Are you looking for the best things to do in San Angelo, Texas? Then you’ve come to the right place! Located on the Concho River, San Angelo is an oasis in East Texas! Known for being an army post in the 1860’s, now over a hundred thousand people call San Angelo their home.
Voted one of the best places to retire, one of the best cities for veterans, and one of Forbes top 100 Best Small Places for Business and Career in 2019! For permanent residents and visitors alike, there is not shortage of San Angelo activities!
Whether you want to brush up on some history, spend time outside, or be entertained, our list will have just what you want. Day or night. Groups, solo trips, or family outings, you will know just what to do in San Angelo Texas!
15 Best Things To Do InSan Angelo TX You Shouldn’t Miss
San Angelo State Park
One of the most educational things to do inSan Angelo with kids is to visit San Angelo State Park! In addition to getting out their wiggles, kids of all ages can spend hours hiking and riding bikes. For longer adventures, you can also camp and ride horses!
For a modern day treasure hunt, you can also geocache at San Angelo State Park! Don’t forget to visit the stables and see the Texas State Official Longhorn herd. There is also a lake and river to fish, swim, boat and paddle!
With all of the activities and time outside, San Angelo State Park is one of the best things to do in San Angelo!
Railway Museum of San Angelo
Also one of the best things to do in San Angelo with kids is the Railway Museum of San Angelo! Guests are transported back to 1910 for a tour of the museum where they will learn about San Angelo, trains, the effect they had on the city, and so much more information!
Open for limited hours Thursday through Saturday, the Railway Museum really showcases the importance of the railway system not only to San Angelo, but to early towns throughout the United States. With a colorful history, including financial instability in the United States and political instability in Mexico to an almost demolition in the 1980’s, this is a must see!
The Railway Museum of San Angelo is one of the best activities in San Angelo for kids and those interested in history!
International Waterlily Collection
Designated by the International Waterlily & Water Gardening Society as the premiere collection of waterlilies in existence, the International Waterlily Collection is one of the most beautiful free things to do in San Angelo!
With such an extensive collection, the curator Ken Landon is only able to display 0.5%. Ken has the mind of a scientist, the heart of a poet and the soul that embodies preserving waterlily heritage for the generations to come!
Spend a couple hours walking through the collection and they rotate the displays out frequently so visit whenever you can and it will be a completely new experience! The International Waterlily Collection is one of the best activities in San Angelo!
San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts
One of the coolest places to visit in San Angelo Texas is the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts! Since opening in 1985, it has housed over 350 exhibits. Some of these exhibits came from the National Portrait Gallery and the Library of Congress!
For a very low admission fee, you can view a wide variety of artists. 150 of the exhibits have featured Texas artists, half of which were women, and a third were minorities. The Museum of Fine Arts also makes it a priority to partner with the community and feature local artists.
There are so many things to see and do, but one of the best San Angelo activities is the Museum of Fine Art. Plan to spend a couple hours or a whole afternoon exploring the beauty that others have created.
Fort Concho Historic Site
The Fort Concho Historical Site is one of the most popular attractions in San Angelo. Built in 1867, Fort Concho was built to protect frontier settlements and patrol and map the wild West Texas region. Built using native limestone, the original settlement had at least forty buildings!
Now, you can tour the site on a tour with a guide, or self guided. The tour guide will have additional information not included in the plaques describing the artifacts! Conversely, the self guided tour allows you to take your time on sections that you find more interesting!
Tracing the American military experience from the end of the Civil War to the turn of the 20th century, the Fort Concho Historical Site is a fascinating experience for any history buff!
OC Fisher Lake
O.C. Fisher Lake is known as an artificial lake which means that is is a reservoir. Constructed by the Army Corps of Engineers in 1947 to provideflood controland a secondarydrinking watersource for San Angelo. A day at the lake is one of the funthings to do inSan Angelo with kids!
Your group has the option to swim, boat, or fish! The lake is full of largemouth bass, white bass, catfish, and white crappie. Due to the drought in 2011, the reservoir completely dried up and the fish population was replaced in 2016.
OC Fisher Lake is one of the fun things to do in San Angelo, TX! With the Concho River being it’s intake and outtake, and a maximum depth of 59 feet, the conditions are perfect!
Lake Nasworthy
Lake Nasworthy is the perfect place to spend a day on the water! Texas is filled with all kinds of beautiful lakes, and Lake Nasworthy is no different!
With many boat ramps surrounding the lake, most people come here to fish. The lake has largemouth bass, catfish, crappie, white bass, and sunfish. The lake was actually made by West Texas Utilities Company in 1930 to provide municipal water to the city of San Angelo and surrounding areas!
There is also the option to camp along the shore in case you want to spend longer than the day! Lake Nasworthy is one of the best activities in San Angelo!
Miss Hattie’s Bordello Museum
One of the best things to do inSan Angelo for adults is to visit Miss Hattie’s Bordello Museum! Located right on Concho Avenue, this unassuming house has a colorful history! The Hattons’, a newly married couple, bought the house in 1902. Mr. Hatton ran a saloon downstairs and the couple lived and entertained their friends and family upstairs.
