Tyler, Texas Attractions & Things To Do

Hudnall Planetarium Memorial Museum Tyler Skateplex Cowan Center Mountain Amusements

Vacationers who are looking for fun activities in Tyler, Texas won’t have to look too hard, especially when they’re guests of the Holiday Inn Express Tyler. Our East Texas hotel is within close proximity of dozens of attractions, such as the Hudnall Planetarium, Tyler Rose Garden and Historic Aviation Memorial Museum. Read about these interesting things to do along with several others that make our Tyler, Texas neighborhood truly special.

Hudnall Planetarium. Explore the mysteries of the universe at the Hudnall Planetarium, which is located on the Tyler Junior College campus in Tyler, Texas. Built in 1963, the Hudnall features a domed theater that’s 30 feet in diameter plus a wide variety of telescopes for superb star-gazing. For more information, visit http://planetarium.tjc.edu/.

Tyler Rose Garden. Home gardeners and horticulturists have been fans of the Tyler Rose Garden since 1952, the year that it opened. Both a display and trial garden, Tyler Rose Garden boasts test areas for new varieties of this sweet-smelling flower. For more information, visit www.texasrosefestival.com/museum/garden.htm.  [Top]

Historic Aviation Memorial Museum. Relive amazing aviation events of the 20th Century at the Historic Aviation Memorial Museum at Tyler Pounds Field Airport. Focusing on the exploits of heroes from Tyler and East Texas, the museum features aviation and memorabilia exhibits, a multimedia theater room and a hangar facility for restoring aircraft. For more information, visit www.tylerhamm.com/.

Cherokee Trace Drive-Thru Safari. Cherokee Trace Drive-Thru Safari is a wondrous wildlife park where exotic and endangered species live in an open preserve that’s much like their native habitat. Enjoy these incredible creatures by taking a self-guided drive through this spectacular 300-acre preserve. For more information, visit www.cherokeetrace.org/.  [Top]

Tyler Skateplex. Lace up your skates and get ready to hit the ice on the largest skating floor in the country. The Tyler Skateplex features a roof-covered rink that’s nearly one acre in size. In total, the Skateplex offers more than 28,000 square feet of skating surface.

For more information, visit www.tylerskateplex.com/.

Harrold’s Model Train Museum. Train lovers will have a field day at Harrold’s Model Train Museum in Tyler, Texas. Discover more than 1700 pieces of model trains and toy trains that Harrold Little has collected over the years. Operating model trains, which are made of wood and cast iron, are of the battery-operated and windup variety. For more information, visit www.calicomeadows.com/harrold/.  [Top]

Cowan Center. Experience events of all types at the Cowan Center on the University of Texas at Tyler campus. Enjoy country music concerts, Broadway shows, ballet performances and a distinguished lecture series. For more information and schedule of events, visit www.uttyler.edu/cowan/.

Tiger Creek Wildlife Refuge. The goal of Tiger Creek Wildlife Refuge is to rescue and rehabilitate big cats from all over the world that have been abused, neglected or displaced. At present, the refuge is home to 39 big cats and 2 bobcats. For more information, visit www.tigercreek.org/.  [Top]

Fire Mountain Amusements. Family fun is the order of the day at Fire Mountain Amusements. Kids of all ages will enjoy go-kart racing, bumper boating, miniature golf and playing all the cool games in the video arcade.

For more information, visit www.firemountainamusements.com/.

Discover Science Place. A hands-on science museum, the Discovery Science Place offers several exhibits for exploring. Permanent exhibits include Discovery Landing and Hometown, USA. Weather Watcher gives visitors an up-close-and-personal look at the science of weather. For more information, visit www.discoveryscienceplace.org/.  [Top]