Sweetwater, Texas Travel Guide

Region: Panhandle Plains

Above: The world's largest rattlesnake roundup is held every March in Sweetwater.
Photo courtesy Horatio3k/Flickr; used under Creative Common license 2.0.

Listed in the National Register of Historic Places, this downtown boasts many long-standing buildings. Sweetwater became the training ground for the Women's Airforce Service Pilots (WASPS) in World War II. Today the community, located west of Abilene, is home to Texas State Technical College. The town is also known as "the Wind Energy Capital" thanks to its role as home to over 500 giant wind turbines which can be seen from TX 70.

Attractions

Pioneer City-County Museum. Local history exhibits on early pioneers and Native Americans are found at this museum. Located at 610 East Third St. Admission is free.

WASP Monument and Walk of Honor. This monument is dedicated to the Women's Airforce Service Pilots and honors the brave women who flew 60 million miles during World War II, ferrying aircraft for the military. You can read the names of the more than 1,000 women on the monument located at their former training ground, now Texas State Technical College. Located at 300 College Drive.

Festivals & Special Events

March: Rattlesnake Roundup. This controversial event, called the World's Largest Rattlesnake Roundup, is held at the Nolan County Coliseum and includes rattesnake displays, performances with live rattesnakes, and, of course, rattlesnake to eat. Always held the second weekend in March.

June: Texas Midwest Soapbox Derby. Held the first Saturday in June, kids in two different age groups careen down Crane Street Hill in homemade soapbox cars (now assembled from kits). The daring winners of the competition qualify to go on to the national finals in Akron, Ohio.

Map

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For More Information

Sweetwater Chamber of Commerce
810 E Broadway St
Sweetwater, TX 79556
(325) 235-5488