The city of Baytown, situated between the Harris and Chamber Counties, is a bear witness to historical events that shaped Texas.
Baytown is where the historic battles during the Texas Revolution took place along its scenic waterways.
Today, this small city is adjacent to Houston and is home to one of the country’s most extensive stay-cable bridges, a vibrant art community, and several nature reserves.
Although it is an industrialized city, Baytown kept its suburb Texan charm through its warmly hospitable locals and well-preserved historical buildings.
Baytown is known for its rubber, chemical, oil, and carbon industries in Texas, with around 77,000 inhabitants.
You need to take the Interstate Highway 10 and State Highway 146 east of Houston to reach there.
Although the famous Houston Raceway is reportedly closing down, there are still many beautiful natural and artificial attractions worth visiting in Baytown.
Excursions to this small city are full of excitement, especially when you join their festivals and community activities.
Ultimately, the city offers one of the best sunsets in the Mexican Gulf.
All of these make this small city one of the most convenient places to recuperate while exploring its hidden beauty.
If you want to visit this city soon, here are the 15 best things to do in Baytown and nearby places:
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This cable-stayed bridge is the pride of the City of Baytown.
That is why you need to visit this place once you arrive there.
The bridge was named after the Baytown Sun’s publisher and editor, Fred Hartman.
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Today, the bridge serves as Texas’ longest cable-stayed bridge with a total of 2.6-mile distance that connects La Porte’s State Highway 146 to Baytown.
Most visitors in Baytown consider taking photos of the bridge as an excellent souvenir.
So, when arriving in Baytown, make sure to head first to the nearest area where you can safely take photos with the backdrop of the Fred Hartman Bridge.
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Baytown’s most famous celebration each year is the Grito Festival, which highlights the National Hispanic Heritage Month.
The festival runs from October 1st to 2nd at the Baytown Town Square and the Bicentennial Park.
This annual festival is a must-attend event if you’re visiting Baytown to experience mouthwatering food, exciting activities, musical performances from the mariachis, hand-made crafts for sale, and many more.
The Grito Festival also features around a hundred vendors who sell specialty products, ranging from homeware, jewelry, art, toys, and apparel.
The food stalls also highlight delicious Tex-Mex food and flavors, along with other international cuisines.
To strengthen Texas’s conservation efforts for its wetlands, environment, and cultural History, the Eddie V. Gray Wetlands Center offers different educational programs to the public.
Located at 1724 Market St., the center is known for its 9,000-square-foot exhibit hall, while its other attractions include the Coastal Connection Rooms.
The Coastal Connection Rooms houses the freshwater and saltwater animals found in the Mexican Gulf’s bays and estuaries.
Get up close with juvenile alligators, birds, and other animals here.
The Eddie V. Gray Wetlands Center is open from 8 am to 4 pm but is closed on Sundays.
Baytown’s famous Lynchburg Ferry takes you to the cities and towns across the Houston Ship Channel.
Riding the ferry is a recommended activity that you must not miss in Baytown since Lynchburg is Texas’s oldest operating ferry service.
For many years, the ferry service operating under the Harris County already transported countless pedestrians and vehicles for free.
The ferry starts its service at 4:30 in the morning, and its final trip is at 8:15 pm.
The Baytown Umbrella Alley is a beautiful art installation that is a perfect setting for an Instagram photo.
The place was once an abandoned alley filled with graffiti and debris, but it was restored, thanks to the collaboration between the students and faculty of the Lee College Art Department.
The place is a top-rated attraction for visitors in Baytown, where 120 colorful umbrellas canopy overhead.
To visit the umbrella alley, head to 124 W. Texas Ave in Baytown.
The Baytown Nature Center is known for its guided tours around its tidal marshes, freshwater wetlands, hardwood uplands, and forest teeming with wildlife and vegetation.
The center sits at the 500-acre peninsula, surrounded by the Scott, Crystal, and Burnet bays.
It’s a must-visit place since it’s been listed as one of the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail, where you can spot one of the 317 species of migratory and local birds.
Ultimately, the American Bird Conservancy has designated the Baytown Nature Center as its nationally essential bird location.
The Baytown Nature Center is open from 6:30 am to 6:45 pm.
It is at 6213 Bayway Drive, Baytown, TX.
If you’re a fan of Broadway plays or perhaps theatrical plays, Baytown’s got a perfect place for you to watch them.
