Central Texas Profiles : Waco, Texas

Located on Interstate 35 between Dallas and Austin, is Waco. This city is full of Texas history and hospitality.

Waco has 18 museums and attractions that offer visitors a chance to learn and relax in a big city with a small town feel.

One attraction is the Bear Habitat. This habitat is located on the Baylor University campus. The habitat has a waterfall, pool, digging holes and trees, all for the bears who live at the habitat. Visitors can learn and watch how the bears live. This exhibit is the most visited attraction on the Baylor campus.

Cameron Park Zoo is a natural habitat zoo. Not all cages and cement like most zoos keep their animals in. Visitors will see tortoises, birds from Africa, and lion cubs.

Another popular attraction in Waco is the Dr. Pepper Museum. Waco is the home of the oldest major soft drink, Dr. Pepper; the soft drink was created in 1885.

Visitors can tour the museum and see the recreated soda fountain where Dr. Charles Alderton first mixed the flavors that make up Dr. Pepper. In the exhibit, a life size animatronic, life-size Dr. Alderton tells the story his invention.

The museum also showcases the original Dr. Pepper bottling company, including the well in which they drew their artesian spring water.

The Dr. Pepper Museum also has the Soft Drink Hall of Fame. A part of the museum dedicated to educating visitors about free enterprise, product development and marketing. The museum also has a gift shop, where every kind of Dr. Pepper memorabilia can be found.

Waco is also home of the Mammoth Site. It is the largest known concentration of prehistoric mammoths dying from the same event.

Texas Ranger Hall of Fame is also located in Waco. This museum is the official State Hall of Fame for Texas Rangers Law Enforcement Agency. For visitors who love history, the Texas Ranger Research Center houses books, archives and photographs related to the Texas Rangers. Visitors can read about Texas Rangers bringing down Bonnie and Clyde and much more.

Visitors can also find collections such as Bonnie and Clyde's shot guns, which were confiscated from the "death car" after the final shoot out. The firearms that the Texas Rangers used are also on display.

Waco is also home of the Texas Sports Hall of Fame. Visitors can learn about Texas athletes who have succeed on and off the playing field. The sports hall of fame includes athletes in Tennis, high school football, high school basketball. Visitors can also visit the Tom Landry Theater and watch clips from some of Texas' greatest sports moments, as well as compare shoe and hand sizes with some of the greatest Texas sports players.

Waco has a variety of golf courses available to play on as well and the city has its own water park. Waco Water Park has two pools, a 22 foot water slide and much more.

Next time you are traveling through Waco, stop and visit and learn some of Texas' history.


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