Bats at Foster Road:
Loop 306 and Foster Road overpass. From March to November a colony of free-tail bats occupies the crevices on the underside of the bridge. As many as 184,000 bats have been recorded. Best time for viewing is at sunset.
Angelo State University Planetarium:
ASU’s Vincent Nursing- Physical Science Building, 942-2188. The ASU Planetarium is the fourth largest planetarium in the nation among universities. An array of programs are created for students and the public with threedimensional views of the universe. Shows are at 8 p.m. each Thursday when ASU classes are in session. Admission: $3 for adults and $2 for senior citizens and children. Free for ASU students, faculty and staff.
Block One of Concho Avenue:
Downtown, between Chadbourne and Oakes streets. The first street in San Angelo offers a colorful glimpse into the past through an eclectic group of shops that includes restaurants, antiques and unique gift items.
Cactus Hotel:
36 E. Twohig Ave., 655-5000, www.cactushotel.net. This historic 14-story building was constructed in 1929 and was one of Conrad Hilton’s first hotels. It is now home to several civic organizations, small businesses and restaurants and limited living spaces. The building, which includes an impressive lobby and second-floor ballroom, is open daily free of charge. Rooms may be rented for various functions.
Concho Christmas Tree Farm:
Includes selecting & cutting a tree, farm tours, fresh wreaths, gift shop, hay rides & games, photo opportunities and more. 325-896-7575.
Concho Valley Vietnam Veterans Memorial:
Entrance to San Angelo Regional Airport/Mathis Field, south of the city on Knickerbocker Road. This notable memorial, established by the Concho Valley Vietnam Veterans of America, Chapter 457, includes a UH-1H Huey helicopter that served in combat during the Vietnam War. The memorial is dedicated to the sacrifices and courage of those who served in Vietnam.
El Paseo de Santa Angela:
South of the Concho River near downtown San Angelo, 653-9577. El Paseo is a heritage trail linking the past and the future of San Angelo. Pathways, two pavilion buildings and a tiered plaza connect Fort Concho National Historic Landmark, the Railway Museum of San Angelo at Historic Orient-Santa Fe Depot and the Concho River. The area is home to an open public mall and market place, a restaurant and the “Old Town” historic district.
International Water Lily Collection:
Civic League Park, at the corner of Pecos and N. Park streets. The collection features many rare lilies with both day and night bloomers inseason. The lily collection is open to the public, free of charge at any time.
Old Chicken Farm Art Center:
2505 Martin Luther King Drive, 653-4936, www.chickenfarmartcenter.com. Housed in an old chicken farm, the center has a unique, colorful collection of studios, galleries and educational facilities. The art center also features several special events throughout the year, including art days for both adults and children. Open 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Tuesday–Saturday, free admission.
Tom Green County Library Art Wall:
Judge Edd B. Keyes Building. 113 E. Beauregard Ave. Displays each month feature a variety of art, including photography, sketches, paintings, sculpture and quilts. In addition, two branch libraries have art walls and feature exhibits by different artists each month.
The Concho Pearl:
Concho pearls have been found in the natural waterways of West Texas for at least 400 years. Freshwater mussels, unique to this area, produce lustrous pearls in natural colors ranging from soft pinks to vivid lavenders. They can be purchased in jewelry stores throughout the city.
Old Town:
Orient St. This historic district serves as repository for restored endangered historic buildings, providing a glimpse of early architectural styles. Structures on the site include: the Zenker House, an 1880s bank building, a 1909 Victorian residence, the Camunez grocery store, and a tiny 1880s home.
Producers Livestock Auction:
1131 N. Bell St., 653-3371. The largest sheep auction in the United States and the largest cattle auction in the Southwest. Sheep auctions are held every Tuesday; cattle auctions are held every Thursday.
River Walk:
Downtown along the Concho River. This scenic stretch features a four-mile jogging trail, gardens, plaza area, 14 water displays, children’s playground, RiverStage, San Angelo Visitor Center and a nine-hole golf course.
San Angelo Visitor Center:
418 W. Ave B. This 1,600-square-foot center features a soaring roof, floor to ceiling wall of glass, mesquite floor and benches, and stone walls quarried from Sisterdale, Garden City and Lometa, Texas. Outside is a picturesque waterfall and the bronze Angela Sculpture. Designed by Craig Kinney/ Chakos Zentner Marcum Architects. Open 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Monday–Friday, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Saturday, 12 p.m.–4 p.m. Sunday.
West Texas Collection:
1910 Rosemont, 942-2164, e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Like a family scrapbook, the West Texas Collection contains the memories of occasions both momentous and mundane for West Texas. Those memories are captured in correspondence, through business records, in photographs and on tape recordings. The West Texas Collection is a division of the Porter Henderson Library at ASU. www.angelo.edu/services/library/wtcoll/index.html
