Smithville brings together several distinct reasons to visit: film history, art, historic buildings and a park on the Colorado River. If you’re looking for a hotel in Smithville, you can start planning your trip around the topics that interest you most. The city offers specific ways to explore them, from a disc golf course to railroad cars and local art. For travel planning: Crawford Municipal Airport is on Highway 95 (Loop 230), near the intersection with Highway 71. The street name and intersection help you pinpoint its location.

Riverbend Park: Disc Golf on the Colorado River

Riverbend Park borders the Colorado River and is officially named after former Mayor Vernon Richards. The park has an 18-hole disc golf course.

Smithville’s film history offers another way to explore the city. More than 40 film productions have been made in Smithville. The Smithville Area Chamber of Commerce provides a color-coded map of filming locations. The map measures 11 × 17 inches; the more than 40 productions and the filming locations map offer two distinct perspectives on Smithville’s film history.

Film History and Cultural Heritage

Another historical connection leads to West End Park: it was a stop on the Chitlin’ Circuit blues revue. This is a different cultural thread from the film productions and shows that Smithville’s history encompasses a range of topics.

For art enthusiasts, the Mary Nichols Art Center-LPAA Gallery is a destination in its own right: the gallery is dedicated to public art by artists from the Smithville area. The Smithville Heritage Museum is housed in a Victorian building constructed in 1908. Public art and the history of a Victorian building thus offer distinct ways to explore the city.

Railroad History and Planning Your Visit

James H. Long Railroad Park features a pair of historic railroad cars and a renovated railroad depot. These two features give the park its railroad connection. To arrange an interior visit to the Railroad Museum, you can contact the Smithville Area Chamber of Commerce at 512-237-2313. This gives you a specific point of contact if an interior visit is part of your plans.

Smithville’s event history includes two distinct dates: the Smithville Jamboree is held once a year, while the Festival of Lights was established in 1987. If attending an event is important to your trip, check the dates for your preferred travel period.

When choosing your accommodation, it helps to prioritize these topics according to your interests: the park and disc golf, art, railroad and architectural history, or film connections. The film map can help you find filming locations; the Chamber of Commerce contact information is relevant if you want to visit the Railroad Museum’s interior.

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Go to the main travel overview: Bastrop.