Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Sabal Palm Sanctuary
( 956-541-8034;
www.sabalpalmsanctuary.org
;
Sabal Palm Rd; adult/child $5/3; 7am-5pm)
The only palm
tree native to Texas grows at this 557-acre sanctuary, operated by a foundation for the Na-
tional Audubon Society. It sits in a bend of the Rio Grande River that was never plowed
under. It's a lush, beautiful and peaceful place with excellent nature hikes.
Although closed for several years by border politics, an agreement keeps the US border
fence open during the day so that you can access this lost oasis on US soil. A highlight is
the
Rabb Plantation House
, the 1892 mansion of the original owner. It's being restored and
will house a visitors center. Among the good hikes is the 0.4-mile-long
Forest Trail
.
Sabal palms reach 20ft to 48ft high and have feathery crowns and thick, bristly trunks.
They once lined the Rio Grande, covering an area of nearly 63 sq miles. In the past 150
years, most have been cut down, first by early settlers who needed lumber and later by
those clearing land for agriculture.
The sanctuary is 6 miles east of Brownsville off FM 1419 (also called Southmost Rd).
NATURE PRESERVE
Gladys Porter Zoo
(
www.gpz.org
;
500 Ringgold St; adult/child $9.50/6.50; 9am-5:30pm Mon-Fri, to 6pm Sat & Sun; )
This
31-acre zoo displays more than 1500 animals in large areas that replicate their natural hab-
itats. Among the crowd-pleasing exhibits are pink flamingos flanking the entrance; But-
terflies, Bugs and Blooms, a walk-through, up-close greenhouse; and a large new aquatic
centre with sharks, sting-rays and more.
ZOO
Historic Brownsville Museum
( 956-548-1313;
www.brownsvillemuseum.org
; 641 E Madison St; adult/child $5/2; 10am-4pm Tue-Fri, to 2pm
Sat)
Housed in the grand Spanish Colonial-style 1928 Southern Pacific Railroad Depot,
this small museum houses historical artifacts and an 1872 steam locomotive. The museum
is part of the Mitte Cultural District. Other nearby facilities include an art gallery and a
children's museum.
MUSEUM
Fort Brown
The University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College share a downtown
campus that includes the site of Fort Brown, a former US army outpost dating from 1846.
It is named for Jacob Brown who died here that year fighting the Mexicans. Several build-
ings from 1868 are restored and used by the campus (older ones were lost in an 1867 hur-
ricane), including the post hospital (Gorgas Hall) and the 1848 Neale Home.
HISTORIC SITE
