Are you about to visit Corpus Christi, Texas and wondering what fun and exciting things you can do while there? Do not worry, this article will go over the top fun things to do in Corpus Christi, Tx.
Corpus Christi is in the southern part of Texas, along the shores of the Gulf of Mexico. Most of the year, it has great outdoor weather, but may occasionally have hurricanes come near or across the city during the hurricane season.
The beaches and bodies of water in this city are very popular with vacationer’s and the locals, they are usually packed with people seeking fun and relaxation.
While the downtown skyline isn’t exactly lined with skyscrapers and high rises, you will be sure to notice a long stretch of distillation towers and columns while driving into the city or descending into the airport.
Don’t fret, the smoky stuff coming out of the towers in the refineries and chemical plants is mostly steam and or water vapor.
Another remarkable energy/power producing feature that you will notice along your entrance into the city is the many rotating wind turbines scattered around.
Below Is A List Of Some Of The Fun And Exciting Things To Do In Corpus Christi, Texas
Visit The USS Lexington
Going aboard the Lexington is among the must do activities one should aim to participate in while in the Corpus area.
The Lexington is an actual and real-life aircraft carrier that has been re-purposed and minimally modified to act as a museum.
So, in great parts, it still retains its original feel. Once aboard the carrier, there are lot of things you can do. You can start by joining video sessions that go through the history of the carrier as well as the American naval history.
There are cut-outs of several engines inside, with well written literature about their backgrounds. You can get on the flight deck via an elevator or through the actual narrow stairwell.
On the flight deck, there are several decommissioned aircrafts with well written summary literature about each one.
There are guided tours and several memorabilia inside the hangar deck. You can simulate what it feels like inside a “Brig” on this deck, they have exhibition “Brigs”. You can go to the captain’s quarters as well as the quarters for other Carrier personnel. They offer overnight camping tours, escape room games and so much more.
Things To Do In Corpus Christi
Location: 2914 N Shoreline Blvd, Corpus Christi, TX 78402
Question: Did the USS Lexington see any war action?
Answer: Yes, the Lexington was commissioned in 1943 and had major participation in WW II. It spent about 21 months in active combat, where her planes destroyed a lot of enemy aircrafts.
Question: Where was the USS Lexington during the Pearl Harbor attack?
Answer: The Lexington was not in Pearl Harbor during the attack but returned a few days afterwards.
Question: Are pictures allowed to be taken aboard the Lexington?
Answer: Yes, pictures are allowed. You should come prepared because there are many picturable spots in the Carrier. Happy Pix Snapping!!!
Visit The Texas State Aquarium
Ticket Prices
Children (2 & below) —- $0.00
Military (w/I.D) —- $37.95
Children (3-12yrs) —- $29.95
Adults (13-59) —- $39.95
Seniors (65+) —- $39.95
Hours
Mon – Sun —- 10AM – 5PM
Location
2710 N Shoreline Blvd, Corpus Christi, TX. 78410
The Texas State Aquarium is located down the road from to the USS Lexington. It is another must go to place in the coastal bend, and it is super packed with aquatic features.
One of the most popular attractions in the aquarium is the Dolphin Show.
They are kept in a 400,000 Gallon, 12 ft deep saltwater pool.
Currently there are four very jolly Atlantic bottlenose Dolphins in the bay, known as Shadow (the oldest), Schooner, Liko and Merlin (the youngest).
They have all kinds of aquatic animals in this aquarium, and you can get the opportunity to feed them. They are big on conservation of wildlife and pay very close attention to their in-house animals, to better learn how to save other endangered species in the wild.
Question: How many different animal species are available at the Texas State Aquarium?
Answer: There are over four hundred and sixty (460) animal species in the aquarium. There are dolphins, otters, stingrays, sharks, flamingos, Atlantic spadefish, blue crab and so much more.
Question: Is the aquarium wheelchair accessible?
Answer: Yes, the aquarium is wheelchair accessible.
Question: Does the Texas State Aquarium have a place to buy food?
Answer: Yes, the aquarium does.
Visit The Texas Sealife Center
Another awesome and memorable place to visit while in the Corpus Christi area is the Texas Sealife Center.
As a non-profit, their primary mission is to treat, care and rehabilitate sick, injured and or lost coastal and aquatic wildlife, then provide support in reintegrating them into their natural habitat.
I like this place because of the good that they do. At every point in time, they have resident animals at different stages of recovery, and they are eager to talk about their work.
Location: 14220 S Padre Island Dr, Corpus Christi, TX 78418
South Texas Botanical Garden
Without a doubt, there is a lot of water and beaches in the Corpus Christi area and a lot of exciting places to visit to participate in an activity that is associated with water.
However, Corpus Christi is not all about beaches and water, there are other memorable experiences to be had.
