In the Hill Country of Texas is the small town of Bandera. It is best known as the Cowboy Capital of the World. Bandera’s title, “Cowboy Capital of the World” originated when it became a staging area for the last great cattle drives of the late 1800’s. Bandera is full of a rich history that when traveling here you will feel as though you have stepped back in time to Frontier times.
Family Friendly Things to Do in Bandera Texas
Bandera has a great selection of family friendly things to do. You can fit multiple things into each day. The kids will enjoy being among the cowboys for the day.
Bandera City River Park
This is another one of my favorite park and river to play in. The rope swings are epic. It goes from one side of the river to the other. There are some baby rope swings for those brave enough to try them. This river also has a section that is shallow. My kids love the shallow part to look for fish, float down the river, and swim. They are more comfortable being able to see the bottom. This river is FREE if you go during the week. They do have an entrance fee on the weekends.
Frontier Times Museum
The Frontier Times Museum features a 40,000-piece collection of old west, pioneer, & prehistoric artifacts. This lovely little museum has an amazing informative displays of artifacts Some historical exhibits which reflected how life was in Bandera, Texas, back in the day. The back room showed an excellent display of saddles and life in the rodeo. This museum will take you a couple hours to explore.
Natural Historical Museum
Replicas of Dinosaurs, Ice Age animals, and educational play stations are located on the eight acre grounds. Inside there are over 100 full-body animal mounts positioned in hand-painted dioramas portraying their natural habitats. An international collection of art pieces are displayed in the museum.
The kids absolutely loved this place. They had a great time learning new things and digging the bones up while outside. The facility was very clean. Your kids will love this one.
Horse back riding
Bandera is the Cowboy Capital so you know there are horses. As a result there are plenty of places to go horse back riding including many of the Dude Ranches. Check out the link to find one.
Shopping
Take a stroll in the old west. If you’re in the market for western wear than you’re in luck. Bandera has multiple local shops with western wear, cowboy trinkets, and unique lawn ornaments. My kids love going to the the Bandera General Store to grab some ice cream cones after we head to the river to play. Majority of the products they sell are related to those old and modern times. It is a cute store.
Whether you’re headed to Bandera Texas for the day or a long weekend, you will have a great time.
Be sure to check out more Family Travel Guides for more great tips.
