Things to Do

Brownsville's strongest sights are split between border history, downtown museums, and the wildlife of the lower Rio Grande. You will want a car for the battlefields and refuges.

Guide

Things to Do

01

Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park

National park preserving the first major battlefield of the Mexican-American War north of Brownsville.

Sight
02

Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge

Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge protects a large stretch of South Texas habitat near the lower Laguna Madre. Birders come for the refuge's coastal …

Sight
03

Gladys Porter Zoo

Compact Brownsville zoo known for tropical landscaping and a strong collection of birds and primates.

Sight
04

Sabal Palm Sanctuary

Birding sanctuary protecting one of the Rio Grande Valley's last stands of native sabal palm forest.

Sight
05

Palmito Ranch Battlefield

Palmito Ranch Battlefield marks the site of the last land battle of the American Civil War, fought in May 1865 near the Rio Grande …

Sight
06

Resaca de la Palma National Battlefield

Resaca de la Palma National Battlefield preserves the site of an 1846 battle from the opening phase of the Mexican-American War. Trails lead through …
07

Boca Chica State Park

Boca Chica State Park protects a remote stretch of beach and dunes east of Brownsville, where the Rio Grande reaches the Gulf of Mexico. …

Sight
08

Brownsville Museum of Fine Arts

The Brownsville Museum of Fine Arts focuses on work by local and Latin American artists. It is close to Gladys Porter Zoo, making it …

Museum
09

Stillman House Museum

Historic house tied to Brownsville's founding family and the city's early border trade.

Museum
10

Resaca de la Palma State Park

Resaca de la Palma State Park protects one of the largest native habitat areas in Brownsville's part of the World Birding Center network. Its …
11

Commemorative Air Force Museum

The Commemorative Air Force Museum at Brownsville South Padre Island International Airport displays World War II aircraft and aviation memorabilia. It is a specialist …

Museum
12

Old City Cemetery Center

Old City Cemetery Center preserves one of Brownsville's oldest burial grounds, with graves tied to the Civil War and the Mexican-American War. It is …
13

Fort Brown

Fort Brown was a United States military post used through the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The surviving site gives Brownsville a direct …

Sight
14

Paseo de la Resaca Trails

Paseo de la Resaca Trails follow Brownsville's resacas through parkland and green corridors. The network is useful for an easy walk or bike ride, …
15

Costumes of the Americas

Costumes of the Americas is a small Brownsville museum focused on traditional clothing from Indigenous and Latin American communities across the Americas. The collection …

Museum
16

Brownsville Farmers' Market

Brownsville Farmers' Market brings local growers and food vendors together on Saturdays through the year. It is a useful stop for fresh fruit, vegetables, …

Market
17

Old Brulay Plantation

Old Brulay Plantation is a former cotton and sugar plantation south of Brownsville, tied to the Civil War era and the agricultural history of …

Sight
18

77 Flea Market

77 Flea Market is a large open-air weekend market north of Brownsville, with stalls selling clothes, household goods, snacks, and borderland odds and ends. …

Market