Cleburne (Texas)

Cleburne is one of those fun close-minded towns named after a Confederate general in the Cross Timbers region. It was first a rendezvous point for Confederate soldiers during the Civil War, mostly under Patrick Cleburne, then a watering hole on the Chisholm Trail, then a stop along multiple railroads. But today it's more or less a conservative suburb of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex with a couple of museums and a reservoir known as Lake Cleburne.

• 🌍 The Chisholm Trail Museum; Big Bear Native American Museum, 101 Chisholm Trail, ☏ +1 254 998-0261. Among other things, it has a restored log courthouse, pretty much a unique oddity you'll seldom find anywhere, plus a blacksmith shop and other nostalgia, then Native American exhibits. $8-$9 adults, $5 kids. (updated Jan 2022)
• 🌍 Layland Museum, 201 North Caddo Street, ☏ +1-817-645-0940, museum@cleburne.net. Tu-F 10AM-5PM, Sa 10AM-4PM. Another history museum, more regional and generic than the Chisholm Trail Museum. Free. (updated Jan 2022)
• 🌍 Cleburne Railroad Museum, 206 N Main St, ☏ +1-817-645-0940. Tu-Sa 11AM-4PM. All about the rail conglomerates that made a presence in the old town. Free. (updated Jan 2022)
• 🌍 Gone With the Wind Museum, 305 East 2nd Street, ☏ +1 817 517-3897. Th-Sa 10AM-5PM. Gone With The Wind Fans ought to like this one. $10 adults, $7 kids. (updated Jan 2022)
• Dinosaur Science Museum and Research Center, 113 W Magnolia St, Keene (on the Southwestern Adventist University campus), ☏ +1 817 202-6336. Su-F 10AM-4PM. A natural history dealing with dinosaurs, but the perspective may be a little Adventist-based. (updated Jan 2022)

• 🌍 Plaza Main Street Theatre, 111 South Main Street, ☏ +1-817-202-0600, info@plaza-theatre.com. Performing arts theater. (updated Jan 2022)

Parks

• 🌍 Hulen Park, 1010 Hillsboro St, ☏ +1 817 556-8858. Daily 8AM-10PM. Urban park with a historic locomotive on display. What is left of the historic Tris Speaker Field is here. The park includes the baseball field named Don Moore Field, the city pool known as "Splash Station", a playground, horseshoe pits, multiple picnic shelters, tennis courts, a basketball court, a gazebo, and a walking trail that encompasses the property. (updated Jan 2022)
• 🌍 Buddy Stewart Park, 100 Byron Stewart Park Rd (along Lake Pat Cleburne), ☏ +1 817 556-8858. Park with trails. (updated Jan 2022)
• 🌍 Cleburne State Park, 5800 Park Rd 21, ☏ +1 817-645-4215. Daily 7AM-10PM. This state park encompassing spring-fed Cedar Lake provides a good intro to Cross Timbers region ecology with chances to see coyotes and bobcat along 6 mi (9.7 km) of trail. $6 free if under 13). (updated Jan 2022)

Cleburne State Park October 2020 04 (Cedar Lake)

• 🌍 Carver Park, 600 Park Street (northeastern Cleburne). A park with a playground, splash pad, basketball court, baseball field, and a walking trail, picnic shelter, and restroom. (updated Sep 2024)
• 🌍 Winston Patrick McGregor Park, 1628 West Henderson Street. A park with a walking trail and a pavilion with picnic tables. This park includes a Texas Wildscapes Wildlife Habitat Demonstration Site as well as a flowerbed full of different types of Iris flowers. (updated Sep 2024)
• 🌍 Kirtley Park (adjacent to Lake Pat Cleburne). This is a park with no paved trails, but plenty of space for picnics and walking. There is one volleyball court. (updated Sep 2024)

• 🌍 Hill College - Johnson County Campus, 2112 Mayfield Parkway, ☏ +1-817-760-5500. A two year school in the Hill College system (updated Sep 2021)

You can try camping at the state park.

• 🌍 Super 8 by Wyndham Cleburne, 1707 West Henderson Street, ☏ +1 817 556-3330. Here an elevated hot tub spills its water over into the pool for a kind of cool effect. (updated Jan 2022)
• 🌍 Liberty Hotel, 250 East James Street (downtown Cleburne), ☏ +1-817-556-3700. The Liberty Hotel is a four story, restored historic hotel. (updated Sep 2024)