Wharton is one hour's drive southwest of Houston on U.S. 59. Discover our fine dining, the lively arts, murals, shopping, antiques, museums, the historic downtown Monterrey Square, and our one-of-a-kind Tee Pee Motel, the last motel of its type left in Texas.
Historic Downtown
You can visit our newly restored Wharton County Courthouse, built in 1889, a Victorian/Italian style building designed by Eugene T. Heiner. The courthouse is the heart of our historic district, a mecca for the shopper and antique hunter. You can walk shop to shop and when you're done you can enjoy a great meal from one of the fine downtown restaurants, or even a live show.
Life-size Dinosaur
Wharton is known for its life-size dinosaur sculpture at what the locals call Dinosaur Park, the west end of Riverfront Park, which runs along downtown and the Colorado River.
Horton Foote
Wharton is the hometown of Horton Foote, the dramatist who won Oscars for screenplays for To Kill a Mockingbird and Tender Mercies and a Pulitzer Prize for his stage play The Young Man from Atlanta. The home in which he grew up and lived in during his adult years is still owned and maintained by his family in Wharton. Though unmarked, it remains a landmark.
Wharton County Historical Museum
Newsman Dan Rather is also a Wharton native, and the house in which he was born is now located at Wharton County Historical Museum. The museum has exhibits that depict the settling of Wharton and its rich history. There is a wild game trophy room and an historic doll collection, among many other exhibits. The museum is located at 3615 N. Richmond Road. Contact them at 979-532-2600 or www.whartoncountyhistoricalmuseum.com.
20th Century Technology Museum
The 20th Century Technology Museum has received wide publicity for documenting the innovations of the last century. The Museum collects, preserves, and displays everyday objects of historical technology and serves as a unique educational and cultural center for better understanding the time line of the products that we enjoy using today. Many items on display are in full working order and may be demonstrated or operated by visitors. The museum is located at 231 S. Fulton St., in downtown Wharton. Contact the museum at 979-282-8810 or www.20thcenturytech.com
Lively Arts
The restored Plaza Theatre graces our downtown square with live entertainment throughout the year. The theatre is a landmark at 120 S. Houston St., Contact the Plaza Theatre at 979-282-2970 or whartonplazatheatre.org
Cattle Country
The Wharton area is known for the Brahman breed of cattle, originally imported from India and readily identifiable by humps on their backs. You can see them on Texas 60, north of Hungerford, and on FM 1161, east of Hungerford. Hungerford is located six miles north of Wharton on Business 59.
The Outdoors
The town of Wharton, with a population of about 10,000, is literally at the doorstep of some of the best hunting and bird watching found anywhere, truly an outdoors-man's paradise. We are just an hour away from the beaches and excellent fishing along the Gulf of Mexico.
Major Festivals, Events
Lodging
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