//
Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Gpetrov assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY-SA 2.5 via Wikimedia Commons
Built in 1870, it was the first bridge across the Brazos River and the longest bridge west of the Mississippi River at that time. Now a walking bridge, the architecture is a token of Waco used by walkers, joggers, and is a popular spot for picture taking and having picnics. Wacoans have created a game consisting of tossing tortillas from the bridge aiming to hit a concrete pillar stationed in the Brazos River. Learning the art of tossing the tortilla is much more difficult than it first appears and keeps players continually coming back to the bridge.
The Waco Suspension Bridge crosses the Brazos River in Waco, Texas. The bridge once functioned as a key route for travelers following the Chisholm Trail, and when it debuted, no other single-span suspension bridge west of the Mississippi River exceeded its length. Efforts to construct a bridge over the Brazos River began in 1866, when the Texas State Legislature authorized the creation of a private firm, the Waco Bridge Company. The charter gave the company exclusive rights to cross the river for twenty-five years, prohibiting any other bridge within a five-mile radius. It was designed by the same company that would later build the Brooklyn Bridge. It is a single-span suspension bridge, with a main span of 475 ft. Opened on November 20, 1869, it contains nearly 3 million bricks. It is located north of downtown Waco, connecting Indian Spring Park with Doris D. Miller Park. Every year on Independence Day, the bridge serves as a place where thousands of locals gather to watch fireworks. Indian Spring Park marks the location of the origin of the town of Waco, where the Huaco Indians had settled on the bank of the river, at the location of a cold spring.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
When completed in 1911, this beautiful 22-story building was the tallest in the Southwest. It is still used for commercial purposes on the inside but the outside is ready for pictures anytime, day or night. Unfortunately, access to the interior is not available to the general public.
The Dr Pepper soft drink was invented in Waco in 1885 and the museum houses the original bottling plant. The first floor of the museum explains the history of Dr Pepper, complete with the original machines, an artesian well, and an animatronic to introduce visitors to the history of Dr Pepper. The second floor displays the commercial history of Dr Pepper and other independent soft drinks, such as 7-Up and RC Cola. The third floor houses a conference center, the "Soft Drink Executive Hall of Fame", and a conference center dedicated to free enterprise as an economic system.The real highlight, though, is the vintage soda fountain on the first floor - no price of admission necessary for purchase of Dr Pepper, mixed and served straight from the tap. It's leagues better than what you can get in a can.
An array of touring Broadway shows, musical events, special activities and movie nights, usually offering a different event every week.
The official museum of the Texas Rangers, this Hall of Fame contains a large amount of memorabilia from the long history of the Texas Rangers.
The museum features Texas athletes in many sports, including football, tennis, golf, baseball, basketball, horse racing, and others. The museum also houses the Southwest Conference's 75-year collection of memorabilia.
The Mayborn Museum is across from Baylor University and walking through, you will walk through the natural history of central Texas. Spend hours in 16 discovery rooms for hands-on learning with themes from transportation to TV news and pioneers, and explore the natural history of central Texas through walk-in dioramas of a limestone cave, a Texas forest, and the Waco mammoth dig. On the grounds of the complex is the Governor Bill & Vara Daniel Historic Village-- an 1890s village moved from Liberty, Texas with a livery, church, general store, plantation home, and other authentic historic buildings.