Best Things to Do in San Angelo, Texas: Museums, Murals & Buffalo Gap
Sometimes when we’re traveling, a place surprises us.
We may arrive without a long list of must-see attractions, start driving around to see what we can find, and suddenly discover something completely unexpected.
That’s pretty much what happened when we explored San Angelo, Texas, and the surrounding area.
From enormous colorful murals and an unusual historic museum to a beautiful riverwalk and a collection of historic buildings in nearby Buffalo Gap, we found plenty to keep us busy.
Even the drive through this part of Texas was interesting.
Exploring Central Texas Ranch Country
One of the things we enjoy most about traveling by RV is simply watching the scenery change as we move from one part of the country to another.
Driving through this part of Texas, we couldn’t help noticing the elaborate entrances leading into some of the ranches.
Some were surprisingly grand, and they certainly added a little Texas personality to the drive.
We also saw mistletoe everywhere.
We’d seen mistletoe before, of course, but nothing quite like this. Some of the clumps growing in the trees near our campground were enormous—probably a couple of feet across.
We also started noticing how ranchers maintain their land. Some properties were thick with brush, weeds and cactus, while others had obviously been cleared to provide better grazing areas for cattle.
It was another one of those little things you learn simply by traveling slowly enough to notice what’s around you.
Camping at Hords Creek Lake
While exploring the area, we stayed at Hords Creek Lake.
It was a beautiful place to camp.
We particularly enjoyed watching the deer wandering around the campground, and we had a great campsite with a big tree and a crushed-gravel area.
The campground hosts also did an excellent job keeping the sites clean between campers.
It made a peaceful home base for our adventures around the area.
Exploring San Angelo, Texas
Our first big sightseeing day took us into San Angelo.
We had plans to take a 2:00 tour, but we arrived around 1:00, leaving us with an hour to explore.
So we started driving around downtown.
That’s when Ed spotted something.
A mural.
He asked me to stop so he could get out and photograph it.
No problem.
I let him out.
And then he disappeared.
After about 10 or 15 minutes, I started wondering where on earth my husband had gone.
Eventually I went looking for him.
Turns out that one mural was only the beginning.
The Amazing Murals of San Angelo
What Ed had discovered was an incredible collection of public artwork.
The murals transformed what could have been ordinary walls and alleyways into something completely different.
They were colorful, detailed and absolutely fascinating to photograph.
We loved the idea of a community taking otherwise mundane spaces and turning them into something people actually want to stop and explore.
And Ed?
He was in photographer heaven.
Once I found him, I understood why he’d disappeared.
There was artwork everywhere.
If you enjoy photography or public art, give yourself some extra time to wander around when you’re visiting San Angelo. This was one of those completely unplanned discoveries that ended up becoming one of our favorite parts of the day.
Touring Miss Hattie’s Bordello Museum
The tour we’d been waiting for was at Miss Hattie’s Bordello Museum.
Yes, you read that correctly.
A bordello museum.
And no, this isn’t nearly as scandalous an attraction as the name might suggest.
It’s really a fascinating piece of San Angelo history.
The building was purchased in 1902 by a newly married Mr. and Mrs. Hatten. Mr. Hatten operated a saloon downstairs, while the couple lived upstairs.
Their marriage didn’t last long.
When they divorced, they divided the property. Mr. Hatten continued operating his business downstairs while Mrs. Hatten took the upstairs.
She needed a way to support herself, and since other bordellos were already operating along the same avenue, she opened one of her own.
The bordello remained in operation until 1952, when it was finally shut down by the Texas Rangers.
Today, visitors can tour the rooms and hear stories about some of the women who once lived and worked there.
Inside Miss Hattie’s
At the top of the old creaky stairs, we entered a small sitting area leading into the parlor.
From there, the tour took us through the rooms used by Miss Hattie and the women who lived in the house.
One detail we found interesting was the dining room.
Meals for Miss Hattie and the women were apparently catered in rather than prepared there. There was only a tiny kitchen off the dining room, and it certainly wasn’t designed for preparing large meals.
There was also only one bathroom for the entire upper floor.
But what a bathroom!
The beautiful old clawfoot bathtub immediately caught my attention.
I would have happily taken that home with me.
The Women of Miss Hattie’s
The bedrooms also helped tell the stories of some of the women who lived there.
