Gruene Texas is a small town in the hill country that boasts great shopping, live music, wineries, and beautiful scenery. It is one of my favorite places to head to from San Antonio. It is technically part of New Braunfels which is where my favorite waterpark is located.
Every time I visit Gruene Texas I find something else I love about it. That’s why I’m sharing my full bucket list to Gruene Texas today. I truly believe there is something for everyone.
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Where is Gruene Texas
Before we can get to the bucket list, you need to know where Gruene Texas is. That’s why I have this fun map for free on the Journey Junkies page. As you can see below, Guene is situated very close to San Antonio and Austin. These are the best big cities in Texas (in my non-biased opinion.)
From Austin, Gruene is about 45 miles and from San Antonio it is about 36 miles away. This makes it a fabulous day trip from either city.
Now that we have that settled, let’s get to the bucket list of Gruene Texas activities.
Your Gruene Texas Bucket List
Shopping
I could list a lot of local businesses in Gruene Texas but it’s more than that. Gruene also has their Market Days. This is an outdoor market with loads of local businesses. It’s my favorite time to head to Gruene. I always find plenty of goodies.
You’ll also find plenty of antique shops, local boutiques, and cute coffee shops. I’m going to send you to the areas of shopping instead of the exact shops, because really, there’s something for everyone. There is 3 main areas I want to point out.
- Old Gruene Market Days, Third full weekend of each month February through November and the 1st weekend of December, In front of Gruene Coffee Haus in Gruene Historic District.
- Gruene Lake Village, 2348 Gruene Lake Dr. Walk the street for loads of shopping.
- Gruene General Store, 1610 Hunter Rd, it’s everything a general store should be.
More Shopping can be found on the official Gruene Texas website.
Music
If you’ve heard of Gruene Texas you have probably heard of Gruene Hall. It’s the oldest dance hall in Texas and as of right now, there’s still no air conditioning. However, I heard a rumor that it’s being added this year.
If you’ve never seen a concert here, it’s really worth it. I can finally say that I have and loved it. The small venue means you’re right there at the stage and they have some really great artist that still play the venue. If nothing else, you need to take the iconic photo in front.
Wine, Beer, & Food
Let’s move on to the culinary aspects of Gruene Texas. You’ve got good food, wine, and beer. Let’s start with food and drinks. Here’s three restaurants for your bucket list.
- The Gristmill is a classic Gruene Texas establishment and should be visited at least once in a lifetime. It’s right on the river.
- Gruene River Grill is another classic and a good second choice
- The Villa is my last favorite to add to your Gruene Texas bucket list.
Next, you’ll need to head to one of the following wineries
- The Grapevine offers outdoor seating with fun t-shirts for sale as well. You’ll also probably get some live music.
- The other classic Gruene Texas winery is Winery on the Gruene. Be prepared to try some sweet wines.
Nature
My favorite summer outing is tubing the river or heading to Schlitterbahn in New Braunfels. The river runs through Gruene and if you’re there in the summer, you need to partake in this classic hill country tradition. Here’s your run down on all things nature in Gruene.
- Schlitterbahn is a great waterpark. It definitely should be on your bucket list. Get there early and stay all day. Prepared for a lot of walking.
- If you want to tube the river (which you should!) you have a couple of choices. You can rent with a local tubing company and they will pick you up at the end, keep your keys safe, and drive you back to the top of the river. Or, you can buy your own tube and hop on the river. You’ll have to walk back but it’s not that far. I’ve done it both ways and nowadays I simply purchase my own tube.
- Finally, the last recommendation is to just sit in the river for the day. Head to River Acres Park and set up a chair in the water. We love this park and can spend the whole day there with or without kids. There are some fun rapids not far from there too.
Going Beyond Gruene Texas?
Download the Complete Guide
Heading to the Texas Hill Country? Download the complete guide to the area.
