No, that's not the set of a post apocalyptic sci-fi film: that's Waco's skyline. The view of Waco from I-35 has long puzzled many freeway passersby unfamiliar with the city. The historic 22-story Alico Building towers above the rest of the flat downtown grid and can be seen from miles away. After a 1954 tornado wiped out most of the other buildings in downtown, this one was left standing all by its lonesome.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
Waco Mammoth National Monument
4.41 MILES
In 1978 two Waco arrowhead hunters found a bone in a ravine. It turned out to belong to a Columbian mammoth that had perished there about 68,000 years ago…
0.2 MILES
The Dr Pepper soft drink was invented by Waco pharmacist Charles C Alderton in 1885. This museum celebrates his creation and is housed in a stately brick…
1.2 MILES
At the eastern end of the park, the Cameron Park Zoo features 52 acres of natural habitat. A Texas section with about 30 native species balances an…
1.18 MILES
On the Baylor campus, this peaceful refuge of a museum houses a beautiful collection of stained glass, as well as the world's largest collection of…
Site of the Branch Davidian Compound
8.9 MILES
The rural site where 76 people died when a standoff between law enforcement and members of the Branch Davidian Church ended violently in 1993.
0.87 MILES
All manner of Texas sports legends, including golfer Byron Nelson, boxer and pitchman George Foreman and pitcher Nolan Ryan, are saluted here.
Texas Ranger Hall of Fame & Museum
0.77 MILES
It's an NRA member's fantasy come true! Ponder hundreds of guns while you explore the history of the famous Rangers, from their early-19th-century origins…
Nearby attractions
0.2 MILES
The Dr Pepper soft drink was invented by Waco pharmacist Charles C Alderton in 1885. This museum celebrates his creation and is housed in a stately brick…
2. Texas Ranger Hall of Fame & Museum
0.77 MILES
It's an NRA member's fantasy come true! Ponder hundreds of guns while you explore the history of the famous Rangers, from their early-19th-century origins…
0.87 MILES
All manner of Texas sports legends, including golfer Byron Nelson, boxer and pitchman George Foreman and pitcher Nolan Ryan, are saluted here.
1.18 MILES
On the Baylor campus, this peaceful refuge of a museum houses a beautiful collection of stained glass, as well as the world's largest collection of…
1.2 MILES
At the eastern end of the park, the Cameron Park Zoo features 52 acres of natural habitat. A Texas section with about 30 native species balances an…
6. Waco Mammoth National Monument
4.41 MILES
In 1978 two Waco arrowhead hunters found a bone in a ravine. It turned out to belong to a Columbian mammoth that had perished there about 68,000 years ago…
7. Site of the Branch Davidian Compound
8.9 MILES
The rural site where 76 people died when a standoff between law enforcement and members of the Branch Davidian Church ended violently in 1993.