What to see on I-35 between Fort Worth and Austin, from the best kolaches to The Munsters
Planning a family road trip somewhere between Fort Worth and Austin this Memorial Day Weekend?
Here are the top 10 destinations to stop by along the I-35 corridor.
Austin Aquarium
Address: 13530 N Highway 183 Suite #101, Austin
Hours: 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Tripadvisor ranks the Texas aquarium No. 47 of 354 things to do in Austin, receiving four stars from reviewers. Families enjoy an immersive interactive experience with rainforests to deserts to the exotic species of the ocean. Activities include hand feeding sharks, stingrays, birds and tropical animals. You can also feed and touch crocodiles, hold slithering snakes or take a photo with an exotic large breed bird. Suggested duration for the visit is one to two hours.
Dallas Museum of Art
Address: 1717 N Harwood St., Dallas
Hours: 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.
At No. 11 of 252 things to do in Dallas, this prestigious destination features a wide selection of art exhibits, from ancient Mediterranean to contemporary art and design. The museum, established in 1903, received a 4.5 rating on Tripadvisor. Allot two to three hours for a visit to the DMA.
Dallas Zoo
Address: 650 S R L Thornton Fwy., Dallas
Hours: 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
The 106-acre Dallas Zoo offers a fun, educational and entertaining experience for families. There, guests can see a number of endangered species and learn about conservation projects the Dallas Zoo supports. The award-winning Giants of the Savanna habitat, opened in 2010, is internationally known and features elephants, ostrich, zebras, impalas, giraffes and guineafowl. It’s also home to five female elephants and 11 giraffes, which guests can hand feed. Visitors can see cheetahs as well as African lions. The Wilds of Africa habitat features gorillas, chimpanzees, okapi and African penguins. Other highlights include the Lacerte Family Children’s Zoo, a reptile and amphibian complex featuring albino alligators, and the Koala Walkabout, featuring koalas, red kangaroos, wallabies and a lorikeet feeding area. Take the DART Red Line, which takes guests to the zoo’s front entrance, if you need alternative transportation. Plan to be at the zoo for more than three hours. The Dallas Zoo ranks at No. 28 of things to do in Dallas, with a 4.5 rating.
Dr Pepper Museum
Address: 300 S 5th St., Waco
Hours: 10 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
A museum dedicated to the nation’s oldest major soft drink, it offers three floors of exhibits featuring information about soft drinks and a curated soft drink memorabilia collection. You can stop by the soda fountain and gift shop without paying admission. Photo opportunities include a Dr Pepper Green 1940s delivery truck, one of three original neon signs from the Mockingbird Plant in Dallas, a hand-painted advertising sign original to the site and the front of the museum building. On Tripadvisor, the specialty museum is ranked No. 13 of 58 things to do in Waco, with a 4 rating. Plan to spend two to three hours exploring the soft drink museum.
Inner Space Cavern
Address: 4200 South IH 35, Georgetown
Hours: 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
At No. 1 of 35 things to do in Georgetown, the Inner Space Cavern is a must-go spot. The cave was discovered in 1963 by the Texas Highway Department during construction of Interstate 35. Over five miles, the Inner Space Cavern is the fourth largest cavern in Texas. On Tripadvisor, reviewers gave the destination a 4.5 rating. Plan to spend two to three hours there.
Lake Travis Zipline Adventures
Address: 14529 Pocohontas Trail, Volente
Hours: 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.
This Austin attraction is perfect for thrill-seekers, who can zip over Lake Travis starting from 22 stories above the water. Experience the longest ziplines in Texas, featuring a three hour tour with five ziplines. While hiking on nature trails between each zip, you can take in views of Lake Travis. You’ll have all day access to their private lake front property with grills, beach games, loungers and hammocks. You can cool off by swimming in the lake from the private dock, have a picnic or relax in a lounge chair. Bring a cooler for lunch and drinks. The zipline attraction boasts a 5 rating on Tripadvisor, a Travelers’ Choice 2022 award and a No. 1 ranking among Volente activities.
Munster Mansion
Address: 3636 FM 813, Waxahachie
Hours: Tuesday to Saturday, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
The Munster Mansion is a replica of the house portrayed in the 1960s sitcom, The Munsters. It has been recreated room by room using footage from the show. Many pieces in the house are items from the show. Each year, more detail is added, and more items are collected. It received a 4.5 rating on Tripadvisor and was ranked No. 6 of things to do in Waxahachie.
Reunion Tower
Address: 300 Reunion Blvd. E, Dallas
Hours: 1:30 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Website
The iconic Dallas landmark offers panoramic 360-degree views of the Dallas skyline. At 470 feet in the air, the Reunion Tower offers an indoor and outdoor observation deck as well as cool entertaining spaces. Tickets are $24.50 per person and suggested duration for the visit is one to two hours. The attraction comes in at No. 24 among things to do in Dallas, with a 4.5 rating.
Waco Mammoth National Monument
Address: 6220 Steinbeck Bend Dr., Waco
Hours: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Waco Mammoth National Monument is a paleontological site containing the only nursery herd of ice age Columbian mammoths in the U.S. Visitors can look at fossils of Columbian mammoths and other mammals, and enjoy a guided tour where they visit a dig shelter. Tripadvisor ranks it No. 8 of 58 things to do in Waco and rates it 4.5 stars.
Best kolaches on the road
If you must stop for a bite to eat, these two bakeries in West are the places to be. This little hamlet roughly 15 miles north of Waco is the Czech Heritage Capital of Texas. It is also home to arguably the best kolaches in Texas. Or, klobasniky, as many in this town of 2,800 people might correct you. So, what’s the difference?
A bit of pastry history according to Texas Monthly: “Texas-Czech communities clustered in the Central Texas Czech belt are well-known as places to find authentic kolaches, which their forebears brought to the state in the 1800s. Filled with fruit and sometimes cheese — original flavors included apricot, prune, farmer’s cheese, and poppy seed — these kolaches were and remain an integral part of Czech life.”
Klobasniky, at least in the form we love today, are considered to have been invented at the Village Bakery in West in the 1950s, according to lonestartravelguide.com. Klobasniky are traditionally made with kolache dough wrapped around a bit of sausage.
Little Czech Bakery
This is the most famous stop on the Texas kolache tour. The bakery is also a fuel stop. Win-win.
Address: 104 S George Kacir Dr., West
Slovacek’s
This bakery opened in West in 2013, but it has a long history of feeding Texans good food. It was formerly the Slovacek Sausage Company in Snook that was founded in 1957. This bakery also has a gas station.
Address: 214 Melodie Dr., West
Hours: 6 a.m. - 9 p.m. Sunday - Thursday, 6 a.m. - 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday
