We did the train ride to Rusk. Supper cool! We were in the dome car. It gave such a great view. Our conductor Kelly was great! There is a recording that gives you some history of the different areas we went through. It was cool to do this with someone from the area because she had a lot of additional information. Honestly, it is a lot of trees, but I loved it. We had a nice fruit and veggie tray waiting at our seats. We also got complimentary champagne. There was food and drinks, both alcoholic and non available for purchase.

I had a fantastic and historically significant weekend with family and friends on The Texas State Railway in Palestine, Texas. Approximately 20 of us traveled from Houston, TX to Palestine, Texas to ride the TSR on 9/13 and were treated to champagne, apple cider, and a healthy snack during the train ride. Our host, Joyce, provided us with a comprehensive history lesson about the origins of the TSR and its decision to offer public tours. Additionally, a Caboose Restaurant was available for those who wished to dine during the one-hour layover. My group of 7 opted to stay at a charming Airbnb, The Hidden Gem Ruby Cottage, on 9/12 prior to the train excursion. It was truly a fantastic weekend!

Wow. Just wow. The views weren’t great, just the big thicket of trees and muddy creeks, but I would STILL go back. Joyce, our 82 year old train car attendant was beyond sweet. Her stories were adorable and her passion for her job is contagious. It was a truly delightful ride.

Great excursion. They need to provide this in the middle of the day and cater lunch. Return trip was all in the dark. We could have been in a tunnel the whole way back. We could not see anything. We thougbt we would be able to see the stars, but lights in the railcar prevented that. They need to change or upgrade their caterer. Pork chop was very thin. I thought grilled pork chop would be a thicker pork chop or at least two. Luckily, my wife got the chicken option which was the leg/thigh quarter and I ate half of her chicken. Dessert was cobbler, but the dough was still raw. I risked the food born illness and ate it anyway.

It's a train ride 1 hr to Rusk a picnic area with a lake lunch can be purchased in advance or at the Rusk depot. Spend a hr at Rusk then a hr ride back to palenstine. You mainly can view the trees on both sides of the train tracks a few openings of pasture was hoping for something more scenic . There is a bar with drinks and stacks available to purchase on the train.

Get tickets early and enjoy a trip on the Texas State Railroad. They have a variety of train cars and prices to choose from. Visit their website for ticket information. My mom and I enjoyed our champagne and snacks aboard the train. We had lunch at the Rusk Depot. Both the Palestine and Rusk depots have a gift shop. I thought Palestine had a bigger selection. Definitely worth doing.

Relaxing experience overall. My little boy was thrilled with the trains; he couldn’t get enough of the “choochoos”! The space was a bit tight, but not uncomfortably. Seats were comfortable, and most of the scenery was greenery, which made for a pleasant ride.

Great place to see dogwoods. They have a nice pavilion and restroom. There are driving trails for cars. No busses!

Once you go through the entrance, you have a bit of a drive on a one lane road to get to the campsites and hiking trails. Once there, the park is hugh and a lot of trails. They had this cute one called the Fairy Garden Trails. It had different Fairy like things around the trees. Super cute!

Amazing park tucked away in the winding trails of trees! The colors of fall were everywhere. Cannot wait to go back, looking forwatd to spring to see the dogwoods!

Very beautiful park over a small mountain with forest around . It was late March and everything is green. There are many Dogwoods with beautiful white flowers, pure and very unique. The park is small but no crowds and very clean and quiet. A nice place for a family weekend out for picnic!

Very nice park. We hiked trail #1 and enjoyed it. The restrooms were very clean and kept in very good condition. The suggestion I have for the park is to do more to mark the trails better. Perhaps that could become a project for a Scout working to earn his/her Eagle Scout designation??

Huge and beautiful park for lots of relaxation! Lots of picnic tables for eating and picture worthy views. Only downside to the park is that the trails are not easily marked and can be quite tricky to find if you’ve never been. Once found they are nice. We also did not find many maps of the park which again makes it a little difficult to figure out where you are at and where the trails are. But overall a really lovely park with lots of land to walk!! Side note- We didn’t see very many Dogwood trees, as we were expecting tons! Hence the name. But we might have been a bit too early in March for them ):

Today we enjoyed walking around looking at all the interesting fairy gardens. The dogwoods were still in bloom this weekend March 30th but we expected more. The previous week was probably in full bloom before the rain knocked off some of the blooms. Our March 9th visit had very few dogwoods blooming but the redbud trees were pretty. I didn't see any redbuds today.

Wonderful educational museum!! So many fascinating pieces of history to see.

Every room of this 3-story building is filled wall-to-wall with historical artifacts, antiques, collectibles, clothing, personal belongings, furnishings, & tools of various trades, mostly from the area around Palestine. Even a log cabin was moved inside here. The staff are very knowledgeable, very helpful, & more friendly than staff at any other museum I've been to in years. A must for every museum lover traveling anywhere in this region.

