Most towns put a statue or a water tower on their postcards. Kilgore puts up oil derricks, right in the middle of downtown. This East Texas town grew up almost overnight during one of the biggest oil booms in American history, and it still wears that story proudly, along with a famous troupe of high-kicking dancers in white boots.
Kilgore sits mostly in Gregg County, with a slice reaching into Rusk County, about two hours east of Dallas on I-20. It’s roughly 30 minutes east of Tyler and a quick hop from Longview, which makes it an easy day trip or a natural stop on a Piney Woods weekend.
How a quiet farm town became a boom town
In 1930, wildcatters struck oil in the field that would become known as the East Texas Oil Field, one of the largest ever found in the lower 48 states. Within months the boom reached Kilgore, and the town changed nearly overnight. Drillers, roughnecks, merchants and dreamers poured in, and derricks went up wherever there was room, including right in among the downtown buildings.
That frenzy is the heart of Kilgore’s identity. When you walk downtown today, you’re walking through the place where the boom was at its most intense.
The World’s Richest Acre
At the center of it all is the World’s Richest Acre, a half-block downtown that once held one of the densest clusters of oil wells anywhere. During the boom, about two dozen derricks stood shoulder to shoulder on that small patch of ground. Over the decades, the oil slowed and most of the original towers came down.
Kilgore didn’t let the memory go. Today the site is the World’s Richest Acre Park, with steel derricks rising over a small plaza and more scattered around downtown, giving the skyline a look you won’t see anywhere else in Texas. It’s free to walk through, and the historical markers help explain what you’re looking at. Bring your camera: the derricks framed against the old brick storefronts make one of the most distinctive photos in East Texas.
The East Texas Oil Museum
To understand the boom in full, head to the East Texas Oil Museum on the Kilgore College campus. It’s devoted to the oil field’s early years and the independent producers and wildcatters who drove the boom, with period artifacts, oral histories and a Boomtown Theater. It’s a good stop for history buffs and a surprisingly fun one for kids.
The museum lists hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, with last admission at 4 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults and $7 for children ages 3 to 11; kids 2 and under get in free, and seniors and military get a 10 percent discount. Tickets are sold only at the museum. It closes for several days around Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s, and one part of its website shows slightly different hours, so it’s smart to call 903-983-8295 before you go.
Home of the Rangerettes
Kilgore’s other claim to fame wears a cowboy hat and a big smile. The Kilgore College Rangerettes were founded in 1940 by Gussie Nell Davis, and the city proudly calls them the first official dance drill team. Their precision high kicks have been seen at football games, parades and bowl games for generations, and they’re widely credited with inspiring the drill teams that followed across the country.
The Rangerette Showcase and Museum, at 1100 Broadway Blvd. on the Kilgore College campus, celebrates that history with costumes, uniforms, photos and memorabilia dating back to the group’s early days. It’s a fun, nostalgic stop, especially for anyone who ever marched or danced at halftime. Call the museum at 903-983-8265 for current hours before you plan around it.
Christmas under the stars
If you can visit during the holidays, do. Kilgore tops its downtown derricks with lighted stars each Christmas season and calls itself the City of Stars. The season traditionally kicks off with a downtown derrick-lighting celebration in mid-November, followed by more holiday events through December. Check the Visit Kilgore Christmas page for this year’s schedule.
Kilgore is also a natural partner for a holiday-lights road trip. Marshall’s Wonderland of Lights is less than an hour east. In summer, the Texas Shakespeare Festival brings professional repertory theater to the Kilgore College campus, which gives you a reason to come back in warm weather.
Planning your visit
For a simple day, start at the East Texas Oil Museum when it opens, then head downtown to walk the World’s Richest Acre Park and the blocks around it. Grab lunch at one of the downtown or nearby local spots, then visit the Rangerette Showcase in the afternoon if it’s open. If you’re staying in the area, nearby Jacksonville and Tyler round out an easy East Texas weekend.
Good to Know
- Where: Kilgore, Gregg and Rusk counties, about two hours east of Dallas on I-20
- World’s Richest Acre Park: Downtown Kilgore; free to walk
- East Texas Oil Museum: 1301 S. Henderson Blvd.; listed hours Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., last admission 4 p.m.; $10 adults, $7 ages 3 to 11
- Rangerette Showcase and Museum: 1100 Broadway Blvd.; call 903-983-8265 for hours
- Holiday tip: Derrick stars light up downtown starting in mid-November
- Visitor info: VisitKilgore.com
Hours, dates and prices can change. Check the museum’s official website before you head out.
Kilgore wears its history right out in the open, and that’s what makes it special. Steel derricks over Main Street, a museum that brings the boom back to life and the Rangerettes’ white boots add up to a small town with a big Texas story.
Featured photo: Michael Barera via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
