1. Jefferson Historical Museum
I started my visit at the Jefferson Historical Museum. You can't miss it: it's a 1888 stately red brick building that once served as the Jefferson Post Office and the Federal Courthouse. Here you get to learn all about the history of Jefferson and of Marion County.
The museum has four floors of exhibits, which include 1880s homestead furnishings, art, antique guns, needlework, dolls, crockery, quilts, fine porcelain, china and silver, and Caddo Indian artifacts.
On the museum property there is a replica of an early 1900s railway depot that contains an HO gauge model railroad that took over thirty years to build. The railroad has 193 feet of track, and is a miniature of a 1950s Texas and Pacific Railroads train.
Address: Jefferson Historical Museum, 223 W. Austin, Jefferson, TX 75657, Phone: 903-665-2775
2. The Grove
Take an hour-long tour of The Grove (reservations required), a historical house and private residence in Jefferson that was built in 1861 in the Greek Revival architectural style.
If you are interested in ghosts and history, the property is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and has been featured in many television shows about the paranormal. In the Grove’s emporium, you can buy books with a haunted house theme.
Address: The Grove, 405 Moseley Street, Jefferson, TX 75657, Phone: 903-665-8018
3. Caddo Lake State Park
If you are nature fan like me, you'll not want to miss Caddo Lake State Park, a wilderness of swamps and bayous amongst cypress trees hung with Spanish moss.
You'll find this state park 13 miles southeast of Jefferson near the town of Karnack.
You can fish in the 26,000-acre lake which has over seventy types of fish in it but you can expect to catch mostly largemouth and white bass as well as crappie.
You can bring your own kayak to explore the lake’s 50 miles of paddling trails, or rent a boat at the park.
Expect to see plenty of wildlife (including alligators!), as well as armadillos, turtles, minks, beavers, and white-tailed deer. You can stay the night (Caddo Lake State Park has camping facilities and cabins for rent) or stopping for a picnic and a hike.
Address: Caddo Lake State Park, 245 Park Road 2, Karnack, TX 75661, Phone: 903-679-3351
4. Famous Howe Truss Train Trestle
In the evening, don't miss the Famous Howe Truss Train Trestle, originally built in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania by the Phoenix Bridge Company back in the year 1897 and was later installed in 1907 in Jefferson, Texas. The “Howe Truss” bridge design was introduced by William Howe.
One of the main reasons you should visit this famous bridge is the LED light show that takes place from dusk to dawn every evening.
Activities and Attractions for Couples:
5. Museum of Measurement and Time
Explore the family-run Museum of Measurement and Time which exhibits a number of eclectic items.
You can see 400 clocks, mostly American made, from the period 1700-1900; more than 1,000 salt and pepper shakers, some of them practical, others whimsical; rare and vintage maps from the 19th century; and a large number of items relating to surveying.
Address: Museum of Measurement and Time, 301 North Polk Street, Jefferson, TX 75657, Phone: 903-665-6668
6. Historic Jefferson Ghost Walk
Did you know that paranormal television shows and books consider Jefferson, Texas to be one of the most haunted places in the United States?
The ghost walks, which are given on Friday and Saturday evening, acquaint you with the violent occurrences in Jefferson’s past on a walk through some of the town’s most haunted locales.
Unlike other ghost tours, the historian who leads this one has managed to gain access to some of the buildings, and the walk in the dark through the Old Mill is, by all accounts, very creepy. The Historic Jefferson Ghost Walk tour lasts two hours and paints a colorful history of Jefferson and the people who met their untimely ends in the town. Wear comfortable shoes and remember to book ahead of time.
Address: Historic Jefferson Ghost Walk, Tour leaves from: The Sandwich Shoppe, 101 S. Market Street, Jefferson, TX 75657, Phone: 903-601-3375
7. Jefferson General Store
Stop by the Jefferson General Store, built in the 1860s and was the first hardware store and general store in the region. It was ideally located at the turning point for the riverboats, stocking the store was easy. The same family owned it from the 1860s until 1977, and its current owners have beautifully preserved it. The original cast iron safe is still used today.
With its wooden floors and baskets of goods, the Jefferson General Store still resembles an old-time emporium, and if you are like me, you will love the five cent cups of coffee and five cent cups of ice cream. A nickel is all you need to operate the old-fashioned juke box as well. Pick up some gifts, southern memorabilia, and the penny candy of long ago.
Address: Jefferson General Store, 113 E. Austin Street, Jefferson, TX 75657, Phone: 903-665-8481
8. Lake O’ The Pines
Don't miss the Lake O’ The Pines, a 17,000 acre reservoir of Big Cypress Bayou. I enjoy its extensive parks with tall pines along its shores and an excellent fishery that has stocked the lake with large mouth, white, and spotted bass as well as catfish, crappies, sunfish, and pickerel.
Alley Creek Park and Brushy Creek Park are the best of the parks for camping overnight (remember to book ahead of time!), Cedar Springs Park has a lovely picnic area, and Lakeside Park and Johnson Creek Park have beaches for swimming.
Address: Lake O’ The Pines, Contact info: 2669 Fm 726, Jefferson, TX 75657, Phone: 903-665-2336
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