7 Sites of Small-Town History in Waxahachie, Texas: Explore this town’s big history, from supercolliders to outsider art. - Atlas Obscura

Explore this town’s big history, from supercolliders to outsider art.
7 Sites of Small-Town History in Waxahachie, Texas

Sponsored by

Waxahachie is a small Texas town that’s rich with history. Over thirty motion pictures have been filmed here, including the revolutionary Bonnie and Clyde and the Oscar-winning films Tender Mercies and Places in the Heart. It’s also been designated as the Crape Myrtle Capital of Texas, a place where you can witness the flower’s glorious blooming—especially during the Crape Myrtle Festival and Driving Trail every July.

Despite its size (population: 36,735), Waxahachie boasts a wide array of historical places to visit.

Explore

Please add Day Info for Day 1

This historic octagonal theater remains a popular venue today. Courtesy Waxahachie CVB
BORN FOR THE STAGE

1. Chautauqua Auditorium

Built in 1902 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974, this auditorium continues to be popular with locals. The 2,500-seat octagonal building, located at the Chautauqua grounds in Getzendaner Memorial Park, once had great American orators like William Jennings Bryan and Will Rogers grace its stage. These days, it’s home to free events including an all-day Chautauqua’s Cowboy Poet Gathering in early October, where poets and musicians from across the Southwest and beyond perform cowboy poetry and music.

Getzendaner Park, Waxahachie, TX 75165

All the rare bills you never knew about. Courtesy Waxahachie CVB
COLD HARD CASH

2. CNB of Texas Money Museum

The Citizens National Bank of Texas has been around since 1868, and continues to serve the people of Waxahachie and other nearby towns. To show how much history the bank has been through, the downtown Waxahachie branch has its very own money museum, one of the most expansive collections of American currency in the country. Since the building’s opening in the late 60s, the museum has housed a collection of numismatic artifacts, including a $5,000 and $10,000 bill, which were added in 2014.

200 N Elm St, Waxahachie, TX 75165

The supercollider site is now occupied by an office building. Shena and Shira Pridgett
CANCELED COLLIDER

3. Desertron: The Superconducting Super Collider

This one’s a doozy: In the early 90s, a particle accelerator complex was under construction in the vicinity of Waxahachie. Its builders hoped it would become the most energetic particle accelerator in the world, with a huge underground complex. Considering the high cost of the project—Congress was told it could be completed for $4 billion in 1987—funding was often a problem. (Before George Bush vomited on Japanese Prime Minister Kiichi Miyazawa’s lap in 1992, one of the topics of discussion was SSC funding.) After 14 miles of tunnel were bored and nearly 4 billion dollars were spent, the project was canceled in 1993. It’s permanently closed now, with an office building taking its place. But its story remains an example of how so many ambitious projects usually have to go big or go home.

Hoyt Rd, Waxahachie, TX 75167

A military exhibit at the Ellis County Museum. Courtesy Waxahachie CVB
ALL ABOUT THE ARCHIVE

4. Ellis County Museum

Located in the town square, right across from the Ellis County Courthouse, Ellis County Museum is a nonprofit that’s all about preserving the county’s rich history. Housed in a structure built in 1889 (formerly Masonic Lodge), the museum was organized in 1968 by citizens as a repository for historical materials. But it’s also become known as an ideal starting point for people interested in strolling around downtown Waxahachie. And every summer, the museum (which is also the location for the Heritage Visitor Center of Waxahachie) presents the annual Gingerbread Trail Tour of Homes, a journey of five notable private, historic homes, with proceeds going to the museum.

201 S College St, Waxahachie, TX 75165

A beautiful spot to check out some books. Courtesy Waxahachie CVB
READ UP

5. Nicholas P. Sims Library

Way back in the early 1900s, local farmer and investor Nicholas P. Sims left the bulk of his estate to build a library for Waxahachie and Ellis County residents. It eventually opened in April 1905, one of the first public (and privately endowed) libraries in the Lone Star State. Since then, the library’s main goal has been to provide library services to the residents of Waxahachie in the most efficient and cost-effective manner possible. There are rooms and wings with stories just as fascinating as the literature they hold. (Just ask a librarian how the 64-year-old J. Harry Phillips Wing came to be.) There’s even a second-floor lyceum used for concerts, piano recitals, plays, and debates.

515 W Main St, Waxahachie, TX 75165

One of the many carved faces at the Ellis County Courthouse. Courtesy Waxahachie CVB
FRIEND OR FOE?

