Round Top, Texas, is best known for its twice yearly antiques fair, but there's plenty more to enjoy in this charming village, located halfway between Austin and Houston.
The Original Round Top Antiques Fair is held the first full weekend in April and October. A number of other antiques shows have sprung up in the area, starting up to 10 days earlier, and the event draws thousands of shoppers.
In addition to antiques, visitors to Round Top, Texas, will find an amazing variety of arts, early Texas history and good food in this tiny town with a population of less than 100.
At the renowned Round Top Festival Institute, students from conservatories and universities in the U.S. and abroad pursue musical studies each summer with an international faculty. The students present a series of concerts in the stunning old-world-style concert hall, and several other performances are scheduled there throughout the year.
Shakespeare at Winedale, associated with the University of Texas, offers summer theater just a few miles away.
In the heart of Round Top, Bybee Square features a charming collection of historic buildings housing several galleries filled with art and fine crafts from Texas artists. The galleries feature a variety of work, including paintings, art glass, fine woodwork, textile arts, ceramics, jewelry, fountains, and more.
Several other shops line the town square in Round Top. Step into The Apothecary shop for some Blue Bell ice cream, shopping, and admission to the interesting collection of historic buildings that occupy one side of the square.
Take a break from shopping to relax in the courtyard at Bybee Square with a glass of wine or beer and have some gourmet pizza at The Stone Cellar.
Royers Round Top Café, a small establishment with about a dozen tables, has been featured in numerous Texas and national magazines and newspapers. Every inch of the walls and ceiling is covered with photographs and eclectic stuff, including several artistic renderings of the iconic owner, "Bud, The Pieman."
Royers is famous for its14 varieties of pie (and they say they charge 50 cents extra if you don't get ice cream on your pie – it's just wrong.) At lunch, be sure to try the popular Grilled Shrimp BLT on Jalapeno Sourdough Bread. The dinner menu features beef or pork tenderloin, snapper, salmon, quail, rack of lamb, and pasta dishes.
Drive through the tiny community of Round Top to admire the many historic structures, including the unique public library, housed in an historic church building and featuring a lovely garden and playground out front. To learn more about the history of this area, visit the Round Top Historical Society Museum just off the square on Highway 237.
The Sterling McCall Cadillac Museumis just a few miles south on Highway 237. Other attractions in the area include wineries, the Burton Cotton Gin Museum and Burton Depot, and the Blue Bell Creamery in nearby Brenham.
Round Top makes a great day trip, or a weekend getaway with a stay at one of the area's bed and breakfast lodgings. Get out of the city, kick back, and relax in the pastoral beauty of Central Texas.
Plan Your Visit to Round Top, Texas
Round Top is about 80 miles from Austin or Houston, on Texas Highway 237, just a few miles south of U.S. 290. Learn more about area attractions, lodging, shopping and dining on the chamber of commerce website, and get the complete schedule for the April and October Round Top antiques shows.
Be sure to check the chamber website's home page for the list of other upcoming events. The visitor's center is open on the square Tuesday through Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Accommodations can be hard to come by during the antiques shows, so make your reservations well in advance.
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