Attractions in Texarkana

Whether you try to fit them all into a single weekend, or just cherry-pick one or two, Texarkana’s attractions are some of the most unique in the entire state. And by state, we really mean states.

U.S. Post Office & Courthouse (Photographers Island)

It’s not every day you get to take a photo of yourself standing in two states at once. Built between 1932 and 1933, the U.S. Post Office & Courthouse at 500 State Line Avenue holds a small distinction: it's the only U.S. post office in the country that sits in two states.

The building has pink granite base from Texas, limestone walls from Arkansas,  and one zip code on each side of the same door—71854 for the Arkansas half, 75501 for the Texas half. It’s no wonder this is one of the most popular destinations in the entire region.

Photographers Island out front is the marked spot where you stand with one foot in each state for the photo. The building is still an active federal facility, too, so don't think all those government employees are part of some elaborate reenactment.

Perot Theatre

Perot Theatre just might be the single most important building on the block. Opened in 1924 as the Saenger Theatre, designed by New Orleans architect, Emil Weil, in the Italian Renaissance style, the venue closed in the 1970s and was heading for demolition until Texarkana native and presidential candidate, Ross Perot, funded its restoration alongside his sister Bette.

Reopened in 1980, the theater now holds 1,400 seats under gilded detailing that most performance halls this size can only wish for. Elvis and Johnny Cash played the room way back when. These days, it hosts the Texarkana Symphony Orchestra along with a rotating slate of Broadway tours, dance companies, jazz nights, and touring comedy.

Four States Auto Museum

An old service station on the edge of downtown, the building was restored in 2004 to become a working museum of American motoring. The Four States Auto Museum keeps its collection rotating rather than fixed, so what's on display changes throughout the year. Some seasons lean pre-war, others muscle-car heavy, while others get weirder and more specialized. Period gas pumps, mid-century signage, and automotive ephemera line the walls between the vehicles. It’s small enough to walk through in under an hour, dense and colorful enough to hold your attention the whole time.

Texarkana Regional Arts and Humanities Council (TRAHC) & ArtSpace

The TRAHC is the regional arts organization, and its two downtown venues are the reason you can catch free exhibitions year-round. The Regional Arts Center sits inside a 1909 building that started life as a U.S. District Courthouse before its second life as a gallery. TRAHC ArtSpace on Pine is the newer venue, focused on community programming and shows from working local artists. Both spaces rotate their exhibitions, which means there’s always a reason to come back.

Ace of Clubs Historical Home

A house shaped like a playing card, built by a man who reportedly won the money to build it in a poker game. Attractions don’t get much more attractive than that. James H. Draughon put the Ace of Clubs Historical Home up in 1885 in an Italianate Victorian style, but the shape is what everyone remembers: three octagonal wings and one rectangular wing joined at a central point, forming a literal club silhouette when viewed from above.

The interior is preserved as a museum with original furnishings, making it almost as unique inside as it is outside. It’s on the National Register of Historic Places, a recorded Texas Historical Landmark, and a documented HGTV feature. All three of them can’t be wrong.

1894 Gallery

Inside the 1894 City Market Building, a National Register structure at the heart of the district, the 1894 Gallery spreads work by more than ninety regional artists across 12,000 square feet. Its distinctive feature is the "floating walls,” freestanding partitions that let you approach each piece from multiple angles instead of the standard flat-wall arrangement.

The gallery also anchors the monthly 1894 Second Saturday Trade Days, when farmers, antique dealers, craftspeople, and additional artists set up in and around the market building for a bigger open-air version of the standard experience.