A visit to the Botanical Gardens is one such place to go to, they have a plethora of flora and fauna to see.
On the flora side of things, you can explore various gardens within the complex, such as the “hummingbird garden”, “rose garden and pavilion” “sensory garden”,” plumeria garden” and more. Whereas, on the fauna side, there are “Exotic Parrots”, “Sulcata Tortoises” “Wild Birds”, “Ivan the Iguana” and more.
They usually have classes or other scheduled activities throughout the year, you can take part in one of them during your visit.
Location: 8545 S Staples St, Corpus Christi, TX 78413
Question: Can I book a reservation at the South Texas Botanical Gardens for an event.
Answer: Yes, you can. Weddings, birthdays, baby showers, proposals and other events can be done here.
Explore The Wonderful Beaches In Corpus Christi
As I stated above, Corpus Christi is a city that is flanked by the Gulf of Mexico and as such, it has many beautiful beaches.
Since it does not get very cold here in South Texas, you can almost be guaranteed to be able to visit the beaches, regardless of what time of the year it is that you come to the Corpus area.
- Padre Island National Seashore
- Mustang Island Beach
- North Beach
- I.B Mcgee Beach
- Whitecap Beach
- JP Luby Beach
Corpus Christi Museum of Science and History
Another interesting place to visit while in the Corpus Christi area is the Museum of Science and History. It should really be on everyone’s list of top fun things to do in Corpus Christi, Texas.
The museum sits in about a 100,000 sq.ft. facility, which is also home to hundreds of thousands of items that depicts and represents history, mostly Southern Texas history. The historical timeline, in some cases dates back 500+ years.
Ticket Prices
Military (w/I.D) —- $9.00
Children (3-12yrs) —- $9.00
Adults (13-59) —- $12.00
Members —- Free
Xeriscape Exhibit —- Free
Hours
Monday Closed
Tue – Sat —- 10AM – 5PM
Sunday 2PM – 5PM
Location
1900 N Chaparral St, Corpus Christi, TX. 78401
During your visit to the Corpus Christi Museum of Science and History, make sure to check out the “Xeriscape”, where you can learn water-saving landscape principles that will help your backyard grow.
Boat Tour on the Japonica
The Japonica is a 50 ft, touring boat that offers hour long cruises within the shores of Corpus Christi.
Getting aboard and cruising on it will let you see the city from different horizons. The starting point will be the docks by the Harrison’s Landing restaurant and the cruise will go as far as one mile away from the shores.
It is important to note that the cruises are dependent on weather and wind conditions, you should call them before heading over there.
Question: Can I bring food aboard the Japonica?
Answer: Yes, they operate on BYOB basis, so you are free to bring your favorite beverages and snacks.
Question: Can we see Dolphins while on this tour?
Answer: Yes, those aboard the Japonica will occasionally see Dolphins. To stand the best chance to see them, plan an early morning tour or a sunset tour.
Wings Over South Texas
Ever heard of the blue angels? Have you ever been to an airshow?
The Wings Over South Texas is an airshow that embodies the creativity, talent and awesomeness of our naval aviators and crewmen.
It is usually held at the Naval Air Station in Corpus Christi or the Naval Air Station in Kingsville (30 miles away from Corpus) once a year.
It’s a free event that runs for two days, usually on a Saturday and Sunday, once a year in April or May. Which Air Station it will hold on will depend on if the year is even or odd. Corpus Christi for odd number ending years and Kingsville for even number ending years.
It does tend to get noisy and loud, so I recommend having ear protection handy.
The acrobatics performed by all performers, especially the Blue Angels is as fascinating as it is heart pounding. The formations, fly-bys and stunts are all very well precision timed.
You and your family are welcome to bring your own lawn chairs and other supplies that will facilitate relaxed watching of the airshow.
Location: Corpus Christi – 11001 D St #101, Corpus Christi, TX 78418
Kingsville – 554 McCain St #214, Kingsville, TX 78363
Helicopter Tour of Corpus Christi Shore Lines
Nothing beats the perspective a view from above can give you.
You know, just how much more the holistic view of a place can be when captured with a drone.
Well, one of the things that you can do while visiting Corpus Christi, Texas is to hop on a Helicopter and catch the view yourself.
Aero-Copters is a company in the greater Corpus Christi area that offers Helicopter tours. They have different packages with varying distances covered for different ticket prices.
| Hours | Thurs To Tues | 9:00 AM -9:30 PM Wednesday | Closed |
| Ticket Prices | Port A Strip (3 miles) – Starts at $25 per seat Skids Up (5 miles) – Starts at $40 per seat Ransom Run (16 miles) – Starts at $80 per seat Harbor Express (36 miles) – Starts at $150 per seat Lexington Nights (45 miles) – Starts at $180 per seat Air Boss (build your own tour – parties, birthdays etc.) |
| Tour Location | Mustang Beach Airport, Port Aransas, TX 78373 |
Question: Is there a weight limit for the Corpus Christi Helicopter Tour
Answer: The helicopter holds up to 3 people. Individually, a rider needs to weigh less than 250lbs to get on. For all 3 passengers, the combined weight must be less than 600lbs.
