Corsicana is a bustling city in Texas and the county seat of the state’s Navarro County.
It’s known for its rich agricultural contributions to the state’s local economy.
While busy, Corsicana isn’t particularly large both in terms of land and population.
Still, you can find many things to do in this unique city with its rich cultural heritage and tons of museums and historic areas.
You can find a lot of arts and entertainment establishments here as well, rounding up a laid-back but fun trip to this city.
The best part?
It’s also extremely close to Dallas, making it a strategic addition to your travel plans.
To give you a glimpse of what this historic city offers, check out this list of the best things to do in Corsicana, Texas.
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Much like Warehouse Living Arts Center, The Palace Theatre is home to some of the city’s best concerts, musicals, and plays.
While Warehouse Living Arts Center holds most of the local plays, The Palace Theater is known for concerts.
No matter where you’re seated, The Palace Theater is designed to give you great views of center stage, making it a pleasing and intimate experience.
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Check out their monthly schedule before your visit; they might just be hosting an underrated band that you’ve been listening to!
Located along West 6th Avenue, you can reach The Palace Theater by foot from the Warehouse Living Arts Center.
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To begin your trip to Corsicana, visiting the historic neighborhood of the Carriage District is easily one of the best options.
The city dates back to the 1840s, and you can see it best through this beautiful neighborhood along the city’s 2nd to 4th avenues.
You can see tons of iconic 1800s to early 1900s buildings in Carriage District, starting with the Navarro County Courthouse, which was constructed in 1905.
Several historic homes, such as the Tatum House, Cunningham Home, and Pace Home, can also be seen.
To aid in your travels, pay a visit to the city’s visitor center to get a self-guided map of all the interesting architectural marvels in the Carriage District.
The Pearce Museum is easily one of the most famous attractions unique to Corsicana—a must-see destination during your visit.
Managed by the city’s main educational institution (Navarro College), Pearce Museum offers a robust lineup of exhibits and collections ranging from all sorts of historical periods.
The museum is mostly dedicated to the history of the United States during the last half of the 19th century, during the American Civil War.
However, it also has a hunter-gatherer exhibit from the prehistoric era of Texas and Corsicana, depicting the life of prehistoric animals and native peoples.
It also has a Western Art Gallery section that shows the contemporary history of Texas’ civilization.
With so many collections and exhibits, Pearce Museum on West Collin Street is a fantastic main attraction in your itinerary.
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Beside Pearce Museum lies Cook Center Planetarium, another educational attraction that Navarro College manages.
The planetarium easily accommodates around 200 people and makes a great addition to your trip if you have children.
With a large dome that expands to around 60 feet, you can easily immerse yourself in the many shows they hold here throughout the year.
While they mostly hold astronomy-related programs, there are other community events here throughout the year.
Check their website to learn more about Cook Center Planetarium’s public schedule.
Lake Halbert Park is a large, 145-acre natural park located southeast of Corsicana’s city proper.
It’s a fantastic spot to immerse yourself in nature while doing all sorts of fun activities with friends or family.
One of the most sought-after activities here is fishing and camping, a great way to experience the true natural beauty of Lake Halbert Park.
There are many RV campsites here and lakefront areas where you can pitch a tent.
If you’re into the outdoors, Lake Halbert Park is a must-add to your travel plans when visiting Corsicana.
Collin Street Bakery Corner is where history meets flavor, as this is a historic business that’s been running since 1896.
An award-winning bakery that ships both locally and overseas to 195 countries, Collin Street Bakery Corner has evolved to be an icon of Corsicana.
Their first branch is in the city’s downtown area, along 7th Avenue.
They’re best known for their fruitcakes which are regarded as one of the best fruitcakes in the world.
Besides their fruitcakes, they have loads of other interesting, delectable sweets like pecan bread, cookies, and croissants.
Collin Street Bakery Corner has a lot of products, making it a great souvenir stop before you leave.
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Pioneer Village is a great stop if you want outdoor fun while immersing yourself in Texas history.
Located near Jester Park at West Park Avenue, Pioneer Village has a spacious outdoor space where you can see various artifacts and relics depicting 19th-century life.
As implied by its name, Pioneer Village is set up to feel just like a community that transports you back in time.
Here, you can see lots of interesting installations like carriages, gas stations, and a cotton gin scale house.
There are tons of relics like furniture, agricultural equipment, and transportation items to see here, so add this to your itinerary.
IOOF Park is one of the most scenic places in Corsicana, known for its wide green spaces, including the IOOF Lake.
