Tyler Junior College opened in 1926 as an extension of the city's public schools and became an independent college district after World War II. Voters then approved bonds for a new campus off Fifth Street, laid out in a colonial style by Tyler architect Shirley Simons, and by the late 1980s it was described as the largest single-campus junior college in Texas. TJC is known well beyond East Texas for its high-kicking Apache Belles, and its grounds also hold a planetarium and an independent art museum. This short walk links the college's historical marker with those three signature stops.
Tyler Junior College has been part of East Texas life since 1926, and this short walk shows why its reputation reaches far beyond the Rose City.
TJC opened early in the Texas junior college movement as an extension of Tyler's public schools, with superintendent G. O. Clough as its first president. After World War II, voters created an independent college district and approved bonds for a new colonial-style campus designed by Tyler architect Shirley Simons, and by the late 1980s it was described as the largest single-campus junior college in Texas.
Stargazers will love the Earth and Space Science Center. It grew out of the Hudnall Planetarium, the first planetarium in East Texas when it opened in 1963, and reopened in 2011 after a major expansion with a 40-foot domed theater and interactive exhibits. Art lovers get their turn at the Tyler Museum of Art, which traces its roots to a 1950s Tyler Service League effort to bring art to schoolchildren when there was no art museum within about 100 miles; it opened on the TJC campus in 1971 as an independent nonprofit.
Then there are the Apache Belles. Formed in 1947, the high-kicking precision dance and drill team has carried the TJC name to football games, parades and special events far from Tyler, and Wagstaff Gymnasium is closely tied to their story.
Compact and easy, this route pairs perfectly with a planetarium show or an afternoon in the galleries.
It is a self-guided walking tour: 4 stops, about 0.4 miles, ~25 min. Go at your own pace; the app keeps your place.
Where does it start?
In Tyler, Texas. The exact starting point, the full stop list and turn-by-turn directions are in the TexasRoam app.
How do I take this tour?
Download TexasRoam for iPhone or iPad from the App Store. The tour is included with TexasRoam+. It is not available on the web map.
When is the best time to go?
Go in daylight and check the Earth and Space Science Center's show schedule and the Tyler Museum of Art's open days before you visit if you want to go inside.
Take the “Tyler Junior College Campus Tour”
Texas Roam guides you turn by turn through Tyler with maps, audio narration and check-ins as you go — plus all 4 stops on this tour and every guided tour, hiking trail and historical marker across Texas. Get it on the App Store.
Guided tours & hiking trails are available only in the TexasRoam app for iPhone & iPad — not on the web map. Free to download; unlock with TexasRoam+.
