Serving as the seat of Nacogdoches County, Nacogdoches is a lively university city in East Texas. It claims to be “The Oldest Town in Texas”, with evidence of a settlement here around 10,000 years ago. It is named after the Nacogdoches tribe of Caddo Native Americans, who occupied the area prior to Spanish arrival in 1716.
Things to do in Nacogdoches
On the northern outskirts of Nacogdoches is the Millard's Crossing Historic Village, an open-air museum established by Lera Millard Thomas in the 1970s. It is named after the railroad track that once traversed the property and includes an impressive collection of 19th-century buildings. Admire the red train caboose and the restored Victorian house where antique tools, household objects and period memorabilia are exhibited.
On the campus of Stephen F. Austin State University is the Old Stone Fort Museum, which centres around a 1936 replica of an 18th-century stone house built by Antonio Gil Y’Barbo. Its exhibits explore the natural and cultural history of the region, with antique weaponry, vintage bottles and old photographs on display.
On the other side of the campus is the Ruby M. Mize Azalea Garden, where you’ll find beautiful azaleas, camellias and Japanese maples. It sprawls across three hectares of a 50-year-old loblolly pine forest, with picturesque nature trails winding their way between the landscaped garden beds. In spring, the garden can be visited on the 30-kilometre-long network known as the Azalea Trails.
Getting around Nacogdoches
Nacogdoches is around 1.5 hours’ drive from Shreveport Regional Airport, which has flights to destinations across the United States. The much larger Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport is just over three hours away. Long-distance buses connect to Nacogdoches while the city centre is compact enough to explore on foot.