Established in 1884 as a stop on the Houston, East and West Texas Railway, Lufkin is a bustling city in Angelina County. It flourished with the late-19th-century timber boom before becoming an important industrial centre for paper making. Lufkin is named after Abraham Lufkin, a 19th-century cotton merchant and councilman.
Things to do in Lufkin
For a dose of local history, head to the Museum of East Texas, which occupies an early 20th-century Episcopal church. In addition to exhibitions about the people, events and industries that have shaped the region, it displays paintings and sculptures by regional artists. Adjacent to the museum is the Statue of Angelina, which honours a Native American woman who served as a guide and translator for early French and Spanish explorers.
Travelling with kids? Visit the Ellen Trout Zoo, which is home to around 700 animals representing almost 50 different species. Get up close to a Malayan tapir, Galapagos tortoise and Komodo dragon, as well as Masai giraffes, hippopotamus and Chilean flamingos. In the summer months, kids can participate in the Junior Zookeeper program for a behind-the-scenes zoo experience.
At the Texas Forestry Museum, you can learn about the rich history of the state’s logging industry, with vintage equipment and machinery on display. See artefacts from the late-19th-century East Texas sawmill boom and discover what tree products were manufactured in years gone by. Outdoors is a 1908-built Baldwin steam locomotive and the picturesque Urban Wildscape Trail.
Getting around Lufkin
Lufkin is around two hours’ drive from Houston and just over 1.5 hours from George Bush Intercontinental Airport, which has flights to destinations across the globe. Long-distance buses connect to Lufkin, although renting a car will give you greater freedom to explore the area.