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Marshall Texas

Harrison County Courthouse, Marshall, Texas
Harrison County Courthouse in Marshall, Texas

Marshall, the county seat of Harrison County, Texas, has a population of about 23,000 residents as of the 2020 Federal Census.

It is located on Interstate Highway I-20, U.S. 59, and Historic U.S. Highway 80, about 150 miles east of Dallas, and about 40 miles west of Shreveport.

Its economy is strong and diverse, and the oil and gas industry continues to play a major role in economic development.

Area communities include Kilgore, Gladewater, Mineola, Longview, Grand Saline, Mt. Pleasant, and Henderson.

We've been visiting Marshall for literally decades, and always enjoy our time there!

Marshall Tourist Attractions and Things to Do

Founded in 1841, Marshall is a major city in the East Texas economy, and a large supporter of the arts community and historical preservation. It is often called the "Cultural Capital of East Texas".

Today, Marshall has more than 100 historical markers and medallions, such as the T&P Depot marker (see below), with several sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Many of Marshall's Victorian homes have been restored, and several function as B&Bs. Also fully restored is the Harrison County Courthouse.

Marshall Hotels and Lodging

Marshall offers nearly 1,000 guest rooms in a number of hotels, motels, and other types of lodging for those visiting the city, including the ones listed below. The city also offers a range of bed & breakfasts, including Rosemont Cottage, Roseville, Pond House at Triple Creek Ranch, Three Oaks, and Wisteria Garden.

Click to find the best deal, compare prices, make reservations and read traveler reviews about hotels and lodging in Marshall, Texas

Click to find the best deal, compare prices, make reservations and read traveler reviews about hotels in Marshall

Click here to find the best deal, compare prices, make reservations, and read what other travelers have to say about the hotel properties in Marshall

Holiday Inn Express

Hampton Inn

Fairfield Inn

Comfort Suites

Vacation Home Rentals in Marshall

Planning a trip to Marshall and need a vacation rental?

Find the best deal, compare prices, make reservations at TripAdvisor
and read what other travelers have to say about vacation rentals in the Marshall area

Marshall Texas Vacation Home Rentals Vacation home rentals near Marshall in East Texas

 

2023 Marshall Wonderland of Lights Festival

Welcome to Marshall ... and to the Wonderland of Lights!
Harrison County Courthouse during the Wonderland of Lights

Marshall is well known for its "Wonderland of Lights," one of the largest light festivals in the country when lit during the Christmas season. It is the original and largest Christmas festival in Texas, first started in 1987.

The annual festival is scheduled to open on Wednesday, November 22, 2023.

Special events included the traditional lighting ceremony, the annual lighted Christmas parade, the Wassail Walk and an opportunity to catch a showing of “The Grinch” at the newly renovated Memorial City Hall. 

As for the lights that adorn Marshall’s downtown area, they typically remain up until around New Years Day.

about the Wonderland of Lights 2023 ... from the official City of Marshall website

 

Piney Park Trail of Lights

Walk through a half-mile of light displays, 45-foot Christmas tree, pictures with Santa, live music, gingerbread house, 10,000 sqft light maze, food trucks, and more! It is located at 600 Martin Lake Road in Marshall.

at PineyPark.com and Piney Park on Facebook

 

Scenes at Piney Park
Christmas scene at Piney Park in Marshall, Texas in December, 2021 Christmas scene at Piney Park in Marshall, Texas in December, 2021
Christmas scene at Piney Park in Marshall, Texas in December, 2021 Christmas scene at Piney Park in Marshall, Texas in December, 2021

 

Michelson Museum of Art

Michelson Museum of Art in Marshall, Texas
Michelson Museum of Art in Marshall, Texas

The Michelson Museum of Art was established after Janine Michelson of New York City and Paris, France, widow of artist Leo Michelson, selected Marshall, Texas, as the permanent home for her husband’s work.

In January 1985, a group of dedicated Marshallites visited Mrs. Michelson in New York and accepted her gift of the collection, consisting of more than 1,000 works of art created by Mr. Michelson. After fundraising and finding a suitable temporary location, the museum opened in May 1985.

In April 1990, the museum moved to its present location on the first floor of the Southwestern Bell Telephone Building in downtown Marshall. A local architectural firm adapted the space that now includes three exhibit galleries, an 80-person auditorium, classroom, family Discovery Room, offices, kitchen, and work areas with both permanent and temporary storage. The museum has a total of 12,000 square feet with 750-850 linear feet in gallery exhibition areas and is completely wheelchair accessible.

website of the Michelson Museum of Art

 

One of the fine exhibit areas in the Michelson Museum of Art

One of the fine exhibit areas in the Michelson Museum of Art in Marshall, Texas

 

 

East Texas Performing Arts, Inc.