6. The Stone Faces of Ellis County Courthouse

In the late 19th century, stone mason Harry Herley came to Waxahachie to sculpt and decorate the outer walls of the town’s new courthouse. Legend has it that, while he was there, Herley fell head-over-heels for the daughter of the owner of the boarding house where he was staying. At first, Herley carved her face over one of the entrances. But as time went on and Herley’s feelings weren’t reciprocated by the young lady, he became embittered and subsequent carvings around the courthouse depicted her as a demon. While local historians have claimed that the dozen faces are simply traditional, European figures, it’s still more intriguing to credit them to the pain of unrequited love.

101 W Main St, Waxahachie, TX 75165

This jewel of a gallery focuses on folk and outsider art. Courtesy Waxahachie CVB
HOW MUCH IS THAT FOLK ART IN THE WINDOW?

7. Webb Gallery

When an art gallery claims it’s been “selling soul in downtown Waxahachie” for over three decades, you know you have to check it out. Folksy with a capital “F,” this quirky spot is run by Julie and Bruce Lee Webb, who make their home upstairs from the gallery. Since 1994, the gallery has been occupying a 1902 building, specializing in folk and outsider art, as well as antiques and other tchotchkes. The gallery hosts four exhibits a year, revolving showcases where artists can show off and sell their eccentric, distinctive artwork. If you’re not in the art-buying mood, you can always walk out of there with a T-shirt, a tote bag, or one of the many zines they have for sale.

209 W Franklin St, Waxahachie, TX 75165


This post is sponsored by Visit Waxahachie. Click here to explore more.

Keep Exploring
At Tierra del Sol, the moles are mind-bogglingly complex.

Gastro Obscura’s 10 Essential Places to Eat and Drink in Oaxaca

Oaxaca, the mountainous state in Mexico’s south, is celebrated as the country’s “cradle of diversity.” Home to 16 Indigenous ethnic groups from Mixtecs to Triques to Zapotecs, it also boasts the country’s greatest biodiversity, counting 522 edible herbs, over 30 native agave varieties distilled by some 600 mezcal-producing facilities, 35 landraces (unique cultivars) of corn, and some two-dozen native species of chiles and beans. Oaxaca de Juárez, the state’s colonial capital, is drawing record numbers of visitors these days for its cobblestoned streets and the arty graffiti. But the main draw is Oaxaca’s status as the culinary epicenter of Mexico for its dozens of mole varieties, an encyclopedia of corn masa-based antojitos—memelas, tetelas, totopos, tlayudas, tamales—and a baroque layering of colonial-Spanish and pre-Hispanic Indigenous foodways. Local chefs understand that to be culinary authority here one must be part botanist and part anthropologist—roles which they embrace with great relish. Among the welcome recent developments to the restaurant scene has been the great rise of female chefs, as well as a new interest in cooking from the state’s different regions in addition to the complex colonial flavors of the Valles Centrales surrounding the capital. Whether you’re after unusual moles from the rugged Mixteca region, breads made exclusively from Oaxacan wheat, or a country lunch featuring edible insects, our guide has you covered. From a cult street taco stand to a Michelin-starred chef resurrecting forgotten dishes, here are the culinary highs to hit.

Explore

A Gastro Obscura Guide to Family-Friendly Dining in San Diego

In San Diego, a city on the sea just over the border from the coastal state of Baja California, the freshness of the food leaps off the plate, thanks to chefs who are constantly finding new ways to turn local produce and seafood into something delectable. The city’s history, heritage, and proximity to Mexico—combined with the fresh, simple flavors of California cuisine—create a cross-border culinary identity known as Cali-Baja. It’s not just a fusion, but a lifestyle rooted in variety and simplicity. While San Diego has a long and celebrated tradition of excellent Mexican food—from street tacos to aguachile—that’s just the beginning. The city’s diverse neighborhoods each bring something unique to the table: hand-pulled noodles in Convoy District, beachside burgers in Ocean Beach, artisan pasta in Little Italy, and seafood-forward small plates in La Jolla. The commitment to bold flavor and local ingredients is unmistakable. And thanks to year-round sunshine and a laid-back beach culture, great food is easy to find and even easier to enjoy. This diversity of cuisine, paired with an adventurous, open-hearted spirit, makes America’s Finest City a standout destination for curious eaters and families alike.

Explore
wild horses swim in the waters of Assateague Island National Seashore.

The Explorer’s Guide to Outdoor Wonders In Maryland

With wild horses, a small elk called a “sika,” a massive population of bald eagles, and the once-endangered fox squirrel, the state of Maryland is home to a thrilling variety of wildlife. Across diverse ecosystems like swamps, cliffs, mountains, and sandy beaches, the state springs alive during spring and summer with the sounds of birds, mammals, amphibians, and reptiles that the state has been careful to protect. Perfect for outdoor enthusiasts, these parks, preserves, and protected areas across Maryland offer visitors a chance to encounter fauna they may have never even known existed.

Explore