The 8 Best Things To Do In Kingsville, Texas
Richard King bought his first parcel of land in the Wild Horse Desert between Corpus Christi and Harlingen in 1853, paying just 2 cents an acre for the mesquite- and cacti-covered country. Over the next 30 years, the steamboat captain, born the son of Irish immigrants in New York, built a ranching empire still known today for its beef cattle and quarter horses.
After he died in 1885, the small Texas town of Kingsville sprang up along railroad tracks just 3 miles from ranch headquarters, and King’s descendants continued to make ranching the focus in this stretch of the Coastal Bend. Today, Kingsville is home to not just to the King Ranch, but to Texas A&M University-Kingsville and the Naval Air Station Kingsville.
A visit to the town delivers plenty of history, a dose of soda fountain nostalgia, some fine shopping, and an easy side detour to some of the best bay fishing in Texas.
King Ranch Activities
Visit the Famed King Ranch
The first stop on any tour of Kingsville is the King Ranch, one of the largest working ranches in the world. Head first to the King Ranch Visitor Center, where you can watch a short film about the ranch and pick up a 90-minute bus tour. (Register in advance; tickets are $20 adults, $15 seniors, and $6 for children.)
As you motor around the property, you’ll learn more about King, who along with another steamboat captain, Mifflin Kenedy, built a thriving shipping business on the Rio Grande and used his fortune to grow his ranch to 625,000 aces.
Today the ranch covers 825,000 acres—the size of Rhode Island—and includes land in Florida and California. Between 24,000 and 44,000 cattle live on the property at any one time, mostly the ranch’s famed Santa Gertrudis, a breed developed at the ranch. You might also see a few of the ranch’s 50 or so longhorn.
The tour swings past the ranch’s horse cemetery, the old carriage house, the ranch Commissary and the home built in 1912 by King’s widow, Henrietta. You’ll and make a stop at the weaver house, where craftsmen once hand-made saddle blankets. Along the way you might see javelina, deer, caracaras and other wildlife.
The tours are offered Tuesday through Saturday. Full and half day wildlife tours are also offered.
Explore the King Ranch Museum
For a good overview of the ranch, drop by the King Ranch Museum to check out videos explaining the ranch history, exhibits including one about the ranch’s quarter horse legacy, stories about famous cowhands, and photos featuring life there in the 1930s and ‘40s. You’ll also find a collection of saddles, guns and rifles, antique carriages and cars, including a custom Buick called El Kineño.
Admission is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and $4 for children ages 5 to 12.
Shop Around the King Ranch Saddle Shop
Pack your wallet when you head to the King Ranch Saddle Shop in downtown Kingsville, where you can peruse exquisitely made products including hats, boots, jackets, gloves, luggage, knives, wine glasses, or even an armchair made of elk horn.
Can’t afford those? Opt for a copy of the spiral-bound King Ranch Cookbook, featuring more than 250 recipes used in the cow camps and kitchens of the sprawling South Texas ranch. It’ll set you back a mere $20.
More Things To Do in Town
Stop By the Old-Fashioned Pharmacy
Swing by this Harrel's Pharmacy in downtown Kingsville, where customers get a blast of nostalgia with every scoop of ice cream at the soda fountain. Twirl on a stool at the counter while you sip a shake or milkshake. And bring a friend or two, because prices are straight out of the 1980s. Servers dish up a banana splits big enough to feed three that cost just $5, and a pair of cheese enchiladas goes for less than $4.
Nick Harrel Sr. opened the pharmacy in 1916. A 25-seat soda fountain was added in the 1920s. Today there’s room for 75, and the malt-mixing machine rarely stops buzzing. The place didn’t even get air conditioning until the 1940s.
On the way out, lean your head over the pharmacy counter and say hi to Harrel’s grandson, pharmacist Nick Harrel III, who heads the operation today. He’s famous for his trademark handlebar mustache and the wild socks he wears (check the pharmacy’s page on Facebook to see the latest).
Visit the 1904 Train Depot Museum
The St. Louis, Brownsville, and Mexico Railroad, created in 1904, stretched for 158 miles between Corpus Christi and Brownsville, moving people as well as produce, cotton, and livestock to market and sparking growth in Kingsville.
The depot was restored for Kingsville’s 100th birthday in 2004. Today volunteers staff the museum, which includes exhibits of dishware from train dining cars, along with signs, lanterns, promotional pamphlets, and tools. There’s even a telegraph machine that still works—and one of the museum volunteers can demonstrate how to use it. Admission is free.
Check Out the John E. Connor Museum
The collection started by Texas A&M University-Kingsville’s first history professor includes everything from a 1,500-pound anchor from the Spanish ship Santa Maria de Yciar, which sunk off Padre Island in 1554, to more than 200 wildlife and longhorn mounts assembled by rancher Graves Peeler. The museum also displays military uniforms and weapons used by General Richard Cavazos, the first Hispanic full general in the U.S. Army.
Loftin Hall itself, the former student dining hall where the museum is housed, is noteworthy on its own, with beautiful Mexican tiles and sturdy wooden beams. Admission is free.
Shop Around at the Kingsville Farmers Market
This farmers market, which started in 2015, takes place from 9 a.m. until noon the fourth Saturday of each month, year-round. Look for fresh vegetables, baked goods, hand-made gifts and artwork, meat, eggs, preserves, cheese and more.
201 N 6th St, Kingsville, TX 78363
Head to Nearby Baffin Bay
Baffin Bay, a narrow inlet of the Laguna Madre, lies just a 25-minute drive from Kingsville. Anglers head there to cast for redfish, trout, black drum and flounder in its super salty waters. It’s a hotspot for birding, too—look for the resident greenjays, with their lime green and blue feathers.
While you’re in the area, stop by the King’s Inn, known for its fried shrimp and something called Bombay salad, a mashup of avocadoes, curry powder, sour cream and Worcester sauce.
