Free Things to do in Texarkana

When I first moved to the area, some of the first things I looked for were the free things to do in Texarkana. Our family loves to try new things and we were excited to dive in to exploring our new home. Now that we have our list built, I’m happy to share it with you. Maybe you have family visiting, maybe you’re just wanting to find something to do, or maybe you’re visiting Texarkana and need ideas. Texarkana has a lot to offer without requiring a big spend. This list shares some of my favorite free things to do around town.

For a full outline of things to do, check out my ultimate guide to Texarkana.

Texarkana’s parks and outdoor spaces.

Spending time outside is one of our favorite free things to do in Texarkana. Both sides of the state line have plenty of parks and places to play, whether you’re looking for sports, walking, jogging, biking, or playgrounds. You can find it all. I have a guide to the best parks in Texarkana that lists all of our favorites on both sides of the state line. Here are a few more ideas for free fun in the outdoors in Texarkana:

• Play disc golf at Spring Lake Park, visit the splash pad, or walk the trail.
• Go geocaching in Texarkana.
• Walk to the art park at the spillway at Bringle Lake, starting at the Nature Trail on the east side.
• Go fishing at Bobby Ferguson park (ages 16 and up do need an Arkansas fishing license).
• Play tennis or pickleball at the Southwest Center on the Texas side.
• Play chess on the table provided at Bringle Lake by the boardwalk area.
• Try sand volleyball at the pit at Bringle Lake West.

Local landmarks.

If you haven’t done it, you have to take a trip to the state line federal building. It’s an iconic photo op spot and it’s a quirky and unique thing to do in Texarkana. A photo on the state line is fun for locals and travelers alike. Don’t forget to use the selfie stand that’s there so you can get yourself or your whole group in the photo. If you post it on social media be sure to tag @ experiencetexarkana so they can share it.

Another one of the neat, free things to do in Texarkana is to check out the art tractor in front of the Museum of Regional History. One side is decorated with Arkansas themed things and the other is Texas. It’s fun to walk around it and see what quirky items you can spot.

Free museums, historical and cultural stops.

One neat thing about Texarkana is the number of incredible local artists the city has. A fun thing to do is to see the George Tobolowsky sculptures around town. They are art sculptures made by a local Texarkana artist, who specializes in found art and repurposing scraps. I haven’t been able to find a listing of all of his pieces across Texarkana yet, so I’ll work on that. But, for now, look for these: 1) by the Perot Theatre, 2) by the Grimm apartment building, and 3) on the Texarkana A & M campus.

Another Texarkana gem is the Four States Auto Museum. This museum is open on the weekend and admission is free, though donations are accepted. The museum features a collection of vintage signs and cars from decades past. They have a wide variety of vehicles and it’s neat to walk through. All ages are welcome. Check their Facebook page for hours, updates, and events. There are car shows throughout the year as well.

More historical and cultural free things to do in Texarkana:

• Texarkana Regional Arts and Humanities Council – Regional Arts Center. This building hosts a rotating art exhibit that stretches three floors. Its’ free to explore the galleries. Check the TRAHC Facebook page for hours and exhibition updates. Check out the Art Wall in the ArtsSpark right next door while you’re there too.
• Try the Texarkana Chamber of Commerce TXK Historical Tour. It’s an app based tool where you sign up and when you’re at participating locations you check in to earn points.
• Go on a photo tour of the best photo ops in Texarkana (Google Map) including some really cool murals!
• Spend some time at the Texarkana Public Library.
• Explore all of the galleries at the 1894 Art Gallery.

Seasonal and community events.

Texarkana has tons of fun, local, events that happen all year round. It would be an impossible task to list them all here. The best resource for looking for free events to attend is the GoTXK calendar, from Leadership Texarkana. It’s a community sourced event calendar with all kinds of things to do, for all ages. It’s updated frequently so be sure to check it often. Here are five of my favorite (free) community events:

• The Main Street Texarkana Christmas parade, which happens the first Monday of December.
• Gateway Farmer’s Market is the Arkansas side farmer’s market and it is open (almost) year round on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday mornings starting at 7 AM.
• Texarkana, Texas Farmer’s Market runs in the summer months.
• Downtown Live is an event held on the 2nd Friday night of each month from 6 to 9 PM. Sometimes there are live artists, musicians, and the downtown shops stay open a little later.
• Pickle Fest, Twice as Nice Wine Festival. Oktoberfest are a few more fun events.

Free indoor play spaces.

There aren’t a lot of indoor play places in Texarkana, but there are a few. Some of these are located at restaurants that may require a purchase before going to play.

• Burger King on State Line Avenue – 802 N State Line Ave Texarkana, TX
• McDonald’s on Richmond Road – 2105 Richmond Rd Texarkana, TX
• Chik-Fil-A on Richmond Road – 2601 Richmond Rd Texarkana, TX
• Central Mall – has a small indoor play space for young kids, located by JC Penney. The mall also has a giant chess set in the middle of the mall.

Looking for more things to do?

Do you love antiques and flea markets? Check out my guide to the best flea markets and antique shops in Texarkana. Looking for a day trip adventure with some time spent outdoors? Here are 5 state parks within 90 miles of Texarkana that are worth checking out. Most of the best coffee shops in Texarkana have space to spread out and a selection of board games to enjoy too!

Thanks for reading! Don’t forget to join my ArkLaTex Adventure Club on Facebook for even more things to do.