Roadschooling in Texas | Must See Places for All Subjects

Roadschooling is a variant of homeschooling. Instead of the children being instructed by their parents at home, they are taken around to learn on the road while visiting museums, parks, and historical sites.

The idea is to give the students a more tangible schooling experience and allow them to see more of the world they live in instead of becoming kept home or in public schools for large amounts of time.

There are a plethora of places to visit in Texas for all subjects of school so let’s dive right in!

Moody Gardens

The Moody Gardens are located in Galveston (a theme on this list) and are a collection of biospheres situated in beautiful glass pyramids. Each pyramid features a different biosphere and has an impressive collection of birds and animals inside with some even ranging around freely inside the pyramids.

This unique Texas location also acts as a resort, complete with a zip line, golf course, spa, and hotel.

A study of ecology, biology, and geography will be well helped by visiting the Moody Gardens. It is highly rated and would be a wonderful stop on an educational tour of Texas.

Texas Seaport Museum

Stop number two in Galveston is the Texas Seaport Museum which is a museum aboard an 1877 restored ship, Elissa.

This three-masted barque is so impressive because it still sails, making it one of the oldest sailing ships in the world. Tours of the ship are cheap ($6-$10) and it is a favorite of people who have been to it. This ship occupies a unique and forgotten part of history as most American history books jump from the Civil War to the early 1900s and then on to the first World War.

This is the perfect stop for lessons on history, navigation, and maritime.

Galveston’s Children’s Museum

Located on Galveston Island, the Galveston’s Children’s Museum is a classic children’s museum with interactive activities that teach lessons in math, English, physics, and other branches of science.

The primary focus of this children’s museum is young children, ages 2-10 primarily. So the time to visit this museum is now before students get too old for this museum.

This museum is cheap and highly rated! Despite its size, there are many different activities that can keep children occupied and entertained for hours.

Galveston Railroad Museum

If you haven’t tired of Galveston yet, take some time to visit the impressive Railroad Museum. This collection of antique and operational trains is a favorite of young children, especially if they are able to ride the train.

Train rides are $7 and between that and the museums is a wonderful chance to learn about the mid-1800s. Tours are offered and it is a perfect environment for children. It focuses on younger children, but there is something of interest for anyone who attends.

There is a reason this place has 4.5 stars on Google Review!

Dinosaur Valley State Park

Named for the number of dinosaur tracks that can be found, this State Park offers a variety of activities all left for travelers to do at their disposal.

This park offers:

• Camping
• Picnicking
• Hiking
• Mountain Biking
• Swimming Fishing
• River Floating
• Geocaching
• Horseback Riding

With several wonderful activities (visitors must bring their own equipment), the Dinosaur Valley State Park is a great focus on experience over structured learning. While the dinosaur features of this park can serve as a traditional educational point, most of a road schooling trip here will entail learning practical skills in the outdoors.

Seawolf Park

Those hoping for seawolves will be severely disappointed.

Coming back to Galveston but this time on Pelican Island, this park is open 24 hours every day and features many outdoor activities similar to Dinosaur Valley State Park, but without the dinosaurs. One of the biggest attractions of this park is the fishing pier. Hundreds of people come here to get a chance to fish at this pristine location.

Another prominent feature of this park is the several US naval ships that can be toured and viewed. The USS Cavalla submarine and the USS Stewart are both available to tour and the remains of the WW1 S.S. Selma can be viewed.

The Alamo

The Alamo has one of the greatest stories of early America, the Alamo is a must-see for everyone, especially road schoolers.

There is so much to see at this historic place and many opportunities to learn.

The famous Battle of the Alamo took place in 1836 and while the Texans lost, it became a rallying cry for the Texans and Tejanos to defeat Santa Anna.

At the Alamo, there are guided tours, demonstrations, reenactments, and many exhibits. This is the perfect location to learn about the history and a favorite of so many people.

Houston Space Center

One of the most famous and prominent sites in Houston is NASA which specializes in aeronautics and space exploration, a favorite topic of children in school.

What is even more amazing about the NASA location in Houston is that it is the Manned Spacecraft Center, meaning this is the site that specializes in sending people into outer space. If that doesn’t catch the interest of students I don’t what else would.

The Houston Space Center is the official visitor center of the Johnson Space Center and the website for it boasts over 400 things to do there. With tours, sleepovers for traveling homeschoolers, and cheap admission, this is integral to a road schooling trip around Texas.

Chinatown, Houston

Chinatown, Houston is not an organized institution like the rest of the entries on this list, but instead is a location that happens to have a large amount of Asian culture, including markets and restaurants.

While there are essentially no formal educational opportunities here, simply exposure to different cultures is a great way to present all the many ways the world is beautiful and different. There are restaurants here that feature foods from China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand.

Houston Museum of Natural History

One of the most highly visited and rated entries on this list, the Houston Museum of Natural Science has so many different features that it would be hard to cover all of them in just one day.