An informational source to teach oneself of local culture. I was especially impressed by the amount of items they preserved for the commemoration of local legend, Judge Bascom W. Bentley, III. This exhibit was truly educational, historical and inspiring. Many forget that the local judge not only sat on numerous landmark cases, but was also an educator who lent his time and expertise to advise the students of Trinity Valley Community College. It was only fitting the city decided to name the loop in his honor, and this museum exhibit is a true testament to keeping the story of a legend alive for others to emulate.

Best museum around. The exhibits are great and the auditorium rental is the best price around. Dulcimer festival in March each year is one of a kind.

Don’t rely on the hours of operations and the website, call before you go. We went during their open hours and the entrance was locked. Luckily for us, there is a nice playground next to the museum.

Beautiful old schoolhouse built in 1904, is what I was told. I was there for a musical event with Marty Haggard, and the acoustics in the building are terrible.

This is one of the best museums that displays the history of the local people. We plan on going back to see some of the displays we were not able to review.

The visitor center highly recommends this place. Coming from Montana, I've seen how historical buildings are often demolished for new construction. The locals longed for development, and when it finally arrived, many people moved in, but it came at the cost of our history—especially with Yellowstone being filmed, which led to even more destructive changes. 😕 Please, 🙏 don’t let this happen to your community. Encourage people to build and utilize what's ✨️ already there. It’s so beautiful! 😍

I did a paranormal investigation with a group at this location and we stayed in the cells for 2 nights. What a great location! This place is perfect for investigations. Large facility with plenty of places to explore. The location host is super nice and helpful! The location has power so it is easier to setup. The living space if you stay over is great and even you sleep on cell bunks on memory foam I had no problems and there is room for air mattresses or cots. It is also air conditioned and the facility is fully covered by cameras I cannot recommend this place enough a solid 5 stars from me and my group!

Fun time! My kids brought their grinches and we had so much fun! So glad this is available! 💚

We did an overnight paranormal investigation and had a great time! The hosts, Jeremy and Sonia, were amazing and so accommodating. I would definitely recommend this location for ghost hunting and a little bit of Texas history.

So much fun this year!! The grinch was awesome And engaging!!

The Grinch's Lair. What a great family activity. Kids love this special place. There is always something going on at the Old Texas Jailhouse.

We love this place. Our favorite event is the Grinch's Lair in December. Truly a magical experience. The owners are wonderful and of course Mr Grinch is perfectly Grinchy.

Fun place to shop. Good selection.

Great items! Its hard to choose, they have everything!! Took us 4 trips around the shoppe. Great pieces!

Full of wonderful items and the sweetest woman!!! They also have a kids area so you can look around while the kiddos play!

The sweetest folks, very kind, very helpful, highly recommend shopping with them and all of down town Palestine!

Unique and beautiful antique items, large and small. Owner, Lilly, is superb. I can never go in this store and not want a treasure.

Found some really awesome antiques and the owner was absolutely fabulous and so funny. Absolutely adore her and will be coming back.

I love this store! Amazing antiques, I could seriously lose track of time in here

We stopped by and talked to Jodie at the visitor center who was very friendly and told us lots of info about the town. The center has a few Knick knacks as well as some markers and interesting artwork across the street.

The lady at the center was very knowledgeable about area events this weekend and even drew out paths on a map to the destinations we were interested in.

Well it was closed but it was Juneteenth. Grateful they had local brochures outside as well.

We always come to visitors centers for information about the city and area. The person there recommended places to eat and to do.

Quaint lil center. The lady was very informative and told us some good spots to sight see. There also was a farmers market next door the following morning.

We stopped in to pick up a few flyers for things to do in the area. There was a delightful lady working there who was able to point us in the direction of all sorts of info and activities that we would have never known about otherwise. She gave us a map and marked the relevant attractions on it, and spent a good bit of time talking with us. She was great! I highly recommend stopping in to talk to her if you're looking for things to do in Palestine, TX, or even in the general East Texas area.

Have found out I was robbed. Could get same tires elsewhere a lot cheaper and definitely will next time. However the service was good. Thank you

The visitor center highly recommends the court house as a top tourist destination! It's definitely worth seeing in person 😌 and it sounds like the right person in the courthouse will give tours

Closed weekends. Nice memorial to military slain in wars.

The staff members here are welcoming, punctual, and professional. The courtyard features beautiful pecan trees, grass, bushes, and benches, and it is always well-maintained. Inside the building is pristine.

One of the nicest buildings in Anderson County. Sits comfortably in the center of town. A good place to get a sentencing, albeit not so comfortable seating for jury duty.

