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.

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!

My grandson had his 3rd birthday party here at Discovery Science Place. My husband and I have…read morenever been here before. It really is a fun place to have fun and learn. When you enter, you can choice to go right or left, two sides to the center. To the right is a few games, (such as connect four), life size light bright, and a cool vacuum that you put fluff balls in and watch how it filters through the vacuum suction tubes. You can walk through the volcano and experience what an earthquake could possibly feel like. Walk all the way up to the ship deck and see the world. Down on the main floor, my granddaughter loved learning the magic of being on television. When coming in, if you turned left, you enter the world of life skills and career options. The makeshift grocery store is very realistic and makes it fun for kids to learn to shop and organize. The kids can pretend to work in medical clinics, veterinarian clinics, restaurant personnel (food prep/chef/server), be an astronaut and explore the outer world, firefighter, police officer, lawyer, and/or judge, medical specialist, and more. There is a separate room for birthdays or gatherings. There is a very low price of $10 pre adult/student and discounts offered for seniors and military. I didn't get pictures while exploring with my grandkids, but it really is a fun little place to go explore. You can visit their website for more pictures and info. https://www. discoveryscienceplace.org

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.

The absolute best place to get the piss scared out of you. And the best people to work for! Gonna…read moremiss them til next year!

From the owner: Since Terror Nights Haunted House was such an iconic cornerstone of Halloween in Tyler, Texas, Wild…read moreCard Entertainment purchased the former Terror Nights Haunted House prior to haunt season 2016. Since Terror Nights has been the scariest haunt in East Texas since 2008 we were excited to purchase her. One partner said to another partner, "Wanna buy a haunt? It will be fun!" Then they named her World of Khaos Thrill Park because the 33,000 square feet of random haunt matter throughout their 5 warehouses was incredibly 'Khaotic'. Imagine their surprise when they also learned the business came with about 8 spirits. So far so good. They seem to like us, well one doesn't like Charles too much, but that's another story they'll share with you when you're there! World of Khaos Thrill Park is expected to be bigger and better than anything we've seen before. This year they're planning an attraction called Blackwater Bayou - a Voodoo haunt with a couple of quarreling Voodoo Queens. It is guaranteed to make you scream and jump. A lot. They'll also have a rather unique chainsaw crew that have really cool plans for Friday the 13th and Halloween night. Trust us, you won't want to miss these nights. Also demented KarnEvil. We thought with all the clown shows and movies going on, why not show just how psychotic we can get.

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.

Tried Stanley's BBQ and it did not disappoint. I had the chopped beef sandwich and a loaded baked…read morepotato, both were absolutely delicious and packed with flavor. The customer service was great, friendly, and fast. I also really liked the restaurant layout, with both indoor and outdoor seating that makes it a comfortable spot to hang out. The music added a fun vibe, and the sweet tea was on point. Definitely a place I will be coming back to.

The service was helpful, I'm gluten free and was coming back from visiting a small town nearby…read morewhich didn't have any options and saw this place on my Yelp and decided to give it a try. Their meat was tender and juicy, the sausages are made in house, and they make them gluten free so that was a pleasant surprise. The outdoor area is very nicely laid out, it has a stage for bands that come and play. I will say the pricing is a little insane. $6 for a singular sausage link is pretty pricy. We ended up spending $65 in total after tipping the staff. I would come back if I was in the area and needed a meal that I knew was safe for my allergy. The barbecue sauce was also gluten free!

I went to fair on opening night, and I hate the new fair ground area, it totally sucks. I've been a…read moreregular very year for 40 years, but I'll never go back. This new location sucks, everything is on dirt, the restrooms are all portapotty. I gave it a one star only because there wasn't a zero.

I come here for the food! I did their food truck line up in June for my birthday during COVID!…read moreLet's just say I'm ready for them to come back in the fall. Funnel cake, turkey leg and lemonade is where it's at for me! My sons customized shirt was pretty expensive along with the rides, the first time I ever went in 2019.