Fares to get in are cheap, but it does cost extra for tours. However, these tours are so highly coveted that it is highly recommended to make a reservation several weeks in advance.

Probably one of the best features for road schoolers is the diverse number of educational programs. From science camps to overnighters, this Museum has almost everything that could be desired. There are many reasons to visit this camp and there are few places better to learn about science, specifically aviation and astronomy.

The Grace Museum

Over in Abilene can be found the Grace Museum which is a wonderful change of pace to all the science and history being shown all over Texas. This museum focuses on art and especially painting with numerous camps and exhibits for kids of all ages.

One of the main focuses of the museum is these art camps and classes which can range from 1 day to an entire week. Most camps focus on children entering 1st-6th grade but there are also a variety of classes for adults including classes that feature guest speakers.

Big Bend National Park

One of the best parks on this list, Big Bend National Park is an extremely important site that protects hundreds of species of plants and animals and contains a large number of historical sites.

Big Bend National Park is located in the West of Texas on the border of Mexico with the Rio Grande serving as the border. There are archaeological sites from as far back as 10,000 BC as well as many pioneers and mining ruins that serve a great educational purpose today.

There are probably too many things to do in one day, and in fact, there is overnight camping available for anyone who wants the adventure. This is a unique park that combines history with nature in a grandiose way.

Matagorda Island

Located on an island that is essentially void of residents and can only be accessed by boat, Matagorda Island is both a State Park and Wildlife Refuge.

The beauty and prestige of this island are the lack of development and the isolation. Because no people live on this island, wildlife remains largely untouched and several endangered species make this island their home.

When on the island, there is no potable water and no electricity, making it slightly harder to make a day out of this island but also preserving its wild.

Fishing, hunting, and hiking are all available on this island.

Rio Grande

Partly mentioned and available in the Big Bend National Park, the Rio Grande is one of the largest rivers in America and serves as a natural barrier between the US and Mexico.

There are many access points across Texas to view this amazing river and there are several activities and learning points to take advantage of.

The Rio Grande is one of the most important rivers to both Mexico and America and around 80% of the water is diverted for irrigation and other similar uses.

Brownsville Heritage Museum

Located in the very most southern point of Texas, this museum serves as a preservation of Brownsville life throughout its existence and has artifacts and exhibits of many different time periods. This museum is unique in its specificity and is a wonderful tangible example of how civilization advances.

It is quite small in size and so it will be easy to see it all. There is even a discount for students that should be useful to road schoolers!

The Chocolate Gallery

The Chocolate Gallery is amazing because one of its main functions is as a school to learn how to make chocolate sculptures among other culinary creations.

It is slightly expensive and tours can’t be taken with less than 15 people, but many people enjoy going here to make a variety of tasty desserts. This is unique on this list for offering a culinary education.

South Padre Island

The most useful educational aspect of South Padre Island is the 5 story bird watchtower and the boat tours of the coastline. South Padre Island is another wonderful place to study biology and wildlife.

Boat tours are offered through the South Padre Island Dolphin Research & Sealife Nature Center which is a great educational resource.

The only danger is that the Island is frequented by storms, so being cautious about the time of year is a good idea.

Dallas Holocaust Museum

1 of the 16 Holocaust Museums in the United States is located in Dallas and is an amazing and solemn experience for anyone who visits.

Focusing on the mass murderings of the Jews and other minorities during World War II, this museum is the perfect educational tool to learn about the most infamous events in recent history and bring perspective to any student.

Tours and many exhibits are available, as well as other educational resources. Make sure to see this highly rated museum while road schooling in Texas.

Frontiers of Flight Museum

This museum caters to those who want field trips or summer camps and is another great aviation museum located in Texas.

There are more than 20 different aircraft on display and summer camps are offered for 1st-10th graders. This museum is highly rated by people who have visited and is a great way to see real airplanes up close.

Galveston Island State Park

Let’s head back to the historic Galveston for one final location.

This park serves mainly recreational purposes, but education can be found anywhere. Kayaking and hiking are particular pastimes on this beautiful island. Wildlife like crabs and turtles make Galveston Island State Park their home making this an excellent location for zoology and related sciences.

Camping and lodging are also available for anyone wanting to spend multiple days at this park.

Sweet Eats Fruit Farm

A small operation farm located outside Georgetown, Texas, this farm grows a variety of fruit in order to improve the quality of fruit available for Texans.

Fieldtrips are offered that offer a range of subjects including composting, animal care, fruit harvesting, and ecosystems.

A rare gem where both knowledge and fruit can be reaped, the Sweet Eats Fruit Farm is a fun family stop for any road schoolers.

Don’t Forget to Document Your Travel Adventures

Conclusion

Texas offers so much history and sightseeing, making it a great place to explore with your traveling homeschoolers. Please leave a comment if you visit any of the places we’ve suggested. We love to hear about the experiences of others who are roadschooling like us.

If you have any suggestions on places that weren’t mentioned, please leave them in the comments below so we can keep this list growing. Happy homeschooling!