Join the Texarkana Museums System on November 28 beginning at 6:30 p.m. for a special twilight walking tour of Downtown Texarkana, USA. This guided tour will focus on historic State Line Avenue in the Original City District and end with refreshments at the Museum of Regional History. Tickets must be purchased in advance and are on sale now at TexarkanaMuseums.org/Events. Tickets are $15 per person.
Who built State Line Avenue? Why are the downtown streets at an odd angle? The latest in the Texarkana Museums System Twilight Tours, “State Line Avenue,” will answer these questions and more. This guided walking tour features public and commercial buildings dating from the 19th and 20th Centuries within the original boundaries of the city. The Original City Historic District is the oldest section of Texarkana. As the name suggests, the district encompasses the original borders of the city.
“The original city boundaries are bookended by the U. S. Post Office and Union Station,” said TMS Curator, Jamie Simmons. “The buildings face each other because for many decades the best route into the city was by train.”
Both buildings are in the Beaux Arts style and represent a rush of new construction in the 1930s.
“During the Great Depression, the WPA sponsored the razing and reconstruction of many local public buildings, particularly courthouses,” Simmons added. “We’ve ended up with an interesting variety of design styles all along State Line Avenue.”
Construction projects helped the economy of Texarkana weather the Depression years and boosted growth of the commercial district. Downtown was the business heart of Texarkana through the 1970s, evolving over that period to include a variety of architectural styles and building materials representing the 19th and 20th Centuries.
Participants are encouraged to wear comfortable clothes and to dress for chilly weather. The tour begins and ends at the Museum of Regional History, 219 N. State Line Avenue. Hot cider will be provided after the tour. Parking is available on the streets surrounding the museum. Tickets are $15 per person or $10 for TMS Members. The tour route is wheelchair friendly.
The Texarkana Museums System hosts programs and events every Saturday of the month. For more information about this or future events, please contact TMS at 903-793-4831 or email MoRH@TexarkanaMuseums.org.
