Our family rode the Piney Woods Express in the Presidential Car, and it was the perfect finale to…read moreour East Texas vacation. We booked seats in the Presidential Car, "Miss Joyce," and the experience was outstanding from beginning to end. The car features a comfortable mix of couches and chairs, with seating selected when you book your tickets. It created a relaxed atmosphere that made the four-hour excursion feel special without being overly formal. Our train attendant, Miss Joyce, was absolutely wonderful. She was warm, welcoming, and attentive throughout the trip, and it's easy to see why the car proudly bears her name. When we arrived at our seats, each passenger had a complimentary bottle of water and a snack box filled with watermelon, grapes, pretzels, and cheese cubes. The trip began with a champagne toast for the adults and sparkling apple cider for those who preferred it, which was a fun touch that made the experience feel like an occasion. Additional drinks, candy, and popcorn were available for purchase throughout the ride, and the attendants happily took orders and kept a running tab, making everything very convenient. During the stop in Rusk, we had time to stretch our legs and enjoy lunch. A converted railcar serves as a concession stand, offering items like hot dogs, nachos, chicken salad sandwiches, hoagies, and pulled pork sandwiches, with the option to purchase meals that include chips and a drink. There are picnic tables available, or you can take your lunch back to the train while it's parked at the station. We later learned that meal pre-orders are available, although we didn't notice that information when booking our tickets. The return trip to Palestine was a little quicker but just as enjoyable. From departure at 11:00 a.m. until our return around 3:00 p.m., the entire excursion was relaxing, scenic, and very well organized. If you're looking for a unique family outing in East Texas, we highly recommend upgrading to the Presidential Car. Between the comfortable seating, thoughtful amenities, excellent service, and beautiful scenery, it was an experience we'll remember for a long time.

My wife and I drove up from Austin for an overnight trip to Palestine, Texas, to take the evening…read moredinner train ride on the Texas State Railroad. We sat in the skylight car. Our experience was okay, but just okay. The train car was comfortable, though noticeably dated and in need of some freshening up. The bathroom was unpleasant -- no soap, no paper towels -- and it felt like the cars hadn't received any real attention in years. The train ride itself was pleasant enough, but too long for what it offered. The scenery consists mostly of trees lining both sides of the track, with occasional glimpses of meadows. Nothing dramatic. The train crept along at a snail's pace -- more, I suspect, to fill time than for any safety reasons. The midpoint stop was the highlight of the trip. We had dinner with live music in a lovely setting near a small lake -- genuinely enjoyable. However, the scheduled 1¼-hour stop stretched to nearly 1¾ hours, as we sat on the train for almost 30 minutes without moving before heading back. We arrived over 15 minutes later than scheduled. A few other notes: the train has no Wi-Fi, and the entire three-hour ride is accompanied by piped-in 1940s big band music. The first 30 minutes were fine; after that, it became tedious. Overall, I'd give this experience a 3 out of 5 -- and that's being generous, given the price.

Nice spot in downtown Tyler. Our 3 1/2 yo loved the place. Good interactive displays that even the…read moreadults enjoyed

What a fun experience and place for a birthday party! My Grandbud celebrated his 3rd birthday here…read morewith friends and family, and I am so glad I was in town long enough to be a part of it. A great place to hold parties, play, learn, be curious, and more importantly, have fun! He and his friends had so much fun exploring and playing everywhere! They could pretend to be service heroes, doctors, working at a restaurant or at the grocery store. Be an astronaut, play on a ship, and learn with a bunch of gadgets and gizmos. I would absolutely recommend this place for birthday parties and school field trips. As always, Enjoy & Happy Learning!

Don't come here looking for a lot of shade because roses need a lot of sun to bloom!…read more I grew up in the era where Tyler roses were kind of a big deal. If you had a Mother's Day or Mom's birthday to buy flowers, for it was a big deal to give her Tyler roses. If you were sweet other girl at school, it was also a big deal, if you not only gave her roses, but roses directly from Tyler. I had always wanted to see this Rose capital of the world. It was an easy day trip from Dallas and gave me the opportunity to see this Ground Zero from some thing that has a strong memory for me growing up. The gardens were beautiful, and when the breeze was just right, the fragrance was amazing. But I have to admit I was a little disappointed that it was not like our Arboretum, Or something like that. Nevertheless, it was worth the trip and took me down memory lane!

