15 Best Things To Do In Lufkin, Texas

things to do in lufkin texas
Aarti
Aarti 
Updated
| 6 min read

You may be taking a trip to Lufkin, Texas, for just a few days or more, or you could even be a Lufkin local, this city definitely has something new for every type of person. This guide here tells you about the best tourist places to visit and things to do in Lufkin, Texas. You’ll get a fair idea about the notable attractions, off-beat places, and upcoming tourist things to do in the city. Now because of this informative guide, you’ll know about how to plan for your holiday regarding when to visit and how long your vacation is going to last. We’ve compiled this guide keeping in mind the points of interest including parks, zoos, museums, and even eateries for families, groups, couples, and backpackers. Now if you’ve ever wondered whether you have seen hidden gems of Texas and have thought that you have seen all of Texas just by going to the most important/renowned cities, think again. Lufkin can delight you with so many surprises that will come your way. All you have to do is to just hold on to your seat belts! So scroll down to find out more about the things to do in Lufkin, Texas.

1. Visit the Museum of East Texas

Museum for East Texas Culture
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Michael Barera used under CC BY-SA 4.0

Go back in time as you witness the art and history through exhibits, lectures, performances, classes and publications, at the Museum of East Texas. Also, feast your eyes on some of the best artwork as you roam around the church situated in the museum. Founded in 1976, this museum was one of the first museums in Lufkin, Texas. Now if you are one of the history lovers, you will love every bit of Lufkin’s history as you stroll around the museum in awe.

Museum of East Texas

Address: 503 N 2nd St, Lufkin, TX 75901, USA

Website: Museum of East Texas

Opening hours: Tue - Fri: 10am - 5pm; Sat - Sun: 1pm - 5pm (closed on Mon)

Price: Free

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2. Check out the animals in Ellen Trout Zoo

Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account

Celebrate World Giraffe Day! The longest day of the year was selected as a day to bring attention to the tallest...

Posted by Ellen Trout Zoo [official] on Monday, June 21, 2021

Home to over 500 animals and endangered species, Ellen Trout Zoo is renowned as one of Lufkin’s main tourist attractions. Not just that, this zoo has also bagged numerous state and national awards and it is considered one of the top zoos in the citiy, with the same population as Lufkin. And if you are a curious mind regarding the animal or bird species, you can watch the animals and birds do their thing - their behaviour, the way they play, etc. One of the best ways to learn about an animal or a bird is by watching them, other than doing research.

Ellen Trout Zoo

Address: 402 Zoo Cir, Lufkin, TX 75904, USA

Website: Ellen Trout Zoo

Opening hours: 9am - 5pm (daily)

Price: From 7 USD

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3. Go golfing at Crown Colony

Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account

Posted by Crown Colony on Wednesday, November 11, 2020

Witness the beauty of the Crown Colony golf course as it sits amidst the pine trees of East Texas. Renowned as the toughest golf course in the state, enjoy a friendly game or two as you hit the ball at any of the 18 picturesque holes. You must either be a member at the club or stay as a guest in one of the beautiful villas to play a game of golf. It’s surely a getaway retreat unlike any. Who wouldn’t love to play a game of golf when you are absolutely surrounded by nature? If you have finished your golfing game, you can head to play a game of tennis too!

Crown Colony

Address: 900 Crown Colony Dr, Lufkin, TX 75901, USA

Website: Crown Colony

Opening hours: Tue - Sat: 9am - 7pm; Sun: 9am - 3pm (closed on Mon)

Price: From 130 USD

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4. Explore Downtown Lufkin

Downtown Lufkin, TX IMG 3942
Source: Photo by user Billy Hathorn used under CC BY-SA 3.0

Take a tour of Downtown Lufkin to understand the history behind the city and to also explore dining establishments, retail shops, and antique collections. As you walk around, you’ll get to see murals painted by Lance Hunter throughout the area, that depict historic businesses or tales of Lufkin. Take a lot of pictures and make a lot of memories as you walk around the streets of Downtown Lufkin because it will be worth it!

Downtown Lufkin

Address: Lufkin, Texas, USA

Website: Downtown Lufkin

Opening hours: Open 24 hours

Price: Free

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5. Have a fun-filled day at Kit McConnico Park

Editor's Note: There's no photo available at the time of writing

Take a day off and organize a picnic at the people’s favourite Kit McConnico Park. This is one park where kids love to play and adults love to stroll! Other than being a renowned picnic site, this park is also dedicated to team sports featuring softball fields and eleven youth soccer fields. Go ahead and play a fun, challenging game or two. You are sure to have a blast!

