Johnson City, named for the pioneer Johnson family, is best known as the hometown of the 36th President of the United States, Lyndon B. Johnson. The town boasts the Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park and is the seat of Blanco County. The town is a retail center for farming and ranching. For more information, contact the Johnson City Visitor and Tourism Bureau at 830-868-7684.
Things to do in Johnson City
Captain Perry Texas Ranger Museum
Captain Perry Texas Ranger Museum is the former home of Captain Cicero Rufus Perry who at age 13 served as a courier for General Sam Houston in the Texas Army and years later became a Texas Ranger. Perry's legend comes from his survival of an attack by Comanche Indians while a Texas Ranger. Located west of Johnson City on Highway 290 at 404 W. Main Street. Call 830-868-7684 for more information.
Discovery Center of the Southern Tier
Discovery Center of the Southern Tier is at 60 Morgan Rd., in Binghamton Zoo at Ross Park. Hands-on activity stations invite children to fly a jet plane, ride a fire engine, shop in a grocery store or present the news on television. Call (607) 773-8661 for more information.
60 Morgan Rd., Binghamton, NY 13790
Exotic Resort Zoo
Located on 137 wooded acres of Texas Hill Country, the Exotic Resort Zoo is a unique preserve that harbors over 80 different species of exotic animals from around the world. Visitors can have close encounters with animals such as an African onyx, an African aoudad, a camel, kangaroos, wallabies, bison, and more. More than half of the animals in the park have been listed as endangered and nearing extinction. The purpose of the zoo is to help these species multiply. Four miles north of Johnson City on U.S. 281. Call 830-868-4357 for more information.
Lyndon B. Johnson National Historic Park
Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park tells the story of our 36th President in a unique and encompassing way. The story begins with Lyndon Johnson's ancestors, tracing the influences his family and his beloved Texas Hill Country had on the boy and the man. The park also affords a special opportunity to visit a working cattle ranch, preserved in the late 1960s time period. Rangers at the Visitors Center will provide maps and any assistance for your visit. The Visitors Center features a gallery that showcases President and Mrs. Johnson's life, as well as an activity room for children. From there you can see the boyhood home of President Johnson, depicting a rural Texas lifestyle of 75 years ago. The settlement that was established by Johnson's grandfather and great-uncle as a cattle droving headquarters in the 1860s features the still-standing log cabin and subsequent barns, cooler house, and windmill. A modern exhibit center focuses on the cattle business, early Johnson family and settlement history, and Hill Country survival. Ranger guided buses provide tours of the LBJ Ranch was where Johnson was born, lived, died, and was buried. The park has two visitor areas separated by about 14 miles: the Johnson Settlement/Visitor Center/Boyhood Home/Park Headquarters in Johnson City and the LBJ Ranch near Stonewall. Call 830-868-7128 for more information.
Lyndon B. Johnson State Park
LBJ State Park is a 710-acre day use park. Tours for the LBJ Ranch board at this park. The visitor center presents memorabilia from President Johnson's presidency and interactive displays about the land and people that shaped a president. Visitors can also observe rural farm life in the early 1900's at the Sauer-Beckmann Living Farm, where costumed interpreters carry out the day-to-day activities of a turn-of-the-century Texas-German farm family. The park features picnic facilities, a swimming pool, tennis courts, and a nature trail. Visitors can enjoy historical study, picnicking, nature study, fishing, and view Texas longhorn cattle. The abundant wildlife of the Hill Country is highlighted by enclosures containing buffalo, longhorn, and white-tailed deer. The park is also famous for its spring wildflower display. Located 14 miles west of Johnson City on US Highway 290. Call 830-644-2252 for more information.
Pedernales Falls State Park
Pedernales Falls State Park consists of 5,000 acres of rugged natural Texas Hill Country. The Pedernales River is the focal point of the park, and the main attraction is beautiful Pedernales Falls, which may be viewed from a scenic overlook at the north end of the park. Well-marked trails pass through hills dotted with oak and juniper woodlands and provide access to more-heavily-wooded areas of pecan, elm, sycamore, walnut, and hackberry. Activities include camping, picnicking, hiking, river swimming, tubing, wading, mountain biking, fishing, and bird watching. Facilities include campsites with water and electricity, hike-in primitive campsites, picnic sites, restrooms with and without showers, a trailer dump station, 19.8 miles of hiking and mountain biking trails, 10 miles of equestrian trails, and 14 miles of backpacking trails, as well as a Texas State Park Store. Travel 9 miles east of Johnson City on FM 2766. Call 830-868-7304 for more information.
Roberson Museum and Science Center
Roberson Museum and Science Center is a regional museum of 19th- and 20th-century art, history, folk life, science and natural history. It is composed of the historic 1907 Roberson Mansion and a museum, planetarium and science gallery. Also on site is the Binghamton Visitor Center, which features permanent and changing heritage displays and a slide presentation. Planetarium shows are offered. Call (607) 772-0660 for more information.
30 Front St., Binghamton, NY 13790
Selah Bamburger Ranch
Selah, Bamberger Ranch Preserve is a private 5,500 acre ranch that has been described as the largest habitat restoration project on private land in Texas. Educational and interpretive services as well as transportation are provided by ranch staff. Ranch tours, made by appointment only, offer the opportunity to discover dinosaur tracks, hunt for fossils, see a man-made cave built to house 1 million bats, and visit the largest herd of the endangered Scimitar-horned Oryx in the world. Selah has hiking trails, a nature trail with native plants, and Madrone Lake for swimming, fishing, or just relaxing. Workshops, guided tours, and self-guided hikes add to the unique natural and educational experience. Call ahead for appointments. Call 830-868-7303 for more information.
Texas Hills Vineyard
Located in the hills of the picturesque Pedernales River Valley in Texas Hill Country, Texas Hills Vineyard enjoys an ideal location for growing quality grapes. The area's hills and soil are similar to the Tuscan countryside in Italy. The vineyard grows several varieties of grapes including Pinot Grigio, Sangiovese, Moscato, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Merlot. Open to the public, the site also features a winery and tasting room and gift shop. Special events are held regularly… for the latest events. Located one mile east of Johnson City on Ranch Road 2766. Call 830-868-2321 for more information.
The Tioga County Historical Society Museum
The Tioga County Historical Society Museum offers permanent and changing interpretive exhibits about local and regional history. Displays include American Indian artifacts, folk art portraiture and 19th-century tools, toys, fashions and transportation artifacts. Area genealogical information dating from 1800 also is available. Call (607) 687-2460 for more information.
110 Front St., Owego, NY 13790