We were thoroughly surprised by the Mayborn Museum. It looks small but it offers so much for kids…read more The first floor is the museum and the second floor is interactive and mainly for kids. We spent the whole day here except going out for lunch as they offer re-entry. Check out the Design Lab and Lights and Sounds areas. We had the most fun there. Also, there are scavenger hunts all over the museum so keep your eyes open for those.

This is my second visit to the Mayborn Museum. It is an excellent museum for children of all ages…read more My earlier visit was about 4 years ago. Many of the interactive exhibits that would interest younger folks has been updated. Interactive exhibits is a big part of the museum exhibits. Very educational and fun. There is a room for Space X rocket technology and the relationship of Baylor University and Space X. Well worth a visit for all!

Fort Hood is one of those bases you either love or you hate, and honestly, it just depends on what…read morechapter of life you were in when you came through here. I've been here plenty of times throughout my military career and every time I roll back in, it looks the same and somehow even smells the same. That weird hit of nostalgia only a soldier would understand. Nothing flashy, nothing new, just Fort Hood being Fort Hood. The memories tie you to it more than the place itself. Some good, some rough, but all of them part of the journey. Coming back through almost feels like stepping into an old photo you forgot you took. In all, it's one of those places that stays with you, whether you asked it to or not.

Fort Hood, now renamed Fort Cavazos is my second home. This military base will always be near and…read moredear to my heart. It is one of the largest military bases in the world ranking the largest by physical size against the others. Unique to this base, it is the only place where the U.S. can train two full armored divisions. Fort Cavazos (still trying to get accustomed to the renaming) has everything you need located inside the gates that you would typically find outside the gates in the neighboring "civilian" city. "The Great Place" is definitely loved by many and hated by some for various reasons; however, every place becomes what you make of it. The history captured in the many museums is worth exploring if you've never visited and interested in military history. Personally, nearly 10 years of my life was spent here and reflecting on the great memories and my patriotism keeps me returning. The continued progression and improvement is evident. #BeAllYouCanBe!

This place has a lot history and fact that most people don't know. It is well laid out. There is a…read morefew interactive things to do. So Big and Small children don't get bored.

Having watched the CW's "Walker" featuring Jared Padalecki, I've been itching to check out the…read moreTexas Ranger Museum! If you're thinking it's a museum for the baseball team like Tracy P. thought, uhm, it's not. Haha. Texas Rangers have an illustrious history. Surprisingly, not all TR's were good, but for the most part they were lawmen. Do watch the 45-minute film before touring the museum which helped me appreciate the exhibits as it ties the TRs with almost every aspect of Texas history. There are interactive exhibits so you can pick up and feel the weight of a TR gun. And there are somber reminders of the most famous Waco incident. Expect to spend a decent couple of hours here and stop by the gift shop for a memorabilia. Only $10.50 per adult admission. Enjoyed it! Closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas and NY.

Such a fun museum!…read more For $12 per adult, you can't beat the price and it comes with a free soda! This museum has so much history of Dr. Pepper and all things Dr. Pepper/Keurig. My dad worked for Dr. Pepper/Keurig for nearly 40 years, so this was so fun to see. So many cool artifacts from the beginning of Dr. Pepper to now. The gift shop is so cute with various souvenirs. The soda fountain building is fun! You can pre-book a make-your-own-soda event. We forgot to do that, but it looked really fun. The free soda was a plus. They even have flavors I've never heard of like Diet Caramel Dr. Pepper. Fun thing to do while in Waco!

Fun with the kids at the museum. Had a 12, 8,and 7 year old and looking for summer adventures to…read morekeep them busy. The museum is very well organized with lots of nostalgic pieces and fun advertisements to see. Interesting to see the changes in design over the years. After the museum we got the floats and they were tasty and a perfect treat especially in the TX heat. They have some fun flavors of Dr. Pepper items you can also purchase like popcorn and cases of pop. Nice family time and place to escape the heat. Spent about 2.5 hours. Tip- $10 parking right across the street for easy access.

As a National Park enthusiast, I was really excited to learn this site wasn't too far from my…read morefriend's house and so I was ecstatic to visit Waco Mammoth National Monument while in Texas. I'm also glad I happened to bring my National Park passport (you just never know!) Anyway, Waco Mammoth is definitely one of the more unusual units of the National Park System I've visited but also worth the visit!!! The history behind the site is fascinating. After two men discovered bones in 1978, researchers from Baylor University and other institutions began excavating the area and quickly realized they had uncovered something incredible! More and more fossils were found and in 2015 my guy President Obama established the site as an official unit of the National Park System. Though, one thing visitors should know ahead of time is that even though this is a National Park Service site, our America the Beautiful passes do NOT work here. General entry to the park grounds is free, but there is a separate fee to enter the dig shelter because it is operated in partnership with the City of Waco to help support preservation efforts. The actual dig shelter is absolutely the highlight of the experience, though you'll need to join a guided tour led by a docent. Hopefully you end up with one who is especially knowledgeable and enthusiastic because that really makes the experience come alive. I loved seeing the nation's first and only recorded evidence of a nursery herd of Colombian Mammoths from the Ice Age! So neat. At least 19 mammoths were discovered and the jury (err, scientists) are still out on how exactly these mammoths came to be trapped at this site/the reasoning for their passing. Anyway, this is a fascinating stop and absolutely worth visiting if you're in the Waco area, especially if you enjoy history, science, paleontology, or just visiting National Park units. It's not a full-day destination by any means, but it's definitely educational, memorable, and offers something very different from the typical national park experience!

If you have been driving and need to get out and stretch... stop here. It's the perfect "break."…read moreLearn something new and give your little ones the opportunity to become a certified ranger! ;) There's a gift shop of souvenirs for memory sake.

This was a fantastic stop, unplanned, but thanks to Yelp for the recommendation…read more First of all, admission is free. How, I don't know. It would be worth admission. It took about a solid hour to tour the exhibits. Parking in the area was free. There was a Bob Hope traveling exhibit that was wonderful. There's no coffee shop inside, but plenty in the area. There's employees were so friendly!

Check out this cool museum located downtown…read more It takes an hour or so to tour, if you read the placards. Much less if you breeze through. The history of the area is portrayed. I would definitely return here, the price is right!