East Texas Performing Arts completed its 501(c)3 approval process in 2014, and produces full stage plays, dramas, musicals, comedies, and musical concerts in Marshall.

Productions have featured professional actors and dancers, celebrity musicians, as well as ordinary people from three states. It brings musicians from all over the world to participate in Texas Sounds International Country Music Awards. And the organization coaches, supports, and trains children, youth, and adults who deal with physical and emotional burdens, helping them create high quality performances in any genre they choose.

Performances are held in the beautiful, newly rebuilt Memorial City Hall Performance Center.

website of East Texas Performing Arts

 

Harrison County Historical Museum

The Harrison County Historical Museum offers two locations in downtown Marshall. Visit and experience Harrison County’s rich history and culture through the decades. The museum features interactive materials for all ages, including kids.

The museum's 1901 Courthouse Galleries are located at 1 Peter Whestone Square, and the Memorial City Hall Galleries at 110 East Houston.

website of the Harrison County Historical Museum

 

Starr Family Home State Historic Park

Starr Family Home State Historic Park in Marshall, Texas
Starr Family Home State Historic Park in Marshall, Texas

James Starr was instrumental in the design of the city of Austin. He designed the layout of the streets and the placement of the Capitol.

The Starr Family Home has an extensive collection of vintage clothing from the 1800s, including Clara Starr’s mother’s (Sarah Fry Clapp) formal gown. Nestled in the heart of Marshall’s museums and cultural activities, Starr Family Home State Historic Site is composed of several elegant structures that map the 150-year history of the Starr family in Texas. Period furnishings, clothing, and antiques trace the transition of the buildings through four generations of the Starr family in Texas history.

The historic site opened to the public in 1986, and is located at 07 West Travis Street. Phone 903.935.3044

website of the Starr Family Home State Historic Park 


The Ginocchio

The Ginocchio, across from the T&P railroad station, is an 1896 vintage railroad eating house from the era when trains stopped every few hours for meals. The Ginocchio is a restaurant and bar with a simple mission - provide the highest quality food, beverage, and service in a truly historic and unique setting. Dine in its elegant dining room, historic bar area, or outside on the trackside patio!

It is located at 707 N. Washington Street. Phone 903.927.1400

website of The Ginocchio

 

Interior view The Wiseman in Marshall, Texas

 

Texas & Pacific Railway Depot and Museum

Marshall, Texas - Texas & Pacific (T&P) Railway Station, November 2011

The historic Texas & Pacific (T&P) Railway depot and museum (see photos below) is a major tourist attraction in Marshall, as are many other historical sites that showcase Marshall's long and varied history.

Located at 800 N. Washington Street, this ornate two-story brick station, once a major interchange point and division office for the T&P, has been restored to its former grandeur.

Marshall was the site for a major locomotive and car repair shop operated by the T&P. Marshall's impressive passenger depot, constructed in 1912, was once scheduled for demolition, but a determined effort by the City of Marshall preserved the building for future generations.

The T&P rail shops closed in the 1960s, and T&P passenger service ceased in 1970.

Today, Marshall has access to passenger service via Amtrak's Texas Eagle.

The historic marker at the depot (see photo below) documents the history of the T&P in Marshall.

website of the Texas & Pacific Depot and Railway Museum


T&P Depot & Railway Museum
Traveler reviews and photos at TripAdvisor

 

Marshall, Texas - Texas & Pacific (T&P) Railway Depot, circa 1970 (Staff Photo)
Marshall, Texas - Texas & Pacific (T&P) Railway Station, circa 1970

The Texas and Pacific Railway ... Texarkana, Shreveport, El Paso, New Orleans

Historical Marker about the Texas & Pacific (T&P) Depot in Marshall Texas
Historical Marker about the Texas & Pacific (T&P) Depot in Marshall Texas ... Marshall's first railroad was conceived as a connection to Red River steamboat traffic. Twenty miles of track were laid northeast to Swanson's Landing on Caddo Lake by 1858. In 1871, the U. S. Congress authorized the Texas & Pacific Railway Company to build a transcontinental railroad, which would run along the 32nd parallel from Marshall to the West Coast. Two years later, the T&P moved its maintenance shops to Marshall. A new passenger depot was built here at the junction of the Texarkana and Louisiana lines in 1911-12, where it was positioned to serve both routes. To complement the nearby Ginocchio Hotel and huge Texas & Pacific shop complex, and visually to terminate Washington Street from the Courthouse. The railroad's architect was influenced by the popular prairie school and combined abstracted renaissance and Mediterranean details on the brick and concrete structure. Prominent features include a tile roof and wood and plaster accents. A pedestrian tunnel was added for safety in 1940. The Texas & Pacific depot remains an important symbol of Marshall's relationship to the railroad, once its major employer and transportation source. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1985

Texas & Pacific Railway Shops, Marshall, Texas
Texas & Pacific Railway Shops, Marshall, Texas


Marshall Dining and Restaurant Options

Many popular restaurants offering a variety of cuisines are available in Marshall. Always favorites are the Blue Frog Grill at 101 W. Austin Street, Central Perks, Jalapeno Tree, Cafe Italia, Fuglar's Grocery & Market, El Chico's, Applebee's and many more.

about the 70 restaurants in Marshall at TripAdvisor

 

Map of Marshall Texas (courtesy of Google Maps)


Map of Showing the Location of Marshall in East Texas

Map of Upper East Texas Showing Location of Marshall


Additional Resources and Information about Marshall

For more information on Marshall, we recommend a visit to ...


