Things To Do in Boerne

Wander through a stunning cave full of magnificent stalactites and stalagmites. Drive on winding roads past rocky limestone cliffs and over rolling tree-covered hills. Shop and explore the unique stores, art galleries, and restaurants along the Hill Country Mile. Sip your way across town in a variety of unique, local craft breweries. These are some of the many things to do in Boerne, a lively town with a proud German heritage situated in the heart of the Texas Hill Country. Boerne is just 30 miles north of San Antonio and within an hour of many of the other great places in the Hill Country. With so much to see and do, you really can make your time in Boerne truly unique. Read on to find out how.

Enjoy the Great Outdoors

Boerne is surrounded by the kind of scenic landscapes and spectacular rivers, creeks, and lakes that the Hill Country is known for. As such, it’s a great place for those who enjoy just about any type of outdoor recreation. If you like swimming, fishing, or kayaking, Boerne City Lake Park is for you. The 200-acre lake park, located just one mile northwest of downtown Boerne, offers plenty of space for some aquatic fun. While you’re there, soak up the sun at the park’s picnic area, explore the hiking trails, rent a paddleboard or kayak, splash in the water at the shallow beach, try your hand at the nine-hole disc golf course, and much more.

There are several other sprawling natural areas just outside the heart of Boerne for you to explore. Start at the Cibolo Nature Center, a 100-acre park that contains four of the ecosystems you’ll encounter within the region. Step onto one of the park's many hiking trails and pass by a clear-water creek lined with cypress trees, flatlands covered by tall native grasses, woodlands, and spring-fed marsh. Make sure to stop by the visitor center for a unique educational experience. Planning on a Saturday visit? Hit up the weekly farmers market located at the historic Herff Farm Homestead on the far side of the property. 

Head just 10 miles northeast of Boerne, and you’ll find yourself along the quiet shore of the Guadalupe River in the Kreutzberg Canyon Natural Area. About 1,700 feet of river frontage makes it easy to swim, paddle, or fish in the river’s pristine water, while the park’s three miles of rugged hiking trails and wildlife observation blinds provide a great way to see some of the local wildlife. Travel east down the river and you’ll be in Guadalupe River State Park, which includes four miles of riverfront terrain. Canoeing, fishing, swimming, bird watching, and hiking are all fun ways to enjoy your time here. Check the website for even more opportunities to explore the natural beauty surrounding the Boerne community. 

Shop the Hill Country Mile

If shopping is an important part of your vacation plans, the Hill Country Mile in Boerne is the place for you. Charming boutique clothing and home décor shops, antique stores, and more can be found in the Hill Country Mile, which runs along South Main Street from Oak Park Drive to the Patrick Heath Public Library. Spend enough time browsing the many shops along the Mile and you’ll probably work up an appetite. Fortunately, you don’t have to go far to find something delicious. Travel along the Mile and you’ll pass quaint coffee houses and numerous restaurants and bistros serving up savory Hill Country cuisine. Experience the best of Hill Country hospitality, along with fantastic shopping and dining, when you visit the Hill Country Mile.

Check Out Boerne’s Thriving Arts Scene

Beyond the dining and window shopping, Boerne’s Hill Country Mile is where art aficionados go for the indoor and outdoor galleries. One of the major art attractions on the Mile is Art al Fresco, an outdoor public art exhibition in the Hill Country Mile and along Boerne’s trail system that features sculptures made from steel, bronze, glass, and more. The Carriage House Gallery and Gallery 195 are both located in the heat of Boerne's downtown district. Step inside to see oil paintings, photographs, bronze sculptures, fused glass pieces, and other works created by local artists. See something you like? You can even take it home with you. For a price, of course.

Make plans to come visit in the spring during the Boerne Art Waddle. Guests can shop a vast selection of artists works displayed along the Cibolo Trail as well as the local galleries and art walls around town. Check the calendar for more details on this year's event. 

For fans of the performing arts, don’t miss a show by the Boerne Community Theatre, which puts on multiple major productions a year in its intimate venue near downtown. Meanwhile, Boerne Performing Arts brings a wide variety of musicians, dancers, and other performers from around the world to Boerne. Art galleries, can’t-miss special events, and a performing arts schedule worthy of the big city await you in Boerne. 

Go Underground

The Hill Country may be known for its gorgeous terrain, but the prevalence of caves and caverns in the region make it stand out. There are two such cave systems near Boerne, both of which have expansive underground rooms full of fascinating stalactite and stalagmite formations millions of years in the making. You may even see some of the unique wildlife, including the Cascade Cavern salamander, which hasn’t been found anywhere else in the world.

Cascade Caverns, located just southeast of Boerne, is a good place to start. The caverns are composed of five major rooms with numerous corridors and passageways. One of these rooms, the Cathedral Room, has the only 100-foot waterfall in a cavern in Texas. Guided tours last for about 45 minutes. If you’re in the mood for something more vigorous, check out the two-hour adventure tour. Meanwhile, the Cave Without a Name, situated northeast of Boerne, has six major rooms you’ll explore in a one-hour guided tour. Yet what makes this cave unusual is that it hosts musical performances throughout the year. Hearing a quartet of violins performing a waltz 80 feet underground is truly a one-of-a-kind experience; a certain must-do while you’re in Boerne.

Taste a Local Craft Beer

Do you enjoy delicious craft beer? Boerne has you covered! The Boerne brewery scene has expanded recently and you're sure to find a brewery that will be a perfect fit for your visit. Hop on the Boerne Beer Trail and explore five unique breweries in the downtown area. Many of them offer local live music and dining selections that are noteworthy all on their own. Check out Boerne's oldest brewery.

The Dodging Duck Brewhaus & Restaurant is a microbrew and eatery situated just north of Cibolo Creek. The brewpub produces a range of well-named standard and seasonal beer, including the Quackinator Doppelbock and the Ducktoberfest, along with a sizable food menu.

Sister breweries, located across Main Street from each other, Hamby's and Cibolo Creek Brewing Company both offer a full menu to indulge in and brews that are as unique as the restaurants they are served in.

A little further north on the Hill Country Mile you will find Free Roam Brewing Company a family friendly community hub that offers regular live music, events, food truck eats and an all-around good time. A few steps more takes you to Tusculum Brewing Company located inside the historic H.O. Adler building, Boerne's former lumberyard.

Complete your self-guided beer tour around town a quick drive from the Hill Country Mile at 28 Songs Brewhouse + Kitchen, Boerne's newest brewery and Kinematic Brewing Company, a nano-brewery that serves up an imperial porter and a selection of pale ales in its spacious tasting room a few miles east of town.

Explore the Hill Country 

One of the best ways to admire the Hill Country is by car. Just about any highway and FM road you hop on will take you past limestone cliffs, forests of oak trees, hilly farmland, rivers, and lakes. Highway 16 southwest of Boerne, Highhway 281 about 20 miles to the east, and RM 337 from Medina are some of the most popular stretches of road in the region. Another option from Boerne is to head north on FM 1376 to Fredericksburg, a 40-mile sojourn that leads you past the Sister Creek Vineyards in the Sisterdale and the charming community of Lukenbach, with plenty of side roads you can explore along the way.