Miss Blue’s room lived up to her name. The room, clothing, bedding and décor were all blue. She was apparently quite popular and had one of the best locations in the house—right next to that one very important bathroom.
Then there was Miss Mable.
Her story was particularly interesting because she was married. Her husband had become ill with consumption, and she went to work for Miss Hattie to earn money for his treatment.
After her husband recovered, they moved to New Mexico. According to the story we heard on the tour, he also accepted the child she had while working at Miss Hattie’s as his own.
Miss Kitty had another interesting story. One of her regular customers left her a ranch when he died, and we were told that her descendants were still living and ranching in the San Angelo area.
And then there was Miss Goldie.
She was one of the most popular women at Miss Hattie’s and eventually left to marry a wealthy rancher who promised to provide for her.
Unfortunately, when he died, he didn’t leave her the fortune she’d been promised.
She returned to Miss Hattie’s and was still working there when the bordello closed in 1952.
Her story didn’t have such a happy ending. We were told she later sold flowers on a street corner to support herself.
Hearing the individual stories made the museum much more interesting than simply walking through an old building.
These had been real women with complicated lives, hopes, families and very different outcomes.
Miss Hattie’s Rooms
The tour also included Miss Hattie’s own parlor and office.
A fainting couch in her parlor was original to the period when the bordello was operating.
Miss Hattie didn’t regularly entertain customers herself. Instead, she handled the business.
She met with customers, determined what they would pay, collected the money and made sure the women received their share.
It was certainly one of the more unusual historic house tours we’ve taken during our travels!
Walking the San Angelo Riverwalk
After our history lesson, we spent some time exploring San Angelo’s riverside park and Riverwalk.
What a beautiful area.
The walkway follows the river and includes lovely landscaping and water features.
We took General for a walk along part of it, although the park continues much farther than we explored that day.
After spending time inside museums and walking around downtown, it was a wonderful place to slow down and enjoy being outdoors.
If you’re visiting San Angelo, we’d definitely make time for the Riverwalk.
Visiting Buffalo Gap
Our exploring didn’t end in San Angelo.
We also made our way to Buffalo Gap, Texas.
Buffalo Gap is a cute little town with an interesting historic museum made up of old buildings that have been brought together from around the surrounding area.
We love places like this.
Rather than seeing history displayed entirely behind glass, collections of historic buildings give you a better sense of how communities once looked and how people actually lived.
Walking among old buildings, homes and businesses makes history feel much more tangible.
For anyone who enjoys Texas history, historic architecture or open-air museums, Buffalo Gap is worth adding to an itinerary through this part of the state.
What Surprised Us About San Angelo
We really didn’t know what to expect when we headed out to explore San Angelo.
That’s probably part of why we enjoyed it so much.
We discovered fantastic public art completely by accident.
We toured one of the most unusual historic museums we’d encountered.
We found a beautiful riverfront park.
And then we added even more history with a trip to Buffalo Gap.
Those are exactly the kinds of days we hoped to have when we started traveling full-time.
Not every destination has to be a famous national park or major tourist attraction.
Sometimes it’s even more fun to arrive in a town you know very little about and see what you can discover.
Things to Do in San Angelo and the Surrounding Area
If you’re planning your own visit, some of our favorite stops and experiences included:
- Exploring San Angelo’s murals and public art
- Touring Miss Hattie’s Bordello Museum
- Walking along the San Angelo Riverwalk
- Photographing historic downtown buildings
- Visiting nearby Buffalo Gap
- Exploring the historic buildings at Buffalo Gap
- Driving through Texas ranch country
- Camping at Hords Creek Lake
- Watching for wildlife along the way
You could easily turn these stops into a full day or weekend of exploring.
Is San Angelo Worth Visiting?
For us, absolutely.
San Angelo offered a combination we particularly enjoy: history, architecture, local stories, photography and outdoor spaces.
Miss Hattie’s was unlike any museum we’d visited before, while the murals provided one of the most colorful surprises of our trip.
Add the Riverwalk, Buffalo Gap and the surrounding Texas countryside, and we ended up finding much more to see than we’d expected.
It’s one more reminder of something we’ve learned since we started traveling America:
You don’t always have to know exactly what you’re looking for.
Sometimes you just have to stop the truck, get out with the camera and see what’s around the corner.
Our next adventure is always just Over the Hills.
Continue the Journey
If you’d like thoughtful road wisdom, practical RV tips, and reflections from life on the road, join our email list.