It’s at the Baytown Little Theater at 2 E Texas Ave, where you’ll experience highly-entertaining theatrical plays from its resident production team.
Here, you can catch musical, comedy, and dramatic plays.
The Baytown Little Theater is run by passionate actors, a production team, and volunteers, whose mission is to provide theater lovers with beautiful performances.
To learn about the theater’s upcoming shows, check its official website.
Established in 1954, this art institution in Baytown continues to spread awareness and support to revive the Old Goose Creek Historic District.
The art center also serves as the home of the Art League of Baytown that also advocates arts and culture.
To support their cause, you can join their fun-filled art workshops and classes.
They offer different arts to people of all ages, such as oil painting, drawing, watercolor, photography, mixed media, and many more.
This attraction is at 110 W Texas Avenue is open from 11 am to 5 pm except for Sunday and Monday.
Geocaching might not be a very familiar word for many, but it is an exciting game.
In a nutshell, it is a unique treasure hunting game using GPS devices.
Navigate and locate geocaches or containers hiding at Baytown’s famous natural and artificial attractions.
This activity was initiated by Baytown’s tourism office to bring more excitement to their tourism sector.
It combines teamwork and efficiency to win this unique treasure hunting while letting you explore the city’s best attractions.
Ultimately, the winning teams have exciting prizes waiting for them, as a courtesy of Baytown’s tourism office.
To join Baytown’s Geocaching, head to its tourism office at 311 W. Texas Avenue.
The Yepez Vineyard is a family-owned winery well-known not just for its fine wines but also for its adobe-style winery that is reminiscent of the old West.
Also, they are best known for their handcrafted premium wines sourced from Black Spanish and Blanc du Bois grapes grown at their 20-acre vineyard.
The vineyard has a tasting room where you can get a glass or two of their best-selling wines.
They also celebrate the Grape Stomp Festival every November, so be sure to visit the vineyard during that month to join the owners and locals to make wine the traditional way.
The vineyard is at 12739 FM, Baytown, Texas, and it’s open from Friday to Sunday.
Jim Evans, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The former Baytown federal building and post office now serves as the city’s historical museum.
It houses Baytown’s historical artifacts dating back from the Karankawa Indians to the Texas Revolution.
You will also find the period furnishings and housewares from Baytown’s founding citizens and prominent personalities.
It’s also where you’ll find the New Deal artwork: Texas, a famous mural made by Barse Miller at the museum’s Treasury Section of Fine Arts.
More conveniently, the entrance to the museum is free, so when you’re in Baytown, make sure to visit here for fascinating art and history lessons.
The museum is at 220 W Defee St, Baytown.
The Bicentennial Park at the corner of Market Street and Lee Drive is where most locals in Baytown spend their morning jogs and afternoon strolls.
The Bicentennial Park is the liveliest place in the city during the Grito Festival every October.
Aside from the Grito Festival, it’s also where the locals celebrate the Fourth of July every year.
It is also where they commemorate the sacrifices of the men and women in service.
The park is an exceptional place to unwind, walk around, and even rub elbows with the locals.
Make sure to take photos at its gazebo and outdoor theater, which serves as the park’s focal point.
Lastly, the park is also packed with activities and events throughout the year, so chances are, you’ll come across a community event when you go there.
Drop into the upscale bowling alley of AR’s Entertainment Hub and enjoy a friendly bowling game with your pals!
Test your abilities at their newly created 9-Hole black light glow mini-golf course or play with your friends in their recently made laser tag game with an urban concept.
View the full DJ and Disco lighting used at the roller skating rink to create a fantastic nostalgic atmosphere.
AR’s Entertainment Hub features six lanes ideal for small gatherings or for renting out for a business event.
The lanes include cozy lighting choices and projectors so that players can watch sports while competing.
The adult-only bar area also presents the chance to play the 72 arcade plus midway games with a reward claiming center.
Experience some of the top fishing spots along the Texas coast!
Bow to Stern Fishing Tours offers fishing for everyone, from novices to the most experienced fisherman.
They provide a variety of vacation packages, including memorable family-friendly fishing excursions and weekend trips.
With beyond two decades of expertise in these waters, Captain David, the owner, and your guide thoroughly understand the many fish species and the finest fishing spots throughout the year.
Their 22-foot center console boat offers a rather dry and pleasant trip for passengers of all ages.
