Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center

  The best outdoor entertainment value in East Texas just keeps on getting better!

  Indoor or covered exhibits make for perfect entertainment year-round, rain or shine. With over 300,000 of aquaria, you'll have a chance to see practically every freshwater species of fish found in Texas!

  This unique Texas Parks and Wildlife Department facility is a combination aquatic education center, native Texas fish aquarium and production fish hatchery. Visitors can view fish in simulated natural habitats, learn about the history of sport fishing, walk a wetlands trail or take a narrated tram tour of the production hatchery. Daily dive shows let visitors see fish hand-fed in a 26,000-gallon aquarium. Free fishing with all equipment provided and no license required is available in a stocked casting pond. Located East of Athens on FM 2495. Open Tuesday-Saturday 9am-4pm, Sundays 1pm-4pm. Dive shows at 11am Monday-Friday, 11am and 2pm Saturday, and 2pm Sunday.

 Athens Scuba Park

  With up to 70' of underwater visibility, there's no telling what you'll see at the Athens Scuba Park! Novice and expert divers alike enjoy swimming in and around Ray Price's tour bus, Clint Eastwood's houseboat, and now a sunken Lockheed C-140 Jetstar airliner!

East Texas Arboretum & Botanical Society

  Enjoy this living refuge of East Texas' natural beauty! The Arboretum spreads over one hundred acres - rising from marsh and swampland to pastureland, 80 feet higher in elevation. Experience the splendor of colorful gardens year round. Walk through two miles of nature trails laced with spring-fed streams connected by a 115 foot suspension bridge. Great for bird watching and wildlife viewing.

  Stroll back to the 1800s as you tour the historical Bush-Wofford House complete with period furnishings, corn crib and period garden.

  The Children's Playgarden is handicapped accessible, boasts a unique water feature, two play houses, butterfly garden, hopscotch garden, sand play area, and a slide built into a hill. Don't forget to stop in the Lil Red Schoolhouse.

   Educational forums are planned throughout the year. Learn about flowers, herbs, greenery and other topics. Each year, the Arboretum hosts several events such as car shows, cook-offs, festivals, meetings, reunions and weddings.

Henderson County Fairgrounds

  There's literally something happening at the fairgrounds nearly every weekend! Located 3 miles east of downtown Athens on Highway 31, the Complex sits on 68 acres and consists of a 4,500-person capacity coliseum, a multi-purpose building, 2 covered arenas, 1 outdoor arena, 2 large barns, stalls, RV hookups, and much more. Concession stands and restrooms are located on both sides of the coliseum.

  Coliseum

The coliseum is approximately 370 x 200 feet with the arena floor being 250 x 120 feet. Ten bucking chutes and nine pens are located on one end of the arena floor, while roping boxes and five pens are located at the opposite end. The JD Lewis arena is 125 x 275 and has bleacher seating for 300 people with climate controlled announcer booth. The outdoor arena is 140 x 300.

  Stalls

There are 194 stalls in the front barn and 124 stalls in the back barn. All stalls are 10 x 10, have open-out doors, electrical outletts and dirt floors.
903.677.6354

  RV Hookups

There are a total of 84 RV Hookups with water and electric available.

Cain Center

  The 85-acre Cain Park, surrounding Cain Center, displays rolling hills, beautiful trees and ponds. The park also provides walking and biking trails, tennis courts, softball and soccer fields and playgrounds. It even has a full eighteen hole disc golf course. This is the ideal location for business meetings, seminars, banquets, reunions and more. With 25,000 square feet of meeting space available, it can facilitate groups as large as 1,000. Cain Center also serves as Athens’ community fitness center providing weight resistance equipment, cardio machines, a full free weight room, racquetball courats, and a twenty-five meter Olympic indoor, heated pool. The area provides a hot tub, wet and dry saunas and complete locker room facilities. Cain Center sponsors a series of fun runs throughout the year, including the Turkey Trot every Thanksgiving morning. Guests at our local motels enjoy free access to the fitness facilities at Cain Center.

  Cain Center has joined the nation's leading fitness program for older adults for FREE - The Silver Sneakers Fitness Program. To find out if your Medicare health plan offers the program, visit www.silversneakers.com or call your health plan's customer service department. Cain Center is home to great fitness classes. In partnership with ETMC, CCI brings Fitness Plus to Seniors. A low impact aerobics class, Fitness Plus keeps folks strong, flexible, and moving. Other classes offered include Yoga, Jazzercise, Tae Kwon Do, and Aqua Action. Cain Center has partnered with The Cancer Foundation for Life, a Tyler organization that offers free CCI Athletic Passes to cancer patients and survivors along with exercise regimens that have been proven to extend the lives of cancer victims.

  Another program offered is the United Way Kid's PACE Express. Designed with kids in mind, this area offers fun and function. Interactive video games such as Wii and Dance Revolution, team up with a traverse climbing wall and kid-sized circuit training equipment to help kids get and stay fit. There are many sport programs available for children along with an after hours school program.

Henderson County Historical Museum

 Lake Athens

  Lake Athens is one of the most picturesque lakes in East Texas and the fishing is terrific. Approximately five miles east of Athens, this 1,500-acre lake is a local and visitor favorite! While catfish, crappie, white bass and sunfish are found in Lake Athens, it is best known for black bass. Lake Athens is a must destination for serious bass fishermen, or families who just want a quality family fishing and boating experience.

  Lake Athens Marina & RV Park provides the only public access to the lake as well as camping for visitors.

5401 FM 2495 Athens TX (903) 677.7490 www.lakeathensmarina.com

Tara Winery

  Tara Vineyard and Winery features a variety of wines produced here in East Texas. The stately 1880's Murchison home is located at the winery and has been turned into a B&B. There is an adjoining patio which overlooks the vineyard and rolling hills of East Texas. Additionally the patio regularly serves as a venue for fabulous gourmet dinners and live music on Saturday nights.

Close to Athens

NY-TX Zip Line Adventures