Put these 5 things to do in Port Arthur on your list when visiting.
Port Arthur is a city within the Beaumont–Port Arthur metropolitan area of Texas and is 90 miles east of Houston. Texas’s charming Gulf Coast city is rugged and offers natural beaches and wildlife, which drew me in immediately. These 5 Things to do in Port Arthur below are a must.
Disclosure: Our family visit was part of a familiarization tour with Visit Port Arthur, Texas. All opinions are my own.
Related: Outdoor Activities At Texas Beaches
Janis isn’t alone, though. Many internationally-recognized musicians and athletes live or live on the Gulf Coast.
Things To Do In Port Arthur
Besides the many things to do outdoors in Port Arthur, we discovered fascinating history and great food and can’t wait to return.
Related: Texas Waterparks Open 2022
1. Spend The Day At Sea Rim State Park
Camp, hike, kayak, or swim are just a few fun things at Sea Rim State Park. We spent most of our time exploring the gorgeous natural beaches. Sea Rim State Park has 5.2 miles of Gulf shoreline. The rugged beauty draws you in, and its remoteness makes it an ideal spot to see wildlife. Our family had a wonderful time here!
Read more about our adventures here: Sea Rim State Park.
2. Sabine Pass Battleground State Historic Site
I love finding historical sites to visit in our family travels, like Sabine Pass Battleground State Historic Site. This is history where it happened! This notable Civil War battlefield tells the story of Confederate Lt. Richard “Dick” Dowling and his 46 men who prevented a Union attack on Sabine Pass, a principal Texas port for Confederate shipments of supplies crucial to the war effort. This resulted in Union forces never penetrating the Texas interior in the Civil War!
You will explore an interpretive pavilion at the site that walks you through the story, a statue of Lt. Richard “Dick” Dowling, a World War II ammunition magazine, and beautiful walkways along the water. We enjoyed a fun little hike through history.
3. McFadden Wildlife Refuge
While you’re near the area, you don’t want to miss McFadden Wildlife Refuge, especially if you’re city folk like we are! McFadden Wildlife Refuge is over 58,000 acres of coastal marshlands bordering the Gulf of Mexico. We just took a slow drive and saw many unique birds! What we were looking for were alligators. We thought it would be neat to see them in their natural habitat. See them we did! It was so exciting for the kids.
4. Museum Of The Gulf Coast
Our family had a blast at the Museum of the Gulf Coast. We had just planned to spend about an hour here, but everyone was having so much fun that we stayed for several hours. Here you will discover the story of the Texas/Louisiana Gulf Coast Region. There are exhibits on Native Americans, the Civil War, the region’s maritime history, etc. The day we visited, the kids even had the opportunity to hold real snakes!
Janis Joplin
Arguably, most of the museum’s visitors are music trail followers. The biggest draw is Janis Joplin, who was from Port Arthur. You will find a replica of Janis Joplin’s 1965 Porche and many photos, magazines, and other items.
5. The Rodair Roadhouse Bar & Grill
If you’re wondering where to eat in Port Arthur, look no further than The Rodair Roadhouse. Arrive early for this popular restaurant. It took about an hour to procure a table for seven, but that was ok since we enjoyed live country music while we waited. You can always reserve a table online for better seating.
Being on the gulf coast, we had to have some fish, and boy was it good, but I was most impressed that when we told our server that it was our first time, she brought us a complimentary appetizer of fried green tomatoes and hush puppies! Oh, how I love fried green tomatoes!
Port Arthur Beach
If there’s time in your visit, even on windy, cold days, a trip to the beach is the thing to do.
McFaddin Beach is one of Port Arthur’s impeccable upper Texas Gulf Coast beaches and part of McFaddin National Wildlife Refuge.
Plan a trip to Port Arthur! It’s a great place to get out in nature, grab a little history, and eat some delicious gulf coast food!
PIN IT!
Leave a Reply