Facts
📍 Region: Big Bend / City: Marfa
🗓️ Year Built: 1887
🧑🎨 Architect: Alfred Giles
🏛️ Architectural Style: Second Empire
💎 Unique Details: Its pink stucco exterior, ornate dormers, and octagonal central dome topped with a statue of Lady Justice make it stand out from typical Texas courthouses.
Why See It?
You can climb to the top of the courthouse dome via a narrow staircase, where you’ll be rewarded with panoramic views of Marfa and the surrounding desert landscape, including the Davis Mountains. The view is particularly magical at sunrise or sunset, offering a sense of the vast, open West Texas sky.
Marfa serves as a gateway to the rugged beauty of the Big Bend region, with both Big Bend National Park and Big Bend Ranch State Park located roughly two hours away by car.
Nearby Highlights
Big Bend National Park – Located in West Texas the park offers dramatic desert, mountain, and river landscapes. Highlights include the Window View at sunset, the Santa Elena Canyon Trail along the Rio Grande beneath towering 1,500-foot cliffs, the Lost Mine Trail with panoramic views of the Chisos Mountains, and the Rio Grande Village Nature Trail offering scenic views of the mountains and river.
Big Bend Ranch State Park – It is the largest state park in Texas, offers rugged desert beauty with dramatic canyons and scenic drives. Highlights include the striking Hoodoos and the narrow, winding Closed Canyon slot canyon.
Davis Mountains State Park – Nestled in West Texas, the park offers rugged mountain scenery, diverse wildlife, and historic charm. Visitors can explore scenic trails and stay at the historic Indian Lodge built by the Civilian Conservation Corps.
Marfa Lights – Try your luck spotting the mysterious Marfa Lights—unexplained glowing orbs that have baffled and fascinated visitors for generations just outside of town. Even if they don’t appear, you’ll still be treated to some of the most breathtaking night skies in Texas.
Photo Gallery
