About Odessa TX
Odessa is a city in the state of Texas, which is also the county seat of Ector County. It is as well the principal city in the Odessa Metropolitan area. Odessa is believed to have been named in honor of Odessa, Russian Empire due to the local short grass prairies that look very similar to Ukraine’s steppe landscape. This Texas city was first established in the late 19TH century as a water stop and cattle shipping point on the Texas & Pacific Railway. Odessa was made to be the county seat of Ector County in 1891. After oil was discovered in the southwest side of Odessa, the area was incorporated into a city. This took place in the early 20th century, 1927 to be more specific.
With the opening of the Penn Field and Cowden Field, the oil business emerged as the main stay of the City of Odessa’s economy. In 2004, Forbes named this Texas city as the 3rd in its list of quickest growing small cities in the United States. Odessa is situated along the southwest edge of the Liano Estacado in the western region of the state of Texas. Its total area spans 44 square mile, of which 43.9 square miles is land and 0.1 square miles is water. Odessa sits on the Permian Basin, which is a huge sedimentary deposit that comprises of sizeable oil reserves and natural gas. This Texas city has a semi arid climate, with the summer months being hot and sunny, while the winter months are mild and dry.
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Top attractions
The Midland Odessa Symphony and Chorale was established in 1926, and is the City of Odessa’s biggest orchestra company. It is well noted for producing pops and masterworks concerts over the course of the year. This Odessa symphony is made up of professional musicians from the city itself along with some from the city’s environs. The last of which includes the cities of Lubbock and San Angelo. The Midland Odessa Symphony and Chorale also consists of 3 residential chamber ensembles; the Lone Brass, the Permian Basin String Quartet and the West Texas Winds.
The City of Odessa is as well home to the Globe of the Great Southwest that is situated in the campus of the Odessa College. The Globe of the Great Southwest comes complete with a replica of the famous William Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre in the City of London, United Kingdom. This Odessa theatre is renowned for hosting plays and other community group productions over the course of the year. It also hosts a very popular Shakespeare festival each and every year. The City of Odessa also boasts of the Ector Theater, which offers classic films, live theatrical productions and music concerts. There is as well the Permian Playhouse that has been offering musical, dance, drama, suspense and comedy productions for more than 40 years.
Another top attraction of this Texas city is the Presidential Museum & Leadership library, which is situated in the campus of the University of Texas of the Permian Basin. It is very important to note that the Presidential Museum & Leadership Library is the only facility of its kind in the entire country. It is specifically devoted to the office of the President of the United States rather than any single holder of the said office. This City of Odessa attraction also showcases a good number of exhibits, which focus on the various presidents of the defunct Republic of Texas. There is also the White Pool House that is located on the eastern end of Odessa’s downtown area. The White Pool House has the distinction of being the oldest surviving building in the City of Odessa, and it was constructed in the year 1887.
Odessa is also home to the Texon Santa Fe Depot, which serves as a museum dedicated to the Old West and railroads. Yet another popular attraction in the City of Odessa is the Odessa Meteor Crater. This is essentially an impact crater that spans 550 feet in diameter and is situated in the southwestern direction of this Texas city. Odessa is as well home to a Stonehenge replica, which was completed in 2004, and is situated in the campus of the University of Texas of the Permian Basin.
Globe of the Great Southwest
This City of Odessa leading attraction was named after the globally famous theater in London, United Kingdom that was associated with the famous playwright; William Shakespeare. Ideally, it is a 410 seater theater, which was specifically designed as a replica of its London counterpart. Like the latter establishment, the Globe of the Great Southwest hosts a wide variety of Shakespeare plays over the course of the year. Not to mention hosting many more classic and modern plays, which are showcased on its Elizabethan stage. The Globe of the Great Southwest also comes complete with a replica of the cottage, Anne Hathaway (Shakespeare’s wife) lived in.
Stonehenge Odessa
The Stonehenge Odessa is yet another popular attraction in the City of Odessa. It has the distinction of being one of the very rare astronomically designed Stonehenge replicas in the entire planet. This intriguing structure is made up of 20 limestone blocks that are of the same size and shape of the English original Stonehenge. The Stonehenge Odessa is housed in the campus of the University of Texas of the Permian Basin, and is made open to the public all through the course of the year.
Odessa Meteor Crater
This is yet another distinctive City of Odessa attraction, which is a must see landmark in this Texas city. It was formed around 50,000 years ago when a number of meteors impacted the planet, a couple of miles on the southern end of Odessa. Generally speaking, the Odessa meteor Crater spans a width of around 555 feet, and has the distinction of being one of the biggest of its kind in the United States. It comes complete with a visitor’s center where tourists can discover more details of the meteoric strike via interactive exhibits that chronicle the history of this area of the City of Odessa.
Jack Rabbit Statue
The Jack Rabbit is essentially an 8 feet high fiberglass statue, which now serves as the unofficial mascot of the City of Odessa. It is as well one of the most distinctive historic landmarks of the state of Texas. This statue is located in the Ector County Independent School District Administration building. It is also noteworthy to state that this Texas city also boasts of a grand total of 37 other diminutive rabbit statues, which are all distinctively decorated.
Monahans Sand Hills State Park
This is a fascinating City of Odessa park that is sprawled on a 3,800 acre parcel of la nd. The Monahans Sand Hills State Park is characterized by gently sloping sand dunes, which is a very rare sight in the Lone Star State, as Texas is fondly referred to. Besides the breathtaking scenic views they facilitate for, these sand dunes are as well used to hold a rather queer sport; sandboarding. The Monahans Sand Hills State Park’s headquarters offers sand toboggans and disks for the rental for those visitors who feel inclined to participate in this unusual sport. This City of Odessa Park also comes with hiking trails, an 800 acre horseback riding zone and camping sites. The Monahans Sand Hills State Park also has a visitor’s center that is home to a wide variety of intriguing exhibits, which chronicle the unique history of this part of the City of Odessa.