and trails, historic architecture, or performing arts.

Riverfront, Trails, and Dinosaur Park

In Wharton, Riverfront Park stretches for half a mile along the north bank of the Colorado River. The Santa Fe Trail is a 0.8-mile paved trail in central Wharton. It was built along an abandoned section of the Santa Fe Railroad. The two differ both in length and in their setting: the park runs along the riverfront, while the trail follows a former railroad line. If you include trails in your trip planning, these details offer a concrete comparison.

At the entrance to Dinosaur Park stands a life-size dinosaur. The playground includes two play areas, swings, and climbing structures. These features make the site another option for your stay, distinct from the riverfront and trail routes. Visitors interested in playground facilities will find several named features and a layout divided into two areas.

Architectural History and Performing Arts

The Wharton County Courthouse was completed in August 1889 in the Second Empire and Italianate styles. A tall central clock tower is one of its distinctive features. A comprehensive preservation effort fully restored the building; the courthouse is listed as a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark. Its completion date, architectural styles, and clock tower give the building a distinct historic character.

The Plaza Theatre adds a venue for live theater, concerts, and special events to this architectural history. Its building opened in March 1942 as a Streamline Moderne Art Deco movie theater. In 1995, it was restored and reopened as a regional performing arts center. The Plaza Theatre’s Litefooter Youth Academy offers theater instruction and performance opportunities for young people ages 6 to 18. The theater thus offers both an events program and a year-round program for young people.

Technology, Cemetery, and Historic Depot

Everyday objects from the history of technology are part of the collection at the 20th Century Technology Museum. Visitors can demonstrate or operate some exhibits; the collection also includes an experimental aircraft designed by Burt Rutan. If you are interested in the opportunities to demonstrate or operate exhibits, check the relevant policies before your visit. The museum thus combines technological artifacts with the opportunity to engage hands-on with some of them.

More than 140 veterans are buried at Wharton Cemetery. The oldest marked grave is attributed to Barbara Betts, who died in 1843. The cemetery’s appearance includes obelisks, brick crosses, decorated fences, enclosed burial plots, and numerous upright headstones. The various grave and enclosure styles, along with the veterans’ graves, represent different aspects of its history.

The former Southern Pacific Railroad Depot was built in 1912, restored, and listed in the National Register of Historic Places. If you plan to visit the depot, check tour options before your trip.

Discover more destinations: El Campo, East Bernard.

Back to the main travel overview: Wharton.