Handicap accessible is very inadequate at this public building, The American Disability act needs to visit this place, people bound to a wheelchair it's next to impossible to show up for court, the sidewalk leading to the wheelchair ramp has big cracks in it and is a rough ride in a wheelchair, then you enter in basement area, the elevator is so small that a wheelchair will barely fit, the courtrooms are narrow isles not anyway designed with a wheelchair in mind. I beleive the standards for being considered handicap for this historical building is very low.

Great place to visit and photograph friendly people

Accounting office closes from 12-1 for lunch but almost every time I go there to make payments there is no one to be found during normal office hours.

What a gorgeous new library! Small and cozy but beautiful and classy. I had a wonderful experience today at the library. I needed help with printing and the computer. The sweet and friendly front desk library associate was so patient and helpful. I also checked out some really great books 📚 Super impressed with the staff and the overall atmosphere and look of the new library!

Very friendly, patient with kids, helpful staff they were amazing and it really made my heart smile seeing my kids enjoying the library for the 1st time.

Lovely little library! What a delightful visit to the local library this morning. Amazing customer service and such a friendly staff member that helped me with copying and printing! Extremely helpful and friendly. What a wonderful experience!

Excellent small town library. Helpful staff. Nice place for travelers to take a break. Super fast WIFI

Staff was professional and extremely helpful. Book sections are neatly sectioned and user friendly. Most of all it provided easy access for people with disabilities. Wonderful.

The Palestine Library is well organize. The staff are friendly and very efficient. If you need help they are always happy to help you! I took my great-granddaughter to check out a couple of books and came home and started reading!

Everytime I go in to get copies, they are very helpful! The man at the desk (forgive me his name) has the expertise to find the best way to get my docs copied! He is always friendly and patient. I always end up with perfect copies from downloads on the internet that Im not familiar doing. 🎈

This park is conveniently located in the middle of town, making it an accessible and enjoyable spot for both locals and visitors. One of its highlights is the shaded picnic area, which provides a great place to sit and relax, especially on hot days. If you're looking for a spot to enjoy a meal, you can grab food from one of the nearby restaurants and have a picnic here. The park also features restrooms, which is a great convenience for families and those spending extended time outdoors. For families with young children, there’s a designated shaded play area, offering a safe and comfortable space for kids to have fun. Overall, this park is a wonderful addition to the community. It provides a peaceful environment to unwind, have a meal, or let kids play, making it a great gathering place for everyone. Whether you're stopping by for a quick break or planning a relaxing afternoon, this park is a lovely spot to visit.

This playground has consistently gotten more and more run down as of late, and it is a shame considering it is the main playground available for local Palestine kids. Patsy Smith obviously is not concerned with insuring that the grass is mowed here, the ants are treated, the broken swings are fixed/secured, the graffiti looking marks are done away with or that the blue handicap swing has working clasps that can secure a child. Today there were cones all of the place, a kids ocular installation had been removed, one of the main swings was broken, another missing entirely and the handicap swing is not in working order. After seeing how they manage this main Palestine playground, I don’t even want to think about how they insure the water at the splash pad is treated and maintained. Please check the final photo of this post and start calling the people in charge of maintaining this park—before it gets even worse!

Waster splash isn’t working when we visited in Feb 2023. Nice park for kids otherwise. Lots of room to run on those hills. There is a public bathroom even tho not very clean but nice to have.

Very cool history here, and a great walking trail.

Nice low-key park. I wouldn't drive out of my way to come here, but it was a lovely spot on our route to stop for a picnic. My 4yo son was not very impressed and we ended up leaving pretty soon after arriving. It was very hot, and not at all comfortable for playing on a sunny day in late May.

okay for the most part -lots of ants ….sometimes you have to beware of some psychopaths! I pray over the park and kids while We are there! the bathrooms never have soap and they did update the restrooms which is nice because they now have doors with locks!!!! but please don’t ever let your children go alone into the bathroom without an adult. There could be a creeper in there.!!!

Great park at base of hill from the old school. Would have given it 5 stars but the splash pad wasn't on, tho posted hours state that it should have been, and it was 100 degrees. We had 4 very disappointed kids with us.

I absolutely love this place! I could eventually see this with interpretative recoding booths where you push buttons along the outside of the display that tell stories of what you are looking at. The displays around around the outside are amazing 👏. They represent the rich history of the community, local collections, and talk about the artist on display. Lots of room for growth and improvement ✨️ 🙌 and this is absolutely beautiful 😍

We came towards the end of the day-one hour before closing. We had plenty of time to look at the display and complete one of the scavenger hunts. It was so fun looking at all the details and searching for the items on the list. My favorite find was the Big Foot and the kissing couple. The volunteer there was very sweet and gave us the history of the display. I highly recommend it.

My son loved it. Cool setup, fun scavenger hunt and really cool historical things. Our host was fantastic can't wait to come back.

