Waxahachie and Wildflowers

A picturesque town of bygone days that makes it a natural setting for a number of movies filmed on location here—“Places in the Heart (Sally Field); Bonnie & Clyde (Faye Dunaway-Warren Beatty); “Tender Mercies (Robert Duvall); Trip to Bountiful (Geraldine Page) and more. Our historical overview of this lovely town will include a rare architectural site—1904 Chautauqua Auditorium, a rare survivor of the Chautauqua circuit. Discover life in the early 1900s with a visit to the Ellis County Museum located on historic Main Street which includes the Heritage Visitor Center, rekindling the past and the rich history of Ellis County. As we stroll in the heart of the historic downtown square with its abundance of antique shops and unique boutiques, we’ll view the Ellis County Courthouse, famed for its Romanesque-style design with an interesting legend of the many carved faces that circle the courthouse…a tale of a love scorned. Lunch will be at the mysterious, haunted Catfish Plantation, an 1895 Victorian home that due to ghostly visitors has been internationally known through national and international media. The restaurant’s motto is perfect – “serving souls and spirits!” Before our return to Dallas, a driving tour of the area’s Victorian and Gingerbread houses is a special sight to behold. NOTE: If time permits, Wyatt Street Shotgun House Historic District, located on the east side of the 300 block of Wyatt Street, this district contains a row of small, single-family shotgun dwellings built around 1918. Tour Guide: Juanita Gonzalez. Cost: $55/non members, $45/members. Lunch: TBA.