Orange, Texas

Because of its isolated location on the Louisiana border, Orange was a stopping place for outlaws and renegades crossing the Sabine River into Texas. Today, visitors can discover the town’s colorful past at history museums or enjoy cultural attractions such as the Lutcher Theater and Stark Museum of Art. The Heritage House Museum looks at upper-middle-class family life from the turn of the 20th century to the 1940s. See the striking difference between the middle class and the fabulously wealthy by visiting the 1894 W.H. Stark House, a three-story Victorian-era mansion with authentic furniture and room settings. Located on 252 acres along Adams Bayou, Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center offers visitors the chance to explore and learn about local ecosystems and gardens without leaving the city center.