Blake Walsh

15 Best Things to Do in The Colony, TX

  • Published 2022/10/10

The Colony is a city with a rich history and is only 30 miles north of downtown Dallas.

Nestled in Denton County, the Colony hosts the oldest community in the state: the Bridges Settlement.

The Colony didn’t exist before 1973.

That year, home builders Fox and Jacobs bought 3,000 acres near State Highway 121.

Fox and Jacobs decided on the name “The Colony” to “create a living tribute to the passion and bravery of the Peters Colonists” and to connect their new development to Texas’ heritage.

You can browse the biggest shopping malls in the country, have a handcrafted beer session, or tee off down a fairway overlooking a lake.

Then, go hiking on gorgeous outdoor trails.

The Colony is a one-stop resort where it’s equally simple to indulge in window shopping as it is to escape to nature.

It is on the eastern banks of Lewisville Lake.

Below are the best things to do in the Colony.

Spend an Afternoon at Hawaiian Falls – The Colony

Slides at Hawaiian Falls - The Colony

Loadmaster (David R. Tribble) This image was made by Loadmaster (David R. Tribble) Email the author: David R. Tribble Also see my personal gallery at Google Photos, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Summer in The Colony is full of fun, and when you visit Hawaiian Falls – The Colony, you can splash on different slides or enjoy the cool water.

Ten attractions await you.

Kahuna Beach is the ideal location to cool off while relaxing in the sunshine and watching the kids play basketball or climb the ropes.

Try out Oahu Bay, the wave pool at Hawaiian Falls – The Colony, designed mainly for families with small children and features a sequence of mild ripples ideal for swimming, board surfing, tubing, and simply relaxing.

Sunny view at Hawaiian Falls - The Colony

Loadmaster (David R. Tribble) This image was made by Loadmaster (David R. Tribble) Email the author: David R. Tribble Also see my personal gallery at Google Photos, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

On the other hand, Keiki Kove has 40-foot slides with dumping pails, water containers, geysers, and pulleys, all part of this enormous interactive water rain fortress.

There are also cabanas you can choose from; use the Island Bungalow, and you can enjoy the stunning Kona Kooler Lazy River.

For a family staycation, you can stay at the Elite Cabana, scattered throughout the Hawaiian Falls – The Colony.

Inside Hawaiian Falls - The Colony

Loadmaster (David R. Tribble) This image was made by Loadmaster (David R. Tribble) Email the author: David R. Tribble Also see my personal gallery at Google Photos, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Discover the Wonders at Barney Smith’s Toilet Seat Art

The Barney Smith Toilet Seat Art Museum, housed at Truck Yard The Colony, features more than 1400 works of art made out of toilet seats that Barney Smith produced over his lifetime.

Barney Smith, a San Antonio-born plumber, later became an artist and used toilet seats as his canvas.

In 1992, Barney created the first museum in a spacious carport in his backyard.

For more than 70 years, he produced a gallery fit for a museum using a range of mixed media and drawing inspiration from anything and everything.

His museum received rave reviews from residents of San Antonio and travelers, drawing attention from worldwide.

The Barney Smith Toilet Seat Art Museum can accommodate up to 60 people for your next business team-building event, birthday celebration, or other gatherings.

You can reserve the entire upstairs room, which includes a massive TV with seating at elevated tables and optional buffet tables.

Enjoy browsing the magnificent collection of unique, quirky, and endearing artworks at the Barney Smith Toilet Seat Art Museum.

Go Camping at Stewart Creek Park

Stewart Creek Park is on Lake Lewisville’s shores.

The Colony’s Stewart Creek Park is a quiet oasis where you can enjoy the great outdoors away from the stress.

The 65-acre Stewart Creek Park offers visitors a variety of attractions.

Stewart Creek Park provides all you need to spend a weekend at the lake, including picnic tables, restrooms, and plenty of parking.

A beach volleyball court, playgrounds, and barbecue grills next to picnic tables will keep the whole family busy.

When it’s time to cool off, go to the swimming beach’s sandy coastlines.

Campsites for tents and RVs are available for overnight stays, and if you have the time, you can stay there for two weeks.

Except for times when the park has special activities, RV and tent camping sites are open all year long.

Take a Walk or Ride Your Bike on the Colony Shoreline Trail

The Colony Shoreline Trail crosses 3.5 miles of untouched wilderness, created as an ecologically aware hike-and-bike trail.

The Colony Shoreline Trail stretches along Lewisville Lake and is perfect for walkers, cyclists, and hikers.

The trail begins at Stewart Creek Park and ends at Ridgepointe Park, which combines paved and natural surface routes.

