When you think of the word “real” often times the synonym “authentic” comes to mind.
This holds true for our feature city Seguin. Seguin is one of the oldest towns in Texas. In 1838, a group of frontier Rangers laid out a settlement among beautiful Live Oaks beside Walnut Springs on the Guadalupe River. They soon named the town for Col. Juan N. Seguin, a Tejano who fought beside the Anglo settlers against the brutal Mexican dictator Santa Anna.
The town boasts a number of antebellum homes, including the Sebastopol House Historic Site, and the greater Seguin area was the setting for author Janice Woods Windle's successful novel True Women (1993), featured in a television miniseries in 1997.
This frontier town was a center for experimentation with using concrete as a building material. By the late 19th century, about one out of 10 structures were made of the locally invented “limecrete.”
As a result, this small town had the greatest concentration of concrete buildings in the country! Only about 20 of these rare concrete relics survive today including Sebastopol House.
Art, Recreation, and Culture
Tourists are attracted to Max Starcke Park, the Heritage Seguin and Guadalupe County Museum, the Downtown Historic District and the County Fairgrounds, where the Texas State High School Rodeo has been held since 1984.
Seguin has six historical sites to explore, four museums, four arts related venues, and one university all within the 34.7 square miles! That’s a lot of art, history, and culture to trek!
One place to stop and see is Texas Lutheran University- a private institution that was founded in 1891. Texas Lutheran University tops the 2017 U.S. News & World Report: No.1 “Best Value” &No. 2 “Best Colleges” in the Western Region. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 1,367, and the campus size is 184 acres.
Performing arts are produced by the music and drama schools, showcasing Broadway shows, musicals, dance, and the Christmas Vespers held the first week of December. While you are on campus check out the Fiedler Memorial Museum located in In Texas Lutheran University's Langner Hall, the museum has geological displays. An adjoining rock garden is always open and includes trail guides just outside the gate.
Take the kids to see a log cabin, a calaboose (jail), and a life-sized Victorian doll house at Seguin’s Heritage Village. Some of Seguin’s first homes and buildings are preserved here, including the state’s oldest Protestant church. Tours are available by calling the visitor center at (830) 401-0810.
While you are out exploring visit the huge pecan nut on the Courthouse lawn. Made of concrete but looking quite realistic, it honors a major local industry. Crops can reach up to 3 million pounds of pecans, making this county one of the nation's leading producers.
Guadalupe County growers helped to pioneer the now-popular nut, which Spanish explorers encountered in this area hundreds of years ago. Some of the earliest pecan orchards were planted in nearby river bottoms, and local specimens were used in upgrading cultivated varieties. The Guadalupe Valley Pecan Growers Association, founded here, is one of the oldest such groups in the state. Stop by Pape’s Pecan House and Nutcracker Museum to sample some of the state’s best pecans. Get crackin’ with more than 8,000 nutcrackers from all over the world mimic famous movie characters, presidents, cowboys, animals and more.
If the kids start going “nuts”, Seguin boasts a 15,000-square-foot Wave Pool, a park with volleyball courts, playground area, and picnic tables. The new 48-acre Park West has athletic fields, a play-scape, nature trails and a splash pad for the little ones. The beautiful Guadalupe River winds through Seguin and offers free boat ramps, fishing piers, picnic areas and vacation rentals.
The City of Seguin also has established “float trails” on the river with no shuttle or portage necessary, so you can explore at your own leisure. If you’re looking for relaxation, head over to Son’s Island where you can rent a riverside cabana and spend the weekend riding jet skis, paddle boarding and grilling. Seguin’s local amusement park, ZDT Amusement Center, offers hours of summer fun to visitors. From go-karts and water coasters, to wall climbing and the nation’s steepest roller coaster, you are sure to find something for everyone in the family to enjoy!
Wind down your day with a stop at the Blue Lotus Winery / Texas Mead Works. The winery is located in beautiful Guadalupe River Valley just outside Seguin Texas. They produce hand-crafted wines and honey meads. Check out two craft breweries as well. Seguin Brewing Company and BS Brewing both feature beers that include the city’s famous crop – the pecan.
For more information on activities, walking tours, ghost tours, and more- visit Seguin CVB’s website.
Outdoor Recreation
Don’t forget your fishing gear when planning your trip to Seguin. The city is positioned near several bodies of water. Catch largemouth bass and catfish on Lake Placid. Suit up and strap on those water ski’s if your trip includes a stop at Lake McQueeney. Both lakes are actually man-made dams on the Guadalupe River watershed. If fishing or lakes aren’t in your plans- try the Seguin paddling trail. This scenic 4-mile paddling trail loop on the Guadalupe River. This trail is perfect for beginners since no shuttle is needed.
Getting There
Seguin is located in the center of Guadalupe County, and is in one of the state’s most beautiful areas- Prairies and Lakes. It is 35 miles east-by-northeast of downtown San Antonio, and about 50 miles (80 km) south of Austin on Highway 123, via Interstate 35, or 62 miles by Highway 130, a toll road.
Ready to plan your getaway? Visit Seguin’s web page or call 830-401-0810 to partner with the city’s experts!