Row A Kayak
A very popular outdoors activity to do in South Texas is boat or kayak rowing. It is one of the top fun things to do in Corpus Christi Texas.
In Corpus Christi, you can most definitely get in on the kayaking action at different locations and in different forms. There is a glow in the dark kayak outlet too, it is so cool.
Some of the top kayak places in Corpus Christi are:
| nauticooladventures.com | 13313 S Padre Island Dr, Corpus Christi, TX 78418 |
| Glow Row | 2600 Ocean Dr, Corpus Christi, TX 78404 |
| Coastal Bend Kayak | 1044 S Commercial St, Aransas Pass, TX 78336 |
| Fin Factory Kayak | 4719 S Alameda St Suite A, Corpus Christi, TX 78412 |
| Port A H2O Parasailing | 416 Chloe’s Way, Port Aransas, TX 78373 |
| Wind and Wave | 10721 S Padre Island Dr, Corpus Christi, TX 78418 |
| Nature Trails Kayaking | 4401 Gulfbreeze Blvd, Corpus Christi, TX 78402 |
| Island Surf Shop | 130 E Avenue G, Port Aransas, TX 78373 |
Skydive In Corpus Christi
| Ticket Prices | $240 |
| Hours | Fri – Sat | 10:00AM – 5:00PM Sunday | 11:00 AM – 5:00PM Mon -Thurs I By Appointments |
| Location | 139 Piper Blvd, Port Aransas, Tx 78373 |
While visiting the Corpus Christi area, you can add the thrill and adrenaline pumping of skydiving to the list of things to do.
The experience is very memorable in so many ways, the sightseeing and aerial photography component to it is super fun.
A popular company to engage for your sky diving experience is “Skydive South Texas”, they operate out of the Mustang Beach Airport.
Question: Is there a weight limit for participating in the Skydiving experience?
Answer: Yes, they typically will NOT accept appointments for persons over 230lbs. However, if you are over that weight limit, you can “walk in” and have them evaluate you to determine if you can participate in a safe jump.
Question: What if the parachute fails while still in the air?
Answer: The instructor and you will be wearing two parachutes. A main one and a backup/reserve parachute.
Quick facts about Corpus Christi
Go to fun and romantic things to do in Corpus Christi Texas for couples here
Check out exciting and fun things to do in Corpus Christi at night here
Check out top things to do in Corpus Christi with kids here
Go on a Dolphin Tour
A list of things to do in Corpus Christi will not be complete without including a “Dolphin Sighting Tour” in it.
There are various companies in the greater Corpus Christi area that organize regular tours to see dolphins in their natural habitat.
The packages vary in cost as well as in duration, check out the following companies below.
The Scarlet Lady Dolphin Adventure
Looking for Accommodation In Corpus Christi? Check Below!
- Omni Corpus Christi Hotel
Free Breakfast? – No
Pool? – Yes
Price Range? $200 – $900 (prices can vary with deals)
900 N Shoreline Blvd, Corpus Christi, TX 78401
- Embassy Suites by Hilton Corpus Christi
Free Breakfast? – Yes (made to order)
Pool? – Yes
Fitness Center? – Yes
Price Range? $140 – $170 (prices can vary with deals)
4337 S Padre Island Dr, Corpus Christi, Tx 78411
- Executive Residency By Best Western Corpus Christi
Free Breakfast? – Yes
Pool? – Yes
Fitness Center? – Yes
Price Range? $150 – $190 (prices can vary with deals)
9305 S Padre Island Dr, Corpus Christi, TX, 78418
- Residence Inn Corpus Christi By Marriott
Free Breakfast? – Yes
Pool? – Yes
Fitness Center? – Yes
Price Range? $215 – $500 (prices can vary with deals)
309 S. Shoreline Blvd, Corpus Christi, Texas, USA, 78401
Summary of Things To Do In Corpus Christi Texas
Visit The USS Lexington
Texas State Aquarium
Texas Sealife Center
South Texas Botanical Garden
Corpus Christi Museum of Science and History
Boat Cruise On the Japonica
Wings Over South Texas
Helicopter Tour Of Corpus Christi Shore Lines
Row A Kayak
Skydive In Corpus Christi
Go on a Dolphin Tour
Ride a horse on the Beach
Jet Ski In Corpus Christi
Wind Surfing In Corpus Christi
