This historic octagonal theater remains a popular venue today. Courtesy Waxahachie CVB
BORN FOR THE STAGE
1. Chautauqua Auditorium
Built in 1902 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974, this auditorium continues to be popular with locals. The 2,500-seat octagonal building, located at the Chautauqua grounds in Getzendaner Memorial Park, once had great American orators like William Jennings Bryan and Will Rogers grace its stage. These days, it’s home to free events including an all-day Chautauqua’s Cowboy Poet Gathering in early October, where poets and musicians from across the Southwest and beyond perform cowboy poetry and music.
Getzendaner Park, Waxahachie, TX 75165
All the rare bills you never knew about. Courtesy Waxahachie CVB
COLD HARD CASH
2. CNB of Texas Money Museum
The Citizens National Bank of Texas has been around since 1868, and continues to serve the people of Waxahachie and other nearby towns. To show how much history the bank has been through, the downtown Waxahachie branch has its very own money museum, one of the most expansive collections of American currency in the country. Since the building’s opening in the late 60s, the museum has housed a collection of numismatic artifacts, including a $5,000 and $10,000 bill, which were added in 2014.
200 N Elm St, Waxahachie, TX 75165
The supercollider site is now occupied by an office building. Shena and Shira Pridgett
CANCELED COLLIDER
3. Desertron: The Superconducting Super Collider
This one’s a doozy: In the early 90s, a particle accelerator complex was under construction in the vicinity of Waxahachie. Its builders hoped it would become the most energetic particle accelerator in the world, with a huge underground complex. Considering the high cost of the project—Congress was told it could be completed for $4 billion in 1987—funding was often a problem. (Before George Bush vomited on Japanese Prime Minister Kiichi Miyazawa’s lap in 1992, one of the topics of discussion was SSC funding.) After 14 miles of tunnel were bored and nearly 4 billion dollars were spent, the project was canceled in 1993. It’s permanently closed now, with an office building taking its place. But its story remains an example of how so many ambitious projects usually have to go big or go home.
Hoyt Rd, Waxahachie, TX 75167
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A military exhibit at the Ellis County Museum. Courtesy Waxahachie CVB
ALL ABOUT THE ARCHIVE
4. Ellis County Museum
Located in the town square, right across from the Ellis County Courthouse, Ellis County Museum is a nonprofit that’s all about preserving the county’s rich history. Housed in a structure built in 1889 (formerly Masonic Lodge), the museum was organized in 1968 by citizens as a repository for historical materials. But it’s also become known as an ideal starting point for people interested in strolling around downtown Waxahachie. And every summer, the museum (which is also the location for the Heritage Visitor Center of Waxahachie) presents the annual Gingerbread Trail Tour of Homes, a journey of five notable private, historic homes, with proceeds going to the museum.
201 S College St, Waxahachie, TX 75165
A beautiful spot to check out some books. Courtesy Waxahachie CVB
READ UP
5. Nicholas P. Sims Library
Way back in the early 1900s, local farmer and investor Nicholas P. Sims left the bulk of his estate to build a library for Waxahachie and Ellis County residents. It eventually opened in April 1905, one of the first public (and privately endowed) libraries in the Lone Star State. Since then, the library’s main goal has been to provide library services to the residents of Waxahachie in the most efficient and cost-effective manner possible. There are rooms and wings with stories just as fascinating as the literature they hold. (Just ask a librarian how the 64-year-old J. Harry Phillips Wing came to be.) There’s even a second-floor lyceum used for concerts, piano recitals, plays, and debates.
515 W Main St, Waxahachie, TX 75165
One of the many carved faces at the Ellis County Courthouse. Courtesy Waxahachie CVB
FRIEND OR FOE?
6. The Stone Faces of Ellis County Courthouse
In the late 19th century, stone mason Harry Herley came to Waxahachie to sculpt and decorate the outer walls of the town’s new courthouse. Legend has it that, while he was there, Herley fell head-over-heels for the daughter of the owner of the boarding house where he was staying. At first, Herley carved her face over one of the entrances. But as time went on and Herley’s feelings weren’t reciprocated by the young lady, he became embittered and subsequent carvings around the courthouse depicted her as a demon. While local historians have claimed that the dozen faces are simply traditional, European figures, it’s still more intriguing to credit them to the pain of unrequited love.
101 W Main St, Waxahachie, TX 75165
This jewel of a gallery focuses on folk and outsider art. Courtesy Waxahachie CVB
HOW MUCH IS THAT FOLK ART IN THE WINDOW?
7. Webb Gallery
When an art gallery claims it’s been “selling soul in downtown Waxahachie” for over three decades, you know you have to check it out. Folksy with a capital “F,” this quirky spot is run by Julie and Bruce Lee Webb, who make their home upstairs from the gallery. Since 1994, the gallery has been occupying a 1902 building, specializing in folk and outsider art, as well as antiques and other tchotchkes. The gallery hosts four exhibits a year, revolving showcases where artists can show off and sell their eccentric, distinctive artwork. If you’re not in the art-buying mood, you can always walk out of there with a T-shirt, a tote bag, or one of the many zines they have for sale.
209 W Franklin St, Waxahachie, TX 75165
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