Side Trip from Marshall to Nearby Jefferson, Karnack, Uncertain and Caddo Lake

While visiting Marshall, consider the short drive north to nearby Jefferson, Karnack, Uncertain and Caddo Lake.

Uncertain Texas ... close to Marshall
City Limit Pop 85
Uncertain, Texas city limits ... population 85
Uncertain Texas ... close to Marshall
and Caddo Lake
Uncertain Texas ... close to Jefferson in Upper East Texas
Mural in downtown Jefferson Texas
... "The Golden Era" (staff photo)
Scene in downtown Jefferson Texas


Caddo Lake National Wildlife Refuge

On October 19, 2000, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service approved the establishment of the Caddo Lake National Wildlife Refuge on portions of the Longhorn Army Ammunition Plant. The refuge purpose is the management, conservation, and protection of migratory birds and other fish and wildlife. This bottomland hardwood forest ecosystem provides essential habitat for a diversity of migratory and resident wildlife species in Texas.

The 8,416-acre Longhorn Army Ammunition Plant (LHAAP) installation is located between State Highway 43 and Caddo Lake in Karnack, Harrison County, approximately 14 miles northeast of Marshall, and approximately 40 miles northwest of Shreveport, Louisiana. The Monsanto Chemical Company selected the site in December of 1941 to produce TNT. The Thiokol Chemical Corporation, awarded a contract in 1952 for producing solid-fuel rocket motors for the army, built a facility at Longhorn for that purpose between 1953 and 1955. Rocket motors of various kinds were produced at Longhorn until early 1971.

The site is in a rural area and operated from 1942 to 1997, historically manufacturing TNT, rocket motors and various pyrotechnic items. It also played an important role in the destruction of rocket engines as part of the agreement between the United States and Russia via the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Agreement in 1987. The Longhorn Army Ammunition Plant was listed as a Superfund site on the National Priorities List on August 30, 1990.

The Caddo Lake National Wildlife Refuge and the Caddo Lake Institute restored the old armory guard station to provide information and species photos to explain to the public why portions of Caddo Lake and the refuge are one of 26 sites in the United States to be recognized as “Wetlands of International Significance” under an international treaty signed by over 150 nations.

An auto tour offers a great all-season way to see wildlife and habitats in the Refuge. By using the car as a viewing blind, visitors can often see more wildlife than on foot.

The Refuge is located northeast of Marshall in Harrison County. Read more about the Caddo Lake National Wildlife Refuge at the FWS and phone 903.679.9143

More about the history of the Wildlife Refuge and Longhorn Army Ammunition Plant at KETK (September 22, 2023)

Map of the Refuge
Caddo Lake National Wildlife Refuge map in East Texas
Refuge Auto Tour Sign
Sign for the Auto Tour Route at the Caddo Lake National Wildlife Refuge in East Texas
Swamp scene at the Refuge
Swamp scene at the Caddo Lake National Wildlife Refuge in East Texas
Longhorn Ammunition Plant Ruins
Ruins of the Longhorn Ammunition Plant at the Caddo Lake National Wildlife Refuge in East Texas


Earlier Views of Marshall in the Texas Vintage Postcard Collection

Street Scene, Marshall, early 20th Century
Street Scene, Marshall, Texas, early 20th Century
City Hall, Marshall, Texas
Historic postcard of City Hall, Marshall, Texas
Marshall Baptist College
Marshall Baptist College, Marshall, Texas
College of Marshall, Texas
Administration Building, College of Marshall, Texas
Post Office, Marshall, Texas
Post Office, Marshall, Texas
Wiley College, Marshall, Texas
Wiley College, Marshall, Texas
Harrison County Court House
Harrison County Court House, Marshall, Texas
Bath House Marshall Country Club
Bath House and Lake View, Marshall Country Club, Marshall, Texas
Bel-Air Motel, Marshall
Bel-Air Motel, Marshall, Texas
Henderson Motel, Pinecrest Drive East
Henderson Motel, Pinecrest Drive East, Marshall, Texas
The Gables Restaurant,
The Gables Restaurant, Marshall, Texas
Burnett Motel, 33 Units, 14 Garages
Burnett Motel, 33 Units, 14 Garages, Marshall, Texas