Explore the Historic Downtown Square

Welcome to Glen Rose, Texas! Explorers are welcome and highly encouraged here!  We are so excited to take this journey with you to #ExploreGlenRose through a local “visitors” eyes, and enjoy all of the amazing sights, sounds, tastes, and adventures that Glen Rose has to offer! So, prepare to get off the couch and Explore with us!This week, we’re going to explore shopping and dining in the Glen Rose Downtown Square and Historic District.  Quaint, unique, and historic, our square is loaded with unique shops, delicious dining, history, fine art, lodging, and friendly faces. I hope to see you at the square!Let’s start with a little history!  The Somervell County Courthouse. When the townsite of Glen Rose was first surveyed in 1878, the courthouse square was an open cornfield. Town promoter, Tyler Calhoun Jordan, agreed to erect the first courthouse if locals would buy commercial lots surrounding the square, and he did construct a simple stone building. In 1893, the building burned, and in that year Somervell County taxpayers built the current replacement. Since that time this Late Victorian limestone structure has served as the seat of government for Somervell County and has been the visual anchor for the town square. When a tremendous tornado struck Glen Rose on April 28, 1902, destroying dozens of homes and killing six residents, it swept away the clock faces from the courthouse tower. The stone walls, however, withstood the winds. It was not until 1986, eighty-four years after the storm, that new clock faces returned to the tower. Those commercial lots that started being built in the late 1800s have grown to become what you know today as the Glen Rose Downtown Square!  If you haven’t been downtown and gotten out of your vehicle to walk the square in a while, hold on to your hats, or be prepared to get you a new one!   On the square, you’ll find an eclectic variety of wares, eats, and experiences for every taste and price point.  We’ve even had a few new places open up in the past few months!  Supporting the local businesses is so vital to a community like Glen Rose, so we wanted to share some of the unique gems downtown.Antiques and Uniques your thing?  Check out Country Peddler and Boneanza Barn!  For ladies’ clothing and accessories, there are Willa at the White Buffalo, Shoo-Fly Soda Shop, Texas Treasures, Paisley Reese, Ramblin Rose Curvy Boutique, and Tracks in Time Too.  For men’s items check out Green’s Leather Shop, Front Porch Designs, Glen Rose Screen Printing, Glen Rose Auto Parts, and Shoo-Fly. Looking to pamper yourself?  Rockin’ Hair, Body & Soul is just the place to go!  For gifts, visit Angels with Attitude & Gifts on the Go, Front Porch Designs & Whole Heart Offerings, and Shoo-Fly! For a good read, there’s a wide selection of places to visit including BoneAnza Barn,  Storiebook Cafe, and Front Porch Designs.  Love fine art and handmade creations?  You will be blown away with what you’ll discover at Wabi+Sabi!  EAT, drink & be merry!  Our downtown dining options cannot be beat! Enjoy Blackie’s on the square, Bull Lion Wine Shop, China Wok, Green Pickle, Jitters coffee bar, LaVita, Pie Peddler, Riverhouse Grill, Shoo Fly, Snyder’s Tavern, Storiebook Cafe, and Sugarbiscuits & Company. Of course, it wouldn’t be right if we didn’t mention that you can stop in and learn about all things Glen Rose when you stop in the Visitors Center! Exhausted from your downtown adventure?  Make it a point to check out the Inn on the River to see the amazing updates that have been done to the historic 100-year-old inn and grab a meal and a drink by the river at Snyder’s Tavern!We hope you take the time to explore downtown square on your next visit!  Stay tuned, and stay #GoodInGlenRose.  Adventure Awaits!For more information, call the Glen Rose Convention & Visitors Bureau at 254-897-3081