Offering a place where the community can connect with nature, the Texas State Aquarium opened in 1990 in Corpus Christi, and has been recognized as a certified animal rehabilitation facility since 1993. This private, not-for-profit aquarium provides exhibits such as Dolphin Bay, where visitors can observe Atlantic bottlenose dolphins, and Floating Phantoms, an 800-gallon exhibit filled with various creatures.

 

The USS Lexington Museum On The Bay in Corpus Christi provides visitors with a close-up look at a World War II-era aircraft carrier. Guests make their way through a maze of tunnels, enjoy the Flight Simulator and Virtual Battle Stations, and can also see a film on the three-story screen in the Joe Jessel MEGA Theater.

 

Home to nine floral exhibits and gardens, the 180-acre South Texas Botanical Gardens & Nature Center has been beautifying the area since 1987. The popular tourist destination, located along Oso Creek on Corpus Christi's south side, features attractions such as the Orchid House and Plumeria Garden and the Bird & Butterfly Trail.

 

Sponsored by the Fulton Volunteer Fire Department, the Rockport/Fulton Oysterfest attracts thousands of visitors to the area each March to enjoy a few days of fun, complete with carnival rides, games, live music and an oyster-eating contest. The event, dating back more than 30 years, also serves as the Fulton Volunteer Fire Department's primary fundraiser.

 

The Aransas Pass Shrimporee, the largest shrimp festival in Texas, held each June, offers attendees a variety of shrimp-related activities, including a parade, live entertainment and the Miss Shrimporee Pageant. Guests also partake of an array of shrimp dishes, including spicy shrimp and grits, Thai shrimp soup and shrimp stock.