10 Best Things to Do in Corpus Christi, TX

Padre Island National Seashore is known far and wide as a college party area. This national seashore island is located just off the south Texas coast and offers endless stretches of sand and blue ocean waters, which also function as a nature preserve.

Here you can get a glimpse of sea turtles in their natural habitat, view over 380 species of birds, and explore more than 70 miles of prairie, coastline, sand dunes, and tidal flats. It’s ideal for hiking, wildlife viewing, swimming, or just sunbathing all day long.

Laguna Madre is a long and shallow hypersaline lagoon, famed for its photogenic views, fishing, hunting, campgrounds, sightseeing, and of course, wind and water sports. If you’ve never tried windsurfing, this is the place to go and give it a shot. 

It’s one of only 6 hypersaline lagoons in the world. It’s also home to more finfish than anywhere else along the coast of Texas, which makes fishing another very popular sport here. The chance of catching catfish, croaker, striped mullet, smooth butterfly ray, spotted seatrout, blacktip shark, and others in Laguna Madre is grand.

Texas State Aquarium is a public nonprofit aquarium dedicated to education and promoting the rehabilitation of Gulf wildlife as well as conservation of the environment. The aquarium offers a wide range of tours and educational programs. 

Here you can see an actual coral reef in all its living glory, witness sharks and colorful tropical fish, view jungle and swamp habitats, or even visit the dolphins at Dolphin Bay. You can also book an exclusive encounter where you’ll get up close to and help the staff feed animals like sharks, sea turtles, and many others.

The U.S.S. Lexington is an aircraft carrier that was built during World War II. It is named in honor of another USS Lexington that was lost at sea during the war. It’s actually the 5th ship of its kind to carry that name, in remembrance of the Battle of Lexington during the Revolutionary War. 

This museum honors not only its own service history but the entire naval history of World War II. It carries the nickname “the Blue Ghost” because of its tendency to be reported as having sunk, just to reappear like a ghost.

Texas Surf Museum is a quirky and eccentric museum that’s entirely devoted to the unique surfing culture of the Gulf Coast and Texas, in particular. If you’ve ever ridden the waves, this is a must-visit museum, and even for those who aren’t surfers, there’s plenty to see and love here. 

You can sit on a bench made out of surfboards, view hundreds of photos, and even watch surf films in the museum’s theater. It’s fun, colorful, and educational, and it’s sure to be an adventure for anyone interested in surfing culture.

The Art Museum of South Texas has been in operation since 1972 and is a landmark of the bay area. It houses a permanent collection as well as a rotating set of special exhibits that are focused on local and regional fine art, crafts, and photography. 

Permanent collections include a selection of photographs, painting, pottery, sculpture, and many more representations of local art. Today it includes over 1,850 works of art and is still growing every year. Besides physical works, the museum also hosts lectures, live performances, classes, and films.

The Aransas National Wildlife Refuge is part of a barrier island chain extending along the coastline of Texas. Birdwatchers love to come here to catch a glimpse of the Buffalo Whooping Crane population in the park, as well as partake in the wide range of other activities. 

The refuge is open to hunting and fishing, and there are a range of nature trails for hiking and biking of varying difficulty levels. You can see hundreds of species of birds, and you might even catch some other local wildlife, such as American alligators.

The Museum of Science and History is where you can learn something new while you’re on your fishing and natural history tour of Corpus Christi. First established in 1957, this museum features a wide range of exhibits housing hundreds of thousands of items and artifacts. 

The kids will love a visit to the H-E-B Science Center where they can get hands-on with all kinds of scientific exhibits. You can also walk the Rio Grande Civil War Trail and visit prehistoric animals. This adventure through science, culture, and history covers not just Corpus Christi, but the entire world.

The South Texas Botanical Gardens is a great option if you’re looking for peace and serenity on your journey through Corpus Christi. This 180-acre garden is immaculately maintained and features hundreds of species of colorful flowers, both domestic and exotic. 

The botanical garden is also a nature conservatory and maintains a butterfly house, over 40 species of exotic parrots, a reptile room, hiking trails, and even a wetland area. You can visit a sensory garden, cactus-filled arid area, and even a children’s play area for the kids to run and have fun.