A beautiful and tranquil park, free and open to the public. Though the roses weren't fully out at…read morethis time of year, since we're in Azalea season, there was still plenty to walk around and do. There are a bunch of different spaces to visit, and it is well maintained. While we were there, a 3-year-old kid and his grandma were walking around, and the kid seemed to have no object permanence. He would trip and fall into a bush, get back up, and fall into the same bush again. It's not important to this review, but it was hilarious and worth sharing. Anyways, this place is a must-visit for locals and visitors! RIYL: Roses

Beautiful grounds and the adjacent water tower is like nothing I've ever seen at historic mansion!read more

We were here during our visit to Lake Palestine. We found this local historic house that in Tyler…read moreis attraction. During our visit, we saw the art festival is in progress. Due to the festival, the parking is kind of full. The entrance for the historic house is free. Donation is encouraged. This two storey house is colonial style. It turn Smith County. The house was build 1859. Overall the house visit only need 1/2 hour. We took one hour. There are some welcome clerk dress in old colonial time. At this visit, I learn different styles of stitching for the quilt. It is very colorful. The best spot for the picture is at the front with the columns. The other spot is the curve wood rail stair case.

My "go to" theater for movies . Nice seats , and close to my home. Also appreciate discounts for…read moreseniors .

This place is busy. Came here to watch the new Mortal Combat movie but I'm too early so it's not…read moreplaying. I got the dates wrong. Decided to check out the restaurant, but it was closed. I asked one of the workers when they would open. He sent me to the VIP lounge to get my dinner. I ordered some French fries, a house salad and some bourbon glazed salmon. It was amazing. It is very clean in here wasn't cheap but it was well worth it. $24. I will be checking out the games shortly and might even try a few frames of bowling. I am very impressed. The staff were very nice. Super polite. It did not take long for my food to come out either.

I'm from San Diego, and this was honestly some of the best BBQ I've ever had. Everything was and…read morethe hospitality was 10/10. Maddie at the register was a sweetheart, and Amelia behind the bar made me a DELICIOUS cocktail. Def worth a detour to visit!

I was excited to try this place since I love BBQ and the restaurant is "famous" so my expectations…read morewere high. We went for lunch on a Saturday. As the restaurant jokingly notes, they have the worse parking situation in Tyler. In reality, it was not the worst, but it is not good. There are just a handful of spots around the restaurant so you have to drive around and find a place. There was a line, but it moved pretty quickly. There was plenty of seating outside and there is an air-conditioned seating area that I did not see until we were already seated. The kid had the chopped brisket sandwich and although she did not like it very much, I tried it and I liked it better than my sliced brisket. The wife had a Texas taco (with brisket) and liked it. I had 1/2 pound of brisket, lean. The price was much lower than in Dallas. I added a side of Mac n' cheese. The brisket had great bark and was super tender. I got the lean that I wanted, but honestly it was a bit dry. Plus, I mistakenly applied the hot and spicy sauce to my brisket and it was so incredibly peppery that it was virtually inedible. I had to scrape it off and apply the regular sauce. I cannot who can tolerate that peppery sauce, it was just way too hot. For reasons we never understand but that always seems to happen, big groups that came after us were served their food before us. I don't get how that always happens. Overall, it was a good experience and if we return II would try some different things on the menu.

Never have I seen so many people paying to have an heart attack from eating so much fried food. The…read morefood options were great, but the rides are expensive and just a little too short. I guess I remember the rides lasting a little longer than 2 minutes.

If I could rate it at zero I would. Never have I been so disappointed in fair organizers. I do not…read moreunderstand why they decided to move from the former spot which was all paved and level and offered great inclusivity for wheelchair bound people....to an open field...completely unlevel with ups and downs AND not paved just gravel (which is almost impossible to push a wheelchair through). Shame on you for completely dismissing an entire subgroup of citizens who might otherwise have really enjoyed themselves.