Corpus Christi Texas

Sparkling City By The Sea

Experience Corpus Christi and you will encounter a rich blend of nature, culture, history and unique entertainment. Texas’ largest coastal city, Corpus Christi is a vast wonderland of sea, sun and fun! The tranquil beauty of Corpus Christi’s waterfront, bay and beaches is a persistent lure for visitors as well as locals. And on any given sunny afternoon, the marina is host to an array of colorful sails moving in,  out and about Corpus Christi Bay. Pack a lunch, find a sunny spot, and enjoy the view. Or show up for  the Wednesday night sailboat races and join in on the fun.

Gateway to Padre Island
Located on the central Texas coast of the Gulf of Mexico, Corpus Christi is the gateway to one of the  world’s natural wonders, the Padre Island National Seashore. Just a 30-minute drive from downtown, Padre Island is one of only a few nesting grounds for the endangered Kemps ridley sea turtles. Padre Island beaches stretch out along more than 130 miles of the Gulf. Popular year around attractions, area beaches, bays and inland waterways offer some of the world’s best conditions for water sport  such as kiteboarding, windsurfing, jet skiing, kayaking and sport fishing.

Shopping
Corpus Christi is home to many wonderful retailers with all you could ever want. La Palmera Mall is your one stop shopping destination for clothing and accessories for the whole family, fine gifts, food  and more. There are over 100 retailers under one roof. Find something for yourself or the perfect gift to take home to someone special. Find fun and all you need under the palms – at La Palmera.

Relax
With all there is to do in Corpus Christi, you need and deserve time to rejuvenate. Corpus Christi Beach Hotels are calling you. Rooms with a great ocean view are waiting for you. Walk out the door, onto the warm sand for a stroll on the beach. The Radisson Beach Hotel or the Quality Inn on Corpus Christi Beach offer the plush amenities you want and need to relax.

USS Lexington Museum

The most famous aircraft carrier in the history of naval aviation, the mighty USS Lexington, is docked at Corpus Christi Beach just over the Harbor Bridge. Walk her deck and corridors and discover the significant role the “Blue Ghost” and her sailors played in our nation’s defense for nearly 50 years. Her World War II record is second to none, and she remains a memorial to the Americans who served her, served her country, and who died defending freedom.

Texas State Aquarium
Want to take home a real big fish story? Dive into the discovery of tiny seahorses or big sharks. Come face-to-fin with a sand tiger, angelfish, and barracuda. Or discover the world of sea otters, sea turtles or the friendliest of bottlenose dolphins. Island of Steel, a replica of an offshore oil and gas platform found in the Gulf, is a huge 132,000-gallon exhibit that gives the visitors the illusion of being submerged more than 50 feet under water. The Aquarium’s Flower Gardens Coral Reef habitat is a reproduction of
the coral reef found off the coast of Galveston.

South Texas Botanical Gardens & Nature Center

Enjoy serene beauty and a ‘walk on the wild side’ with 11 stunning floral exhibits and gardens almost shouting color, and quiet trails through identified native habitat. Whether it’s the delightful new Butterfly House, new Bromeliad Conservatory, decorative water features, vast natural wetlands, majestic Rose Pavilion or rustic Palapa Grande on scenic Gator Lake (perfect for birders), Corpus Christi’s South
Texas Botanical Gardens & Nature Center is an unforgettable study in contrasts.

More than 2000 orchids, 100 fragrant plumeria with viewing platform, and 300 breathtaking roses are gift-wrapped in expansive vistas of wetlands and shady mesquite forest. Visitors learn about native vegetation and wildlife through creative signage and animal tracks along the Wetland Awareness Boardwalk and Bird & Butterfly Nature Trail. Open just 14 years, this 180-acre showcase on Oso Creek also includes a quaint Hummingbird Garden, imaginative Sensory Garden with fascinating artscape, Arid Garden and colorful EarthKind Demonstration Trial Gardens. The Botanical Gardens & Nature Center is a Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail site.

Save some time for the Visitors Center Garden Shoppe!
361.852.2100.

