Waxahachie
A cathedral of Victorian architecture that Hollywood keeps coming back to film
Quick Facts
April–May for the Renaissance Faire.
About Waxahachie
Waxahachie has the most spectacular courthouse in Texas — a massive 1897 pink granite and sandstone Romanesque Revival structure that rises above the town like a Texas cathedral. The surrounding blocks are thick with Victorian homes and commercial buildings that have made Waxahachie one of the most filmed small towns in American cinema. Bonnie and Clyde, Places in the Heart (filmed here), and dozens of other productions have used Waxahachie as their backdrop.
Things to Do
Ellis County Courthouse
Designed by James Riely Gordon in 1897, this Romanesque Revival courthouse is widely considered the most beautiful courthouse in Texas and one of the finest in the South. The pink granite, sandstone, and terra cotta exterior is matched by an ornate interior. The clock tower visible for miles is the heart of the Waxahachie skyline.
Gingerbread Trail
A self-guided driving and walking tour of Waxahachie's extraordinary collection of Victorian "Gingerbread" houses — ornately decorated Queen Anne and Folk Victorian cottages that survive from the cotton boom of the 1880s–1900s. The tour map is available at the Chamber of Commerce.
Scarborough Renaissance Festival
Every spring (April–May), Scarborough transforms 35 acres outside Waxahachie into a 16th-century English village for eight weekends. Over 200,000 attend annually, making it one of the largest Renaissance fairs in the country.
Chautauqua Auditorium
A remarkable 1902 round wooden auditorium that once hosted William Jennings Bryan and other Chautauqua circuit speakers. Now a National Historic Landmark and a venue for community events.
Where to Eat
City Drug Store
A 1950s-era soda fountain and diner that's been operating at the same downtown location for generations. The milkshakes and the chicken-fried steak are both required.
Catfish Plantation
A genuinely haunted restaurant in a Victorian house, serving fried catfish and Southern food since 1984. The ghosts have been verified by multiple investigations.
🗺️ Getting There
30 miles south of Dallas on I-35E.
📅 Best Time to Visit
April–May for the Renaissance Faire. Spring for pleasant weather and the Gingerbread Trail tours. December for the Christmas light displays around the courthouse.
🤠 Did You Know?
“The 1985 film "Places in the Heart" starring Sally Field was filmed almost entirely in Waxahachie — and won two Academy Awards. The town has since appeared in over 50 film and TV productions.”