Contemporary art and desert weirdness join forces in Marfa, a bygone rail depot turned culture powerhouse by the visionary efforts of American artist Donald Judd. Stop to see the set-piece Prada store (a permanent sculptural installation) and the Marfa ghost lights, and you’ll discover there are many things to do in Marfa. When the weather’s right, crowds flood the indoor/outdoor installations at the Chinati Foundation museum and desert festivals. If the art show wears thin, hit the town’s galleries and upscale restaurants—or road trip to Big Bend National Park.
Weather-wise, the best time to visit Marfa is from March through October, a period with sunny days and minimal rainfall. Keep in mind that Marfa lies in the heart of the West Texas desert and warms up in July and August (and gets very cold fast on winter nights). To experience Marfa’s festival atmosphere, visit during the Marfa Lights Festival in late August or the Trans-Pecos Festival of Music & Love at the end of September.
Marfa lies at the juncture of US highways 90 and 67, about 200 miles (320 kilometers) southwest of El Paso in the Big Bend region of West Texas. The seclusion is part of the draw but makes it difficult to get there without a car. Your choices are to fly into El Paso and take a 10-hour Greyhound bus ride, or ride the Amtrak Sunset Limited train to Alpine and transfer to the Greyhound for a more manageable 30 minutes.
When figuring out where to spend the night in Marfa, consider Hotel Paisano, a historic lodge known for serving as the production headquarters for the 1956 film Giant, a Texas oil-baron and family-ranch drama starring Elizabeth Taylor and James Dean. For something more modern, try El Cosmico, a desert-chic “nomadic” hotel and campground with vintage trailers.