Museums & Ships
A trip to the Art Museum of South Texas is an art lover’s dream. With more than 1,200 pieces on display, this Museum features many noted artists associated with Texas and the region.

The iconic Dale Chihuly chandelier is a must-see, and the variety of works from contemporary to the masters will appeal to everyone. A café and gift shop also are open for visitors. And the buildings, designed by Phillip Johnson and Ricardo Legorreta, are works of art in themselves. Visit daily except Mondays.

The Asian Cultures Museum and Educational Center, has an extensive collection of Asian arts and crafts and many artifacts and commissioned works from Japan, other Pacific Rim nations and the Indian subcontinent.

Are you a history buff? If so, then the Corpus Christ Museum of Science and History is a must see.
Explore the remains of three Spanish treasure ships that ran aground on Padre Island in 1554. Visit the Columbus Quincentenary exhibit, and learn about the beginning of Columbus’ 15th century voyage to the New World. Watch the kids’ imaginations come alive in the interactive Children’s Wharf exhibit.
One of the area’s popular attractions is the Selena Museum.

To please fans from around the world who were showing up at the door of the family business, Abraham Quintanilla decided to build a museum honoring his daughter’s memory. The museum displays outfits and dresses worn by Selena at concerts and award shows, each her own design, plus her red Porche and other personal memorabilia.

Set Sail
Located in the beautiful downtown Corpus Christi Marina, the Yachting Center of Corpus Christi  provides several opportunities to enjoy the outdoors for every age visitor. Spend some time out on the water on the Japonica, an open air touring boat. It is a great way to enjoy the bayfront atmosphere while relaxing for a one hour boat ride. Enjoy unique views of the Corpus Christi skyline, the Lexington, Texas State Aquarium and Columbus ships while sailing on Corpus Christi Bay.

If you want to get a bit more adventurous, rent a kayak! From the seat of one of the several different  models available, including tandems and the Adventure Islander, you may see dolphins playing in the waters just off the coast. It is certain you will witness a vast variety of bird species found in the area. So set sail your way at the Yachting Center of Corpus Christi.

Tune In
Music is everywhere in Corpus Christi. Live music can be found in the downtown nightclubs,  restaurants, performing centers and outdoor amphitheaters. Treat yourself to some of Corpus Christi’s
most popular and unique musical festivals such as Texas Jazz Festival in October or visit the Art Center the second Sunday of every month for the Jazz Brunch & Art Mart.

The Sporting Life
One of Corpus Christi’s action packed attractions is baseball, with the city’s own Corpus Christi Hooks reeling in the crowds regularly from April through September at Whataburger Field. And while the Hooks create home run fever during their season, the Corpus Christi Ice Rays are thrilling the crowds during hockey season.

Corpus Christi has Nature covered!
Discover why more species of our feathered friends visit “America’s Birdiest City,” than any other  destination in America. Perfectly positioned at the cross roads of two major flyways, Corpus Christi, sits on the central Texas coast. Hundreds of bird species stop to rest and re-fuel during spring and fall migrations.

Blucher Park is one of the major “fall out” or resting stops along the way. Known worldwide this four acre pocket park attracts bird watchers year round in search of flycatchers, thrushes, vireos, warblers, chimney swifts and dozens more species. Hans and Pat Suter Wildlife Refuge is often crowded with shorebirds, waterfowl, and butterflies. This is a popular spot for birders and nature photographers to explore. Land birds and raptors occur in surprising numbers too. Corpus Christi is home to the largest and most diverse raptor migration platform in the U.S. averaging over 730,000 hawks and falcons each year. Hazel Bazemore County Park is famous for its massive hawk migration in the fall, peak ing in late September and early October. The sky darkens with more hawks than could be counted in a lifetime, species including Broad-winged Hawks, Mississippi Kites, and Peregrine Falcons.

The Coastal Bend region provides some 150 nature sites for outdoor lovers to hike, tour, explore and photograph.

Corpus Christi has Waves, Wings, and Wildlife…It’s our Nature!

Call the Corpus Christi Conventional & Visitors Bureau
at 800-766-2322 or visit www.corpuschristicvb.com