A stroll along the walking paths is a great afternoon activity if you want to do something relaxing.
Here, you’ll see many ducks and geese along the way, which you can feed; turtles and various fish are also found at the lake.
IOOF Park is also home to a few soccer fields and playgrounds, making it an ideal place for children and teenagers.
Clean and tranquil, IOOF Park is a fantastic laid-back option to accentuate your Corsicana experience.
It’s located along North 45th Street.
If you want to experience the arts and culture of the city, Warehouse Living Arts Center is a good place to visit.
Several events and performances are held at this arts center throughout the calendar year, featuring various entertaining skits by local actors.
Warehouse Living Arts Center itself has a comfortable and fun atmosphere and is home to excellent facilities.
The building is historic, and though it is not big, it helps create an intimate vibe between the audience and the actors, making it an ideal place for a date.
If you want to watch a unique play during your visit, check out the schedule of Warehouse Living Arts Center along South Main Street.
Billy Hathorn, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Downtown Corsicana is another area that’s teeming with history from the 19th and 20th centuries.
You can explore this by yourself and check out all the amazing shops and historic facades, but doing a bronze statue tour is highly recommended.
Throughout the city’s downtown area, you’ll find several life-sized bronze statues depicting certain people from the city’s history.
Among the most interesting ones is a common oil field worker, which symbolizes the city’s important and pivotal discovery of oil.
There are 16 bronze statues for you to hunt down, and each has a QR code that provides an audio explanation of the history behind each art piece.
Schulman’s Movie Bowl Grille is one of the hottest family destinations in Corsicana.
It’s a movie theater that doubles as a family arcade center, offering various activities for the whole family.
There’s a mini golf, a bowling alley, and a game room with all sorts of arcade games.
Many small children will find this place fun, so include it in your schedule if you’re traveling with kids.
Schulman’s Movie Bowl Grille is conveniently located near Interstate Highway 45 and Highway 287 along Corsicana Crossing Boulevard.
Want a legitimate bowling experience?
Corsicana Park Lanes has you covered.
The premiere bowling facility of the city, Corsicana Park Lanes, is a haven for bowling enthusiasts and a fun gathering place for friends and family.
You can enjoy golf over great food and drinks with your fellow bowlers.
Corsicana Park Lanes has been highly rated for its cleanliness and overall good facilities, so give this one a shot.
You can find this great bowling alley along West 7th Avenue.
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Right in the heart of the city proper is another historic area in Corsicana—Petroleum Park.
Originally purely an agricultural city, Corsicana had an oil boom in its local economy, making the city progress to what it is today.
At Petroleum Park, you can see the site of the first-ever oil discovery not only in Corsicana but in Texas as a whole.
While it’s not a gaudy historical site, there’s a certain charm to this quaint park and its large brick wall that says “Birthplace of Texas Oil Industry.
Apart from the brick wall, you can also see a wooden jail here dating back to 1923, along with several other historic installations.
Petroleum Park can be accessed along 12th Street.
Corsicana is also blessed with a great golf course if you want to spend a couple of hours practicing your swing.
The Oaks Golf Course is a nine-hole country course that gets the job done if you’re looking for a quick but fun play.
The course is a good challenge even to seasoned vets, but also offers enough easy layouts if you’re still struggling as a beginner.
They also have a practice facility here if you just want to let out a few swings.
The Oaks Golf Course is conveniently found along North Business 45, parallel to Interstate Highway 45.
Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Corsicana Opry is both a historical site and an event space.
A classic red brick building built in the first decade of the 1900s, Corsicana Opry is a beautiful sight that architecture buffs will appreciate.
It’s one of Corsicana’s prettiest and largest historic buildings, making it an ideal stop if you’re visiting the city for its heritage.
You can try going to the many events they hold here throughout the year, primarily band concerts and music festivals.
You can enjoy drinks, and there’s also a dance floor where you can just let loose.
Corsicana Opry is along 5th Avenue in the heart of the city.
Corsicana is an amazing city that’s less than an hour away from Dallas, making it an ideal stopover or complementary destination if you’re visiting one of Texas’ largest cities.
While only a small city, Corsicana has a lot of things to offer, especially for history and architecture enthusiasts.
It’s a historic place where you can still find many traces of the 19th and 20th centuries, from artifacts to masterful architecture.
When you’re done appreciating its heritage, there are many more fun activities in its entertainment zones and outdoor parks.
Raring to go?
Keep this list of the best things to do in Corsicana, Texas, for your trip!
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