There are maps and parks with seating and picnic tables scattered throughout the Colony Shoreline Trail.

You can find bicycle tool kiosks, comprehensive trail maps at trailheads, and informative signs pointing out any indigenous wildlife you could come across.

There are no public faucets here, so you should carry water.

Relive Your Childhood at the Andretti Indoor Karting and Games

Enjoy the rush as you zoom around the track at Andretti Indoor Karting and Games.

Andretti Indoor Karting and Games’ electric indoor go-kart track features the Biz Kart Ecovolt NG, the best electric kart model available.

These karts have enough torque to carry you to victory lane.

They are also robust, ergonomic, safe, and environmentally friendly.

Mini Mario karts for four to seven-year-old drivers are also available at Andretti Indoor Karting and Games in The Colony.

If you get tired of riding go-karts, you can try other amenities at Andretti Indoor Karting and Games, such as an arcade, laser tag, hyper deck, and duckpin bowling.

Enjoy your favorite childhood arcade game, or try the new ones and bond with your kids.

You can compete with friends in a game of laser tag as you run the two-story, 4,000-square-foot laser tag course to bring your virtual gaming into the actual world and get your heart racing.

You can also explore the Nebraska Furniture Mart and Scheels, two major shopping destinations nearby.

Ride the Gondola at the Grandscape Wheel

Indulge yourself and seven friends in a Texas-sized adventure in one of the gondolas of the Grandscape Wheel.

Bond with your friends as you stay inside a temperature-controlled gondola.

Take advantage of all the magnificent sights around you as you take 360° sights of the beautiful Texas cityscape.

The majestic Grandscape Wheel, rising 200 feet tall, offers breathtaking vistas as you enjoy the Texas-sized adventure on one of the last three revolutions gondolas.

World-class dining establishments, unique entertainment options, and hand-picked boutiques are all close by to complete your experience.

Spend a Day at the Nebraska Furniture Mart

Front view of Nebraska Furniture Mart

AFM Visuals / Shutterstock.com

Located off Sam Rayburn Tollway/Texas 121, the enormous Nebraska Furniture Mart is a Texas-sized home goods shop that spans 100 acres.

The Nebraska Furniture Mart is one of the largest home furnishing stores in North America, and it offers an impressive selection of furniture, flooring, appliances, electronics, and home décor.

The 560,000-square-foot retail showroom at Nebraska Furniture Mart helps you select the products you need for your home and enhance your quality of life.

The store also has a design center where you can consult with experts and get help with planning your home project.

In addition to the main store, there is also an outdoor living area with patio furniture, grills, lawnmowers, lawn equipment, and patio furniture that you can choose from.

Entrance sign of Nebraska Furniture Mart

AFM Visuals / Shutterstock.com

Visit the Colony Five-Star Complex

The 80-acre Colony Five Star Complex is home to the Five Star Athletic Complex, which features lighted baseball/softball fields, multi-purpose fields, and a hike and bike trail.

In 2003, the Colony Five Star Complex opened with three group pavilions, playground areas, and nearly 1.3 miles of biking and walking routes.

To improve the overall experience for both players and their parents, they incorporated distinctive local stonework and lovely architecture into the design of the Colony Five Star Complex.

The Colony Five Star has five baseball and two softball diamonds, with scoreboards dug out.

Concession buildings include encircling patios, with tiered audience seats all present in each of the fields.

Have a Blast at the Immersive Gamebox – Grandscape

For a half-hour or hour of interactive fun, you can reserve a game area for up to six companions when you visit the Immersive Gamebox – Grandscape.

The Immersive Gamebox – Grandscape location in the Colony is Immersive Gamebox’s first U.S. venue.

You can select from various games that incorporate augmented or mixed reality.

Founded in 2019, the Immersive Gamebox has locations in the US, Germany, and the United Kingdom.

For the best gaming experience, explore a completely immersive online space with motion capture, interactive displays, visualization mapping, and surround sound.

Join forces with loved ones to do fun activities or challenge one another at the Immersive Gamebox – Grandscape.

What’s best is that you will not have to use a bulky VR Gear.

Catch a Live Performance at the Lava Cantina

As a renowned performance venue in North Dallas, Lava Cantina is a rock ‘n’ roll-themed Mexican restaurant that can accommodate more than 1500 people.

Lava Cantina’s main stage has room for a live band and dancing.

The restaurant serves Mexican food with a twist, including Flaming Lava Queso, Chicharrones, tacos, quesadillas, Mexican Shrimp Cocktail, and Lava Nachos.

Lava Cantina also hosts events regularly, depending on the trends and the musical guests that are currently popular.

