Tyler Off The Beaten Path

If you get the opportunity to visit Camp Ford, I would highly recommend that you also take the time to walk around the camp by using the Walking Trail. Throughout the entire area, you will get a chance to read more information through the signs that have been posted. Among some of the signs include what the buildings were used for, who stayed here, and a little more about the captains that ran the location.

Enjoy, but be careful for the poison ivy that may grow in areas off the path!

As a ranking officer of the Union Army, Lt. Col Locke was afforded a rather nice cabin during his incarceration. The actual cabin is made out of material that was all taken from the camp yard, and was reconstructed based on drawings that appeared in the Colonel's personal diary.

Tyler has always been known as a very strong military town, from the time Texas was a Confederate State, through World War II and even now, it has a proud military heritage.

Camp Fannin was a World War II infantry training center named after a Texas Revolutionary Hero, James Walker Fannin. It trained 40000 men every 4 months to leave and fight in World War II. It also served as a German Prisoner of War Camp until 1946.

Presently, there is nothing left of this camp other than the monument, and most local residents do not know this camp existed!

The Caldwell Zoo is the most missed yet most adventurous aspect of Tyler. Currently it is free admission. There are some many different animals to see here. From the African exhibit to the Amphibian area. They have great lecturing classes, where you actually get to hold and touch some of the animals they are telling you about.