Discover 10 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in McAllen (United States). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: McAllen Convention Center, McAllen Public Library, and South Texas College. Also, be sure to include The Zone in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in McAllen (Texas).
Table of Contents
McAllen Convention Center
Sports venue in McAllen, Texas. The McAllen Convention Center is a 174,000-square-foot multi-purpose convention center in McAllen, Texas, USA with a seating capacity of 3,500. Having opened in 2007, it hosts locals sporting events and concerts. It was home to the Continental Basketball Association's Rio Grande Valley Silverados, who played only one season in 2007-08 before leaving to become the Southeast Texas Mavericks.[1]
Address: 700 Convention Center Blvd, 78501-3508 McAllen
McAllen Public Library
Library in McAllen, Texas. McAllen Public Library, or MPL, is the public library system serving McAllen, Texas, United States.[2]
Address: 4001 N 23rd St, 78504-4104 McAllen
South Texas College
College in McAllen, Texas. South Texas College is a public community college in the Rio Grande Valley region of South Texas. It is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award Bachelor of Applied Technology, Associate of Applied Science, Associate of Arts, and Associate of Science degrees. STC has an enrollment of approximately 31,000 students and a staff of 1,600 working across six campuses. It was created on September 1, 1993 with the passage of Texas Senate Bill 251, the purpose of which was to serve Hidalgo and Starr County.
As defined by the Texas Legislature, the official service area of STC includes all of Hidalgo and Starr Counties.[3]
Address: 3201 Pecan Blvd, 78501-6661 McAllen
The Zone
Amusement, Amusement park, Relax in park, Park
Address: 2600 W Expressway 83, McAllen
Anzalduas Port of Entry
The Anzalduas Port of Entry opened on December 15, 2009, with the completion of the Anzalduas International Bridge. The bridge is over three miles long and cost over $28 million to build. It was designed to divert traffic from the congested Hidalgo Texas Port of Entry.
The presidential permit under which the bridge was constructed prohibited commercial traffic from using it until 2015, or when the Hidalgo Port of Entry averages more than 15,000 commercial entries per week. Commercial trucks and pedestrians continue to be prohibited from entering the US via this crossing; however, empty trucks may travel southbound to Mexico. The bridge has a dedicated commuter lane (SENTRI) that is open on restricted hours and frequently open to general public during high traffic hours without notice, making it almost useless.[4]
Veterans War Memorial of Texas
War memorial in McAllen, Texas. The Veteran's War Memorial of Texas was established on Veteran's Day, November 2013, to honor the 1.4 million Americans were killed or missing in action in all wars and conflicts of this nation. The Memorial site is located on a 3.5-acre complex in McAllen, Texas at the intersection of 29th and Galveston Streets and is encircled by 5 war sites: World War I, World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War, The Gulf War & All Wars.
The site has 160 granite panels with stories containing historical information on each war, its citizenships and events of that time as well as a statue known as "The Warrior" which commemorates the 3,440 Medal of Honor recipients in the United States Armed Forces[5]
M and J Nelson Building
The M and J Nelson Building is a building in downtown McAllen, Texas, that is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and is a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark.
It is a three-story reinforced concrete two-part commercial block building built between 1948 and 1950 for the J. C. Penney Company. It was built in Streamlined Moderne style, with horizontal bands of red and buff brick and cast stone trim, and with aluminum entrance doors and stair rails and two exterior display cases at its Chicago Avenue entrance.
It was one of few buildings in McAllen having an elevator at the time it was built, and one of few with air conditioning.[6]
Nuevo SantanderGallery
Art gallery, Shopping, Museum
Address: 717 N Main St, 78501-4640 McAllen (Heart of the City)
Hidalgo Texas Port of Entry
The Hidalgo Texas Port of Entry is located at the northern end of the McAllen–Hidalgo–Reynosa International Bridge, in the city of Hidalgo, Hidalgo County, Texas.
The northbound traffic is coming from the city of Reynosa in Tamaulipas state of Mexico. Since 1996, all northbound trucks are required to use the Pharr–Reynosa International Bridge to enter the U.S. from Reynosa.
Although located in Hidalgo, the U.S. section of the McAllen–Hidalgo–Reynosa International Bridge is operated by the larger city of McAllen nearby to the north.[7]
McAllen Botanical Gardens
Nature preserve in McAllen, Texas. McAllen Nature Center, formerly known as McAllen Botanical Gardens, is a city-operated nature preserve located in McAllen, Texas at 4101 West Business US 83. The site is between Ware and Bentsen Roads on the west side of McAllen, not far from the McAllen Convention Center.
The gardens were established in 1962, with an emphasis on palms. The site is no longer maintained as a botanical garden but as a general nature site. The site contains three quarters of a mile of trails through pristine native thornscrub habitat with birding opportunities and It also has picnic areas.[8]