The marriage was short-lived, and in the divorce it was agreed Mr. Hatton would keep his business downstairs and Mrs. Hatton would continue to live upstairs. Being a single woman in the early 20th century was no easy feat and Mrs. Hatton turned to the oldest profession — a bordello.
Visited by travelers and cowboys alike, it was officially closed by Texas Rangers in 1952. Reopened in the 1970’s as a museum for us to enjoy! For an interesting tour, Miss Hattie’s Bordello Museum is one of the more unique attractions in San Angelo!
Angelo State University Planetarium
Funded by the U.S. Department of Defense, the Planetarium at Angelo State University is one of the best activities in San Angelo! With a Sci-Dome HD projector, they are able to project over 500 million stars and celestial objects.
The planetarium’s main purpose is for the astronomy, physical science and geology classes at the University. As part of their community outreach, it is also open to the public during non class times! Each year, they have close to 10,000 visitors!
Whether you want to learn about space or you just want to space out among the stars, the planetarium is a must! The Angelo State University Planetarium is one of the coolest places to visit in San Angelo!
Pecan Creek Farm and Ranch
Founded in 2017, Pecan Creek Farm and Ranch is one of the most fun things to do inSan Angelo with kids! Their goal is create and fun and relaxing environment for families while providing the opportunity to learn about agriculture along the way.
Their seasonal offerings make the Farm a great place to check out all year! During the fall, there is a pumpkin patch, corn maze, and petting zoo. They sell poinsettias in the winter! Throughout the year, you can see chicks hatch and learn about different their development at different stages. Kids can also play in the root cellar and learn how root cellars benefitted the country from its early stages.
Not to mention all the pecans and pecan flavored products that you can purchase to take home for friends and family! If you’re looking for what do in San Angelo, Pecan Creek Farm and Ranch is a great option!
Reflections Day Spa
If you are looking for one of the best things to do inSan Angelo for adults, you must visit Reflections Day Spa! Getting a treatment or two will help you feel relaxed, refreshed, and ready for the rest of your adventures!
Whether you are doing an epic road trip or chasing bluebonnets, our bodies can take a beating when they are on the move so much! The two hour full body massage or even the thirty minute hot stone massage are just what you need to get those aching muscles back in tip top shape! Reflections Day Spa also offers wax treatment, manicures, pedicures, facials, hair care and so much more!
For a relaxing day pampering yourself, Reflections Day Spa is one of the best places to visit in San Angelo!
Paint Rock Excursions
Thirty miles east of San Angelo is Paint Rock Excursions! There you can see rock paintings done by history’s Native Americans as well as the prehistoric peoples who came before them! This is by far one of the coolest things to do nearSan Angelo!
Although at first hard to decipher, the painted rocks provide clues and context to how the Native Americans and prehistoric peoples saw the world around them. Although Texas is host to multiple premier rock sites, this particular site is one of the the state’s major pictograph collections. A limestone cliff 70 feet high shows hundreds of pictographs that portray animal and human figures, curious geometric shapes, and handprints.
Painted Rock is one of the most interesting things to do nearSan Angelo!
Mt. Camel Hermitage
One of the most unique things to do in San Angelo, Texas is to visit the Mt. Camel Hermitage. The Hermits of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary ofMount Carmel are a community of men called to a life of silence, solitude, prayer, and penance for the good of the Church and the salvation of the world.
Each hermit lives alone in his cell where he prays and meditates on the Word of God. He also takes most meals alone.
Visitors can see how the hermits live and experience the quiet contemplation of their life. A visit to Mt. Camel Hermitage is one of the unforgettable things to do in San Angelo.
Fiddlestrings Bar and Patio
Founded in 1985 as an oyster bar, Fiddlestrings no longer serves oysters, but it is still one of the most fun things to do inSan Angelo at night! With tons of happy hour specials and plenty of events throughout the year, this is a great bar!
Their Thursday Night String Thing summer concerts is the place to be! They offer live music and specialty drinks and you never know what kind of fun you will get into! Fiddlestrings also has a huge outdoor swimming pool, pool tables, arcade games and plenty of TVs to watch all the college and NFL games!
If you are looking for a good time, drinking at Fiddlestrings is one best things to do in San Angelo, TX!
Cowboy-Up Chocolates
A visit to Cowboy-Up Chocolates is one of the best things to do inSan Angelo, TX with kids! Originally crafting specialty cakes and pies for friends and family, James Crowder decided to focus exclusively on chocolate. After years of training, he opened Cowboy-Up Chocolates!
Now owned by The Mullin Family, they have continued his vision of Texas themed chocolate creations, with high quality ingredients and impeccable flavor. James created the Concho Caramel and Misty created the Yellow Rose of Texas truffle. Some of their notable offerings are Almonds de Leche, Apache Painted Truffles, mesquite bean truffles, bananas foster truffles, cappuccino tiramisu truffles, and bronco brittle.
Did we mention their truffles are shaped like the state of Texas? Cowboy-Up Chocolates is a must stop if you are looking for what to do in San Angelo Texas!
