FORT STOCKTON

Built of adobe in 1899, this Victorian-style building with 13 rooms and a hidden courtyard features displays and exhibits depicting this period in the area’s history. The parlor, lobby, dining room, and kitchen are filled with old photographs, collectibles, and furnishings. The museum also houses a gift shop that carries not only Texana and Western items but also an excellent selection of area and Southwestern history books. Among the more unusual items to be found here are a safe with a hidden keyhole, a 22,000-year-old mammoth tusk, and a “lazy man’s churn,” which used the jostling of a wagon to make butter.

Call for hours.

Admission: $3, seniors $2.50, children 6–12 $2, under 6 free.

The U.S. Army put this fort to good use from 1867 to 1886 as headquarters of the 9th and 10th Cavalries and the 16th, 24th, and 25th Infantries. Several of the original buildings, constructed of hand-hewn limestone and adobe, still stand. Be sure to investigate the jailer’s quarters inside the guardhouse and the military memorabilia in the south barracks.

Fort and museum open Mon.–Sat. 9 a.m.–5 p.m., extended summer hours (closed major holidays).

Admission: $3, seniors $2.50, children 6–12 $2, under 6 free.

Guided tours by reservation.