Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Then there are the antique shops to browse, historic homes to tour, ghosts to hunt... Make
sure you take a boat ride on the Big Cypress Bayou, part of Caddo Lake. Jefferson's a se-
ductive Southern belle with a checkered past, don't be suprised if you fall under her spell.
Sights
The first thing to do is to take a stroll around town. Jefferson is visitor driven so not
everything will be open on weekdays. The visitor center has a full list of all the small mu-
seums and house tours that keep irregular hours. Don't forget that Caddo Lake (
Click
Jefferson Historical Museum
( 903-665-2775;
www.jeffersonmuseum.com
; 223 W Austin St; adult/child $7/4; 9:30am-4:30pm)
For a
bitty place, the town's museum is mighty big. The three-story, 1888 brick courthouse con-
tains interesting exhibits on early life in east Texas and the original Caddo Indian tribe.
MUSEUM
Excelsior House
( 903-665-2513;
www.excelsior@jeffersontx.com
;
211 W Austin St)
This central, historic hotel
was built in the 1850s by a riverboat captain. Famous guests have included US presidents
Ulysses S Grant and Rutherford B Hayes, as well as poet Oscar Wilde. Inquire about free
daily tours of the hotel.
HISTORIC SITE
The Atlanta
( 903-665-2513; 208 W Austin St; tours $5)
Rail baron Jay Gould once offered to bring the rail-
road to Jefferson, but the town (inauspiciously) turned him down, deciding to bet its future
on river traffic. Gould's ultraluxe private 1888 railroad car, the
Atlanta
, now sits near the
center of town. Contact the Excelsior House (
Click here
)
about tours, usually, but not al-
ways available 10am to 3pm.
HISTORIC SITE
The Grove
( 903-665-8018;
www.thegrove-jefferson.com
; 405 Moseley St; tour $5; tours 2pm Sat, 11am Sun)
The
Grove, a private home built in 1861, had reports of hauntings way back in 1882. Take an
hour-long tour with owner and author Michael Whittington, who has written numerous
books about Jefferson and the town's ghosts.
HOUSE