Some of the more productive fishing spots in the bay region also offer wade and kayak fishing.
Bow to Stern Fishing Tours can meet your needs, whether you simply want a pleasant day out on the water or want to try something completely different.
With a family-friendly atmosphere for locals and guests alike, Pipeline Grill is a local favorite in Baytown, Texas, thanks to their food choices.
Tasty oven-baked pizza, premium burgers, and a wide variety of traditional American dishes are all included on the menu.
Along with the domestic favorites, they provide a sizable selection of constantly-changing local and artisan brews that showcase the finest of each state, including several from Texas brewers.
Sample the region’s widest variety of ice-cold tap beer, hand-crafted cocktails, specialized frozen beverages, and frozen drinks!
Drop in and enjoy Pipeline Grill’s wide facilities and enticing food selections Monday through Sunday from 11 am to 9 pm.
The Library was named after Ross Sterling to recognize his vision and dedication to the printed word.
Sterling Municipal Library was subsequently increased through two bond initiatives, in 1975 and 1995, to its present 50,500 square feet.
Nearly 175,000 objects make up their collection, and more than 700,000 items are circulated annually.
Several works of art, including sculptures and murals, may be seen in and around the Library.
Borrowers have free access to a variety of conventional and automated services.
Next time you’re shopping for a particular brand or kind of beer, wine, or liquor, browse the collection at Baytown Discount Liquor first!
Their Baytown, Texas, liquor store has a wide selection, from top-shelf items to affordable favorites.
In addition, Baytown Discount Liquor can assist you in finding what you’re searching for if they don’t have it.
Whether you want a decent glass of wine, premium liquor, or craft beer, they aim to satisfy the demands of all their customer.
Get a terrific price on spirits you’ll genuinely appreciate when you visit Baytown Discount Liquor!
Once you’ve completed visiting Baytown’s attractions, why not drop by to these other attractions that are just a stone’s throw away from this city?
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The NRG Stadium can pack up to 72,000 people in the home of the Houston Texans.
To get to NRG Stadium and watch the Texans in the National Football League (NFL), you need to drive 25 minutes west of Baytown to take you to Houston, Texas.
Building this man-made marvel in Houston costs around $352-million.
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Since it’s very close to Baytown, you must not miss visiting this colossal football stadium.
Other exciting events are happening here aside from the NFL.
If you’re an NFL fan, watching some Texan home games would be a wonderful experience.
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In La Porte, Texas, the Battle of San Jacinto shaped the state’s History after American general Samuel Houston defeated Mexican General Antonio López de Santa Anna and his army in a sweeping victory.
The San Jacinto Monument was built right at the battleground to immortalize the Texans’ lopsided victory against the Mexican army.
The monument stands at 100-meters high, and you can climb the top of it with an elevator to get a bird’s eye of the Galveston and Houston Bays.
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Plus, a museum gives you a deeper insight into the state’s 400 years of rich history.
Another popular attraction here is the USS battleship Texas that served during the height of World War 2 and is now permanently moored to the San Jacinto State Park.
To get to the San Jacinto Monument, it’s a 17-minute drive, 13 miles northwest of Baytown.
Jim Evans, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Of course, your adventure in Baytown and its nearby places won’t be complete without tasting the world-famous Texas-style barbeque.
To make sure you only eat at those who serve authentic Texas-style barbeque, you need to head to Killen’s Barbecue in Pearland, Texas.
Killen’s Barbeque at 3513 E Broadway St in Pearland, Texas, is Baytown’s nearest top-notch barbeque joint.
The barbeque joint is a 32-minute drive southwest of Baytown.
This constantly packed place is one of the top food destinations in Pearland.
It has smoked beef brisket, beef ribs, pulled pork, homemade sausages, and delicious sides from the recipe of pitmaster and chef Ronnie Killen.
However, you need to go there early or book a reservation ahead of time to avoid the very long queue of hungry customers who want to eat there.
They open from 11 am onwards until they sell out their barbeque for the day.
There you go with the 15 best things to do in Baytown and its nearby places.
Hopefully, you already have the best idea for your itinerary when you get here.
Baytown should be on your bucket list of places for short excursions or day trips out of the city.
It guarantees you relaxation from its activities and attractions that will divert your mind from stress.
Whenever you’re ready to visit Baytown, make sure to bookmark this list!
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