This was a personal HO scale train set that was built during his entire retirement in his 2 car garage. It's incredibly detailed. There are stations about with historical information. The husband and wife who were there were immensely friendly and informative. I absolutely enjoyed my time.

Great area to go to if you like trains and model trains. Lots of information and history about trains as well. Very large model train tracks that you can walk around and view, they even have a small step stool area for the little ones.

This place is pretty cool. Don't expect a huge museum, it's a one room building with a giant model train display and tons information. The two gentlemen there when we went were diligently working to get a show going and kept the place open passed closing to do so. The amount of detail in the layout is amazing and the kids enjoyed it too. I recommend going more than a half hour before they close so you have time to take it all in.

If you ever had a railroad train set as a kid, then you need to come here! The tracks go on forever. Great place for adults and children, and they even have a scavenger hunt.

Noted Texan and Congressman. American politician who joined the Confederacy during the Civil War and then became a US Congressman then a judge to return to the Congress to become a US Senator. First chairman of the Texas railroad commission. This was one busy and very influential man in Palestine, Texas in the 1880s. Located in a park named for him.

Beautiful monument and setting to a Texas and Confederate hero! Very nice park!

Our boys love the spray ground! The park is well laid out and accessible.

Very cool

It was extremely nice and peaceful. Went there to clear my mind!

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Nice playground with water 💧 park

The church has an absolutely beautiful curb side appeal and a great location in the community for anyone traveling

Beautiful piece of history ❤️❤️

Beautiful place and all the people so friendly.

It is a very nice church!

I have been a member of Sacred Heart Catholic church for just over 8 years now. The first time I attended Mass there, I felt like I was at home with my loved ones. God truly Blessed this Church and it's Congregation. I always feel closer to God after being there.

Such a beautiful and peaceful place.

Absolutely gorgeous church with incredible history. The church was open with someone who was extremely knowledgeable of the church and the history. Attended Mass on Sunday when we went to the Polar Express event at the Texas railroad and felt right at home. Oh, and I will mention like all of my other reviews, the Holy Spirit and Jesus Christ is there, so there's that!!!!

Great old cemetery. Very clean and well taken care of when I stoped by to take some photos.

What a cool spot, with a great selection of pie flavors. Never had pie from a bakery this good. Their peanut butter pie is by far and away the best we've ever had (my photo doesn't do it justice; it's huge and beautiful). Next time, we're bringing a cooler to take home a whole one instead of just one slice!!

My husband and I arrived there at 1:30pm on Saturday, everything was gone but three slides of lemon pie left. We were so lucky to have two. There were many people still coming on in, but disappointed out. We were sorry for them! I reduced one star for this reason. The slides of Lemon pie looked so so, but Lemon filing was smooth and tangy, we liked very much. My husband did not like the slaty -sweet crunchy crust, but I liked it. if you want to have a piece of pie, harry up! BTW, the antique store was no longer there and moved to downtown.

Great bakery in Palestine Tx. I had the coconut pie. Delicious! Staff was very friendly. Big selection! General store with souvenirs. Good place. Highly recommend.

I had the Chocolate Pecan pie. It was AMAZING! I actually did a quick video stating I felt like I should do the scene out of When Harry met Sally, it was that good...totally orgasmic! If you looked up food porn in the dictionary...there would be a picture of this pie!! I hear the coconut cream pie was good too...but it couldn't touch the Chocolate Pecan...

Staff is friendly and the pies delish! We tried the coconut, chocolate pecan, and blueberry banana cream cheese. Would definitely go again!

The pies are delicious..!! Sitting is very limited if the side is booked.. There is sitting outside on a warm porch...

I finally made it when they were open! Such a treasure. Service was great, we ordered pies and paid, and they held them until we were done shopping and having lunch. Pies are delicious and beautiful ♥️. We will be back!!

Soon to be Palestine's public library again. Andrew Carnegie would be proud.

Freaking beautiful! Missed going in by 15 minutes. Just makes me want to come back!

Remodel of this historic building is beautiful! Interior retains historic feel, but clean and bright with full ADA accessibility to main floor and lower floor.

Beautiful library in a historic building

Great, a wonderful an fresh experience. Staff was very knowledgeable and most helpful. Easy access and navigation for people with disabilities. Always a big plus.

Small no seats more prison less library hardly any books and no books that we were looking for very friendly librarian

Beautiful interior. Great for wedding ceremonies or reception. Very reasonably priced.

Nice lake for picnics with family and friends. Just needs a few picnic tables and some small grills. Definitely needs to be stocked. Fishing is not really great. It's been cleaned up and would be a great summer hangout spot if a few things are done

Okay for fishing, and kayaking but very small.

Great place to relax and catch some fish!

Fishing, swimming, and good times are here for you to enjoy.

Didn’t catch any fish but we’ll try again next time

Beautiful lake!