Lockhart Texas with Kids: Fun Things to Do
Our family has a goal of exploring four small towns this year, so we headed to Lockhart, Texas. We loved exploring Lockhart Texas with kids!
Lockhart, Texas, is located approximately 30 minutes south of Austin. It’s a quaint town with a lot of history. We parked in the main square on E. San Antonio Street right outside the Southwest Museum of Clocks & Watches, which was the perfect base for exploring the area.
From there, we walked west on E. San Antonio Street and north on N. Main Street. We tried to head toward Fields Stable Antiques, but our children sidetracked us to check out an underground vintage store called Potter’s Field. We followed them downstairs and found a soothing, well-curated, interesting vintage shop. Although the prices were expensive for us (for example, a $130 dress from the 1930s was calling my name!), we did end up buying two wool blankets for our back porch.
Lockhart, Texas with Kids: Fields Stable Antiques
Our next stop was Fields Stable Antiques. Fields has three large rooms packed with interesting things to browse. We did end up purchasing a carousel horse because one of our children dropped it and broke it ($10.50), as well as six vintage sea foam green school cafeteria trays for $15.
The store gave away free pieces of candy, which was a big hit with the boys.
Caldwell County Museum
After our quick browsing trip, we walked to the Caldwell County Museum, which is an old jail. Talk about creepy! You can explore all four floors of the old jail, which includes dilapidated walls, low ceilings, old toilets, and metal beds.
Even though it says “suggested donation,” please note that it is actually an admissions fee. It’s $4 for adults and $1 for children. We only had $7 in cash, so Matt had to wait outside. At first the docent would not leave us alone, but as soon as we were ready to head up the stairs into the jail part, she was no where to be seen!
At the end, when the kids were too freaked out and we had to come back downstairs, she showed us a book about ghosts, with the Caldwell County Museum featured prominently on the cover. What?!? Is that why she didn’t follow us up the stairs into the jail part?
Anyway, it was a very random but quirky place to visit. Tate remarked, “I’m going to have nightmares tonight.” (But he still thought it was fun!)
Lockhart, Texas with Kids: Dr. Eugene Clark Library
This library was actually the reason we went to Lockhart, Texas, in the first place. A few days prior to our trip, we happened upon a book called Librarian on the Roof: A True Story. It’s about a Lockhart librarian who went to great lengths to raise money for the children’s section of the library. We definitely recommend the book!
Although we went on a Sunday when the library was closed, we enjoyed peeking through the windows and recognizing pieces from the book.
Load Off Fanny’s
After viewing the library, we were feeling hungry, so we wandered over to Load Off Fanny’s. We sat on the patio, listened to live music, and ate queso/burgers/fries (and fries dipped in queso).
Flash Candy & Toys
Following our meal, we meandered over to Flash Candy & Toys, which has all sorts of—as you can imagine—candy and toys. There’s also a fun triceratops to climb on in front of the store.
Additional Places to Explore in Lockhart, Texas with Kids
In addition to the seven places we visited, there were other places we would like to see someday:
- Lockhart City Park: There’s a playground, a pond, a splashpad, etc.
- Lockhart State Park
- The Culinary Room
Verdict
We thoroughly enjoyed our Lockhart Adventure! If you want to replicate it, you can download this passport and use a mini-stamp to keep track of your journey. And let me know if you come across new things that we should check out, too!