Kit McConnico Park

Address: Kit McConnico Dr, Lufkin, TX 75901, USA

Website: Kit McConnico Park

Opening hours: 5am - 10pm (daily)

Price: From 5 USD

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6. Play a game or two at Kiwanis Park

Kiwanis Park
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Ragesoss used under CC BY-SA 3.0

How about playing a game of soccer, volleyball or any of your favourite sport? Head to Kiwanis Park with your friends or family and have a fun-filled day organized ahead of you! You could even grill some of your favourite food for a get-together or have the kids enjoy swings, slides, and other kids’ stuff. There’s also a water feature available where your family could play in, without the fear of drowning. Other than these features, there are also many events that are held, walking paths, bridges and waterways, gazebos, and an abundance of benches.

Kiwanis Park

Address: Kiwanis Park DrLufkin, TX 75901, USA

Website: Kiwanis Park

Opening hours: 7am - 10pm (daily)

Price: From 5 USD

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7. Go 'sight-seeing' in Ellen Trout Park


Want to see what makes Lufkin beautiful? Then, go on a sight-seeing adventure in the Ellen Trout Park as you hop on a miniature replica of a pre-Civil War train to explore around the lake and through the beautiful pine trees. Now that’s one of the best and new ways to explore a city or a park, without walking or taking a stroll or even biking.

Ellen Trout Park

Address: 402 Zoo Cir, Lufkin, TX 75904, USA

Website: Ellen Trout Park

Opening hours: 9am - 5pm (daily)

Price: From 5 USD

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8. Savour delicious seafood at Ralph & Kacoo's

Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account

Posted by Ralph & Kacoo's Bossier City " The Steak and Seafood Restaurant" on Thursday, March 11, 2021

Craving mouth-watering seafood? Look no further than Ralph & Kacoo’s! Order yourself a plate full of fresh calamari, shrimps, or other delectable seafood options along with a wide selection of refreshments, and drinks menu. To get some fresh air while feeding your taste buds and your stomach, you can dine at the outdoor patio of the restaurant. And if you’re in a hurry, you can grab your favourite meal on-the-go. Your taste-buds will thank you forever when you visit this restaurant, the next time you visit Lufkin.

Ralph & Kacoo's

Address: 3107 S 1st St, Lufkin, TX 75901, USA

Website: Ralph & Kacoo’s

Opening hours: Sun - Thu: 11am - 9:30pm; Fri - Sat: 11am - 10:30pm

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9. Enjoy Mexican food at Skyline Burrito Bowls

Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account

? Burrito Bowl with our Al Pastor! yes please! #skylineburritobowls #alpastor #burritobowls

Posted by Skyline Burrito Bowls on Tuesday, May 12, 2020

You’ll find yourself heading straight to Skyline Burrito Bowls the next time your Mexican food cravings kick in. Devour the award-winning burrito and other notable Mexican foods including, tacos, salad, and nachos. You could even get customization of your food to your liking, at Skyline Burrito Bowls. This family-owned restaurant makes its food from scratch with the freshest ingredients and the key to the amazing taste of their food is their secret recipe.

Skyline Burrito Bowls

Address: 409 N Timberland Dr, Lufkin, TX 75901, USA

Website: Skyline Burrito Bowls

Opening hours: Mon - Fri: 10:30am - 9pm; Sat: 11am - 9pm (closed on Sun)

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10. Devour cheeseburger at Rays Drive In

Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account

Wanting a home cooked meal today? Come to Ray's and have a Burger with Fries or Onion Rings! You won't be disappointed!

Posted by Ray's Drive In on Tuesday, June 22, 2021

When you’re heading to Lufkin, Texas, this place should be on your must-visit restaurant list. This place gives out the best cheeseburgers in the world. Now, who would want to miss that, right? So head to Rays Drive In and order tasty, out of the world cheeseburgers accompanied by onion rings, trout basket, or steak fingers.

Rays Drive In

Address: 420 N Timberland Dr, Lufkin, TX 75901, USA

Website: Rays Drive In

Opening hours: Mon - Thu: 10am - 9pm; Fri - Sat: 10am - 10pm (closed on Sun)

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11. Enjoy mouthwatering sushi at Sake Cafe

Editor's Note: There's no photo available at the time of writing

Head to Japan without heading to Japan, at Lufkin, Texas. Confused? Don’t be. Sake Café is a quaint little café amidst shopping area that serves the best sushi and other Japanese delicacies in town. Order a plate of sushi, bento box, salmon sashimi, and other delicious food from the menu to keep you coming back for more.