You can join their Taco Tuesday events, featuring a live karaoke session with a band and $2 tacos.

Chill Out at Windmills

Discover avant-garde performers in Windmills’ top-notch jazz club, or peruse a vast collection of well-chosen books on arts, fashion, architectural style, and music.

The multi-level pub has a large bar where visitors may enjoy top-notch live music and choose a sample from 14 locally made craft beers.

Gourmets can indulge in the menu’s upgraded offerings of traditional Texas food, meals with East Indian influences, and locally made beverages.

Their starters are a treat to the palate, where you can choose Shishito peppers, honey chili potatoes, and Tandoori chicken tacos.

Windmills, which debuted in Bangalore, India, in September 2012, combines cozy seating, a spacious stage area, delicious food, and artisanal brews to create a setting that feels at home whenever you visit.

Windmills provide a wide range of local performances and hundreds of great books, making it a genuinely exceptional and one-of-a-kind destination.

You can count on a unique and exciting experience every time you visit Windmills, whether for a drink or a performance.

Try the Expertly Crafted Beer at the Beard Science Sourhouse

Check out some of the finely flavored beers that Beard Science Sourhouse has processed.

They specialize in souring and fermenting methods uncommon in breweries.

You can expect a new experience every time to go to Beard Science, thanks to the brew masters’ creative blending of exotic flavors and intriguing ingredients.

A complete bar, and extensive whiskey selection, including those hard-to-find allotted Bourbons and hand-picked prime barrels, are also available at Beard Science.

Close to Truck Yard, they offer outside dining where patrons may see stage performances and concerts in the beer garden.

You can book their private party room if you want to hold your next event at Beard Science Sourhouse.

Win a Golf Game at Stewart Peninsula Golf Course

The Stewart Peninsula Golf Course, sitting on a peninsula that borders Lake Lewisville, offers competitive gameplay and breathtaking scenery.

The Stewart Peninsula Golf Course is 9/18-hole with double fairways and six different teeing positions per hole.

It is in an exceptional setting on a gorgeous peninsula that borders Lewisville Lake and offers challenging play along with more than 65 acres of breathtaking views.

This course enjoys consistent ratings as one of the most fantastic locations to play in Dallas, attracts players of all skill sets, and boasts the only clubhouse designed like a lighthouse near the lake.

The Stewart Peninsula Golf Course is also home to different tournaments.

Moreover, the course also offers lessons from professional golf instructors.

Rent a Boat and Tour Lake Lewisville

Scenic view of Lake Lewisville

MaryAnne Campbell / Shutterstock.com

If you want to explore Lake Lewisville on your own, renting a boat is the best way.

Several companies offer boat rental services, as Lewisville Lake boasts more than 29,000 acres of spectacular water recreation options make up Lewisville Lake.

It’s perfect for angling, snowboarding, sailing, and swimming, thanks to the abundance of marinas, public parks, boat launch accessibility, and Texas’ well-known sunny summer weather.

Sunset at Lake Lewisville

ZeKing / Shutterstock.com

Lewisville Lake is surrounded by over 16,500 acres of park and wildlife conservation lands, making it a great place for campers, picnickers, hikers, bikers, birdwatchers, and many other activities.

The three-mile Colony Shoreline Trail runs around Lewisville Lake with gorgeous lakefront scenery almost the entire way.

Explore the Tribute Shoreline Trail to get a close-up view of the local wildlife and plants.

Similar to the inner-peninsula pathway at Hidden Cove, the path’s dense forest canopy forms a sheltered natural forest area.

Scenic view of Lake Lewisville

Trong Nguyen / Shutterstock.com

Discover the Awesomeness of the Shacks Dining

The Shacks Dining is in The Colony’s Austin Ranch community, tucked away beneath massive oak trees.

Six eateries make up the novel concept, and they all share a spacious patio with views of Bacon’s Dog Park.

Whether craving a burger with seafood and coffee, the Shacks Dining has everything you need.

The Shacks Dining is made of popular restaurants, such as TEN Ramen, OMG Tacos, Tackle Box, and Dirty Burger Bar.

Dogs are also welcome; the public is welcome to use Bacon’s Dog Park, which has distinct spaces for large and small breeds, benches, and plays structures.

You can join events such as Live Music Fridays and Bulldog Bonanza at The Shacks Dining.

The Shacks Dining is the perfect place to experience excellent food and scenery.

Final Thoughts

The Colony has plenty to offer visitors and residents alike.

This vibrant community has something for everyone from its stunning natural scenery to its exciting events and activities.

Discover more of the outdoors or enjoy some delicious food!

Check out the best things to do in the Colony, Texas, today and start planning your next adventure!

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