Beating the Texas Heat: Indoor Attractions Within 20 Minutes of the Park

Texarkana Museums System: Three Attractions, One Address

The Texarkana Museums System at 219 N State Line Avenue is the cultural anchor of downtown Texarkana and the most complete single destination for a midday heat escape. The system operates three distinct attractions from the same complex: the Museum of Regional History, the Discovery Place Children’s Museum, and access to the Ace of Clubs House historic property.

Museum of Regional History

The Museum of Regional History is housed in the Offenhauser Insurance Building — built in 1901 and listed on both the National Register of Historic Places and as a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark — making the building itself part of what you’re looking at. The museum was established in 1971 as the first and oldest museum in the Texarkana metropolitan area. The permanent collection includes Caddo Indian artifacts (jewelry, pottery, and tools from the region’s original inhabitants), a replica of the late Congressman Wright Patman’s office, and exhibits tracing Texarkana’s development as the city in two states. Rotating exhibits change throughout the year and are visible on the museum’s website at texarkanamuseum.org.

Hours: Tuesday through Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Closed Sunday and Monday. Phone: (903) 793-4831. The Texarkana Museums System offers discounted admission for seniors and military personnel. The museum is also designated as a welcome center for the Downtown Arts and Historic District — worth asking what else is happening in the neighborhood on the day you visit.

Discovery Place Children’s Museum

Discovery Place is the hands-on, interactive component of the Museums System — the right destination for families with kids under 12 who want an educational experience that doesn’t involve walking past display cases for two hours. The museum shares the complex with the Museum of Regional History and is included in the Museums System visit. For the family where the adults want history and the kids want to touch things, the shared location makes both possible in the same outing.

“Downtown Texarkana’s cultural district is genuinely underestimated — you have a historic arts center in a converted federal courthouse, a classic car museum, a regional history museum in a 120-year-old building, and a restored 1880s theater within walking distance of each other. That’s a downtown arts district by any reasonable definition.”

Regional Arts Center: The Courthouse That Became a Gallery

The Regional Arts Center is one of those buildings that earns its own visit before you even know what’s inside. It began life in 1909 as a United States District Courthouse — a proper federal building with the architectural ambition of the early 20th century — and has been beautifully renovated into an arts and events space by the Texarkana Regional Arts and Humanities Council (TRAHC). The old courtroom is now a grand hall with a 26-foot-high ceiling. The scale of the original federal construction is fully intact; the art on the walls makes the space feel simultaneously historical and current.

National touring art exhibitions cycle through the gallery walls twelve months a year — the specific exhibit on the walls changes regularly, which means a visitor who came six months ago would see different work today. The building also features a unique reproducing player piano whose rolls include a remarkable range of musical history. The “For Arts Sake” gift shop carries art-related gifts and products from local and regional artists. For TRAHC’s current exhibition calendar and events: trahc.org.

Perot Theatre: A National Register Venue in Downtown

The Perot Theatre at 3rd and Main Street in downtown Texarkana is a performing arts venue on the National Register of Historic Places — a fully restored theater that brings Broadway touring shows, classical music, ballet, jazz, and film screenings to the Ark-La-Tex corridor. The theater was substantially restored with funding from the Perot Foundation in memory of the parents of Texarkana native H. Ross Perot, making it a locally meaningful landmark beyond its architectural distinction.

The summer calendar at the Perot typically includes a mix of concerts, film screenings, and touring productions — the specific July schedule is at the Perot Theatre’s own website and event listings. Even without a ticketed performance during your stay, the theater’s presence in the downtown walking district makes it a natural part of a Texarkana cultural afternoon that combines the museums, the arts center, and the theater corridor in a single walkable visit.

Four States Auto Museum: Saturday and Sunday Only

The Four States Auto Museum is located between Third and Broad Streets in downtown Texarkana, Arkansas — across the state line from the Texas side of downtown, walkable from the other cultural attractions. Established in 2004 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, the museum features a rotating collection of classic and antique automobiles that changes every three months, keeping the exhibit fresh for visitors who return across seasons. The specific vehicles on display vary — the collection has previously included a 1954 Chevrolet Bel Air and a 1960 Nash Metropolitan, among others.

Hours: Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Weekday visits by appointment. For car enthusiasts, this is a specific stop worth planning around the weekend schedule; the weekday-only visitor who wants to see the collection should call ahead for an appointment. More at fourstatesautomuseum.org.

Cinemark Texarkana: The Pure-AC Option

For the day when the cultural appetite is satisfied and the heat is the primary problem to solve, Cinemark Texarkana at 4230 St. Michael Drive is the two-hour cold-room answer. The theater has stadium seating, RealD 3D capability, a high frame rate screen option, and the full modern multiplex experience. In a region where afternoon temperatures regularly hit 97°F in July, two hours in a 70°F movie theater is a legitimate midday heat management strategy rather than a cultural compromise. The St. Michael Drive location puts it roughly 10 minutes from RV Park Texarkana depending on traffic.

Silvermoon on Broad: The Neighborhood Arts Venue

Silvermoon on Broad at silvermoononbroad.com is a multi-space arts and events venue developed from four buildings in downtown Texarkana. The complex includes the art-deco 1885 Parlor, an outdoor Singer Courtyard, a Great Hall meeting space, and the Silvermoon Theatre — home to Children’s Theatre productions from local young performers. For families traveling with children who want a live performance experience beyond museum visits, checking the Silvermoon’s current production schedule is worth the look. Contact: 903.792.0562.

For guests at RV Park Texarkana who want to extend their stay beyond a quick overnight to actually use the downtown cultural corridor, current rates and booking options are at the RV Park Texarkana pricing page. Cabin guests who want additional space for a longer cultural-stay visit can look at the cabin accommodations at RV Park Texarkana. Visitors approaching from the De Queen, Arkansas corridor to the northeast can check the RV park near De Queen, AR page for routing context. And for planning any Texarkana stay, RV Park Texarkana is the starting point.

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