Sake Cafe

Address: 1905 Tulane Dr #103A, Lufkin, TX 75901, USA

Website: Sake Cafe

Opening hours: Mon - Thu: 11am - 10pm; Fri - Sat: 11am - 11pm (closed on Sun)

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12. Enjoy a hot beverage at Buck's Cup of Joe

Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account

Posted by Buck’s Cup of Joe on Wednesday, July 14, 2021

If you want a really good ‘cup of Joe’, make our way to Buck’s Cup of Joe right away! This modern, local coffee shop grinds fresh coffee beans every day to serve up the best hot, iced, and frozen coffee, and tea lovers—no need to fret as you also get tasty hot and iced tea. And if you’re neither a coffee nor a tea fan, you can enjoy drinking a hot chocolate.

Buck's Cup of Joe

Address: 2584 Ted Trout DrLufkin, TX 75904

Website: Buck’s Cup of Joe

Opening hours: Mon - Fri: 6am - 4:30pm (closed on Sat & Sun)

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13. Browse the collection at Absolutely Fiction Books

Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account

Posted by Absolutely Fiction Books on Tuesday, July 13, 2021

Run away to your creatively imagined world with a great read from Absolutely Fiction Books. This charming little bookstore has its shelves filled with a variety of books, both fiction and non-fiction: novels, cooking, history, travel, colouring books, healthy living, classics, you get it all! And if you’re unable to find your kind, all you’ve to do is make a request to the staff, and they’ll be happy to help. And for a change, instead of browsing books on Amazon, browse the wide selection of books at a local bookstore. You will not regret it.

Absolutely Fiction Books

Address: 903 S John Redditt Dr, Lufkin, TX 75904, USA

Website: Absolutely Fiction Books

Opening hours: Tue - Thu: 9:30am - 5pm; Fri: 9:30am - 6pm; Sat: 9:30am - 5pm (closed on Sun & Mon)

Price: Free

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14. Try a snow cone at Kibbies Shaved Ice

Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account

Posted by Kibbies on Tuesday, April 20, 2021

How about cooling way down at Kibbies Shaved Ice? You may call it a snow cone, snowball, or just a shaved ice, the taste remains the same. And to cool down from the hot weather (whenever it is hot, that is) in East Texas, you get a variety of options from flavours to choose from, to beat the heat.

Kibbies Shaved Ice

Address: 2109 W Frank Ave, Lufkin, TX 75904, USA

Website: Kibbies Shaved Ice

Opening hours: Mon - Thu: 1am - 8pm; Fri - Sun: 12pm - 8pm

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15. Shop at Rose Cottage Resale

Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account

Posted by Rose Cottage Resale on Tuesday, November 10, 2020

This is a thrift store that Texan people love to go to! If you’re into vintage or second-hand goods, this will be your sweet haven. Grab your hands on some of the best and unique clothes, furniture, and other fun, quirky stuff at the best prices ever. This could be your new way of finding souvenirs when you’re heading to a new city or a country.

Rose Cottage Resale

Address: 510A S Chestnut St, Lufkin, TX 75901, USA

Website: Rose Cottage Resale

Opening hours: Mon - Sat: 10am - 5pm (closed on Sun)

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Have fun in Lufkin, Texas

Lufkin welcome sign, Lufkin, TX IMG 3916
Source: Photo by user Billy Hathorn used under CC BY-SA 3.0

You can never judge a book by its cover. Don’t let the small town of Lufkin, Texas fool you. Situated in Angelina County, Lufkin is one of the best places to live in Texas and it’s no wonder why! There’s something to do and see out here for all kinds of vacationers and locals. So, what are you waiting for? Head to Lufkin, Texas right away!

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Any must-sees we missed? Tell us about them in the comments section or write a post here to help out fellow travelers!
Disclosure: Trip101 selects the listings in our articles independently. Some of the listings in this article contain affiliate links.

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Born in Mumbai and brought up in Bangalore, India, Aarti is a full-time freelance writer by profession. She is a lover of everything the ‘blue dot’ offers—world cultures, off-the-beaten tracks,...Read more

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