5 Fun Things to do in Bryan-College Station, Texas

Just  short day trip from Austin, Bryan-College Station offers more to see than just the Texas A&M University.  We recently spent the day there as we were driving home from East Texas and had such a good time getting to know this great area.  If you are looking for a fun place to visit one weekend, check out all that Bryan-College Station, aka “Aggieland” has to offer.

5 Fun things to do in Bryan-College Station with Kids

The George Bush Presidential Library and Museum
Sitting on the Texas A&M campus is one of Texas’s Presidential Libraries.  Only 10 years old, this museum does a great job in telling the life story of our 41st President, George H.W. Bush.  With actual artifacts, like his Presidential Limousine, campaign memorabilia, Presidential Gifts of State, and a piece of the Berlin Wall, the museum does a great job of showing us who he was as a boy, a husband, a politiatin, a father, and as a President.  My 13 year old was very interested in the modern displays and the 5 year old had a fun treasure hunt through the museum.

Children’s Museum of the Brazos Valley
This fun 2-story children’s museum is located in downtown Bryan.  It features climbable space ship, a H-E-B store, a tv station, and a big construction “site” to learn how to use “tools”.  Though it was a bit young for my older 2 kids (11 & 13), they still had a fun time playing with their younger brother.  And we all played a great game of checkers on a giant checkerboard.  This is a fun stop for kids 7 and younger.

Brazos Valley Natural History Museum
This is a great natural history museum that features animals, plants, minerals, and human activity in the Brazos Valley.  Some of the key exhibits that kids will enjoy the most are the Observation bee hive, butterfly exhibit, and live animals.

Dixie Chicken
We had to make a stop for lunch at the famous Dixie Chicken.  Aggies will tell you that this is the home of dominos, pool, country music and beer – in fact, it once held the record for the most beer consumed in one location in the United States.  So why am I telling you to go there? Cause it’s also home of a really good burger and these incredible cheese fries. Lunchtime is full of families checking out this local legend.  So, it’s kinda a “must do” in these parts.

Bonfire Memorial on TAMU Campus
The Aggie Bonfire was a longstanding tradition before the football team played their biggest rival, the University of Texas, dating back to 1909.  A tragic accident at the 1999 bonfire construction killed 12 Aggies and a beautiful memorial stands in it’s place.   Each of the 12 stones points towards the hometown of the lost Aggie and tells their story.  I found it to be a touching tribute, as I remembered the accident.  The kids didn’t mind the walk and the pretty memorial, but I am sure it didn’t have the same effect as it did me on them.

While we were there, we took a quick drive around campus and popped into Aggie Outfitters to pick up a t-shirt from my daughter.  It was a great way to show her a picture of campus life – since she will be going to college in less than 5 years (gulp).

Here are a few more fun things to do in Bryan-College Station:
Grand Station Entertainment
Santa’s Wonderland
Lone Star Trapeze Academy
Royal Oaks Alpacas
Kingsbury Blueberry Farm

And real close by, my favorite ice cream maker, Blue Bell is located in Brenham – and you can have a tour of the creamery and get a free scoop of ice cream.