GFF’s Arch Madness 2022: Texas’ Most Memorable Places
In honor of the NCAA basketball March Madness tournament that captivates our and many offices across the country, GFF has revived our own “Arch. Madness”. This year, we’re taking inspiration from GFF’s mission of Creating Memorable Places to crown the ‘Most Memorable Place in the State of Texas’, and we need you to help us crown a champion. Direct from GFF’s mission statement: A memorable place is beautiful, uplifting, sustainable and authentic…crafted to endure so that its value builds over time.
Similar to the NCAA Tournament, our 64 memorable Texas places are grouped into four ‘Regionals’ (ours are named after memorable names of obscure Texas towns). Like with any good bracket, there are several deserving, memorable places that were left out of the field. We had to get creative to combine some of our submissions into larger entries, but it wouldn’t be March Madness, or Arch. Madness, without a little bit of friendly controversy. So whether you’re a native Texan, a transplant, or an admiring visitor, please have some fun with this and be sure to make your voice heard in naming Texas’ Most Memorable Place!
FINAL FOUR
- RIVERWALK (SAN ANTONIO) (56%, 24 Votes)
- ALAMO/MISSION TRAIL (SAN ANTONIO) (44%, 19 Votes)
Total Voters: 43
Loading ...- BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK (86%, 38 Votes)
- FAIR PARK (DALLAS) (14%, 6 Votes)
Total Voters: 44
Loading ...CHAMPIONSHIP
- BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK (76%, 38 Votes)
- RIVERWALK (SAN ANTONIO) (24%, 12 Votes)
Total Voters: 50
Loading ...REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
Jot’ Em Down
The Instagrammable Region
The icons that are the perfect backdrop for that selfie, the photo you’ll go out of your way to take, and the moment you try to capture to share with your friends and remember forever. That pic may not do it justice, but you’ll sure spend time editing with filters to give it a try.
ROUND OF 64
- Riverwalk (San Antonio) (63%, 40 Votes)
- Fort Worth Water Gardens (37%, 23 Votes)
Total Voters: 63
Loading ...- Cadillac Ranch (Amarillo) (64%, 35 Votes)
- Painted Churches (Schulenberg) (36%, 20 Votes)
Total Voters: 55
Loading ...- Thanksgiving Square (Dallas) (60%, 34 Votes)
- Sundance Square (Fort Worth) (40%, 23 Votes)
Total Voters: 57
Loading ...- Congress Ave Bridge Bats (Austin) (77%, 44 Votes)
- "The Silos" (Waco) (23%, 13 Votes)
Total Voters: 57
Loading ...- Sunset At The Oasis (Lake Travis) (52%, 29 Votes)
- Gruene Hall (New Braunfels) (48%, 27 Votes)
Total Voters: 56
Loading ...- Perot Museum (Dallas) (71%, 40 Votes)
- Menil Collection (Houston) (29%, 16 Votes)
Total Voters: 56
Loading ...- Reunion Tower (Dallas) (75%, 41 Votes)
- Star On The Mountain (El Paso) (25%, 14 Votes)
Total Voters: 55
Loading ...- Prada Marfa (58%, 32 Votes)
- Chinati Foundation (Marfa) (42%, 23 Votes)
Total Voters: 55
Loading ...ROUND OF 32
- RIVERWALK (SAN ANTONIO) (71%, 34 Votes)
- CADILLAC RANCH (AMARILLO) (29%, 14 Votes)
Total Voters: 48
Loading ...- CONGRESS AVE BRIDGE BATS (AUSTIN) (73%, 36 Votes)
- THANKSGIVING SQUARE (DALLAS) (27%, 13 Votes)
Total Voters: 49
Loading ...- PEROT MUSEUM (DALLAS) (69%, 34 Votes)
- SUNSET AT THE OASIS (LAKE TRAVIS) (31%, 15 Votes)
Total Voters: 49
Loading ...- PRADA MARFA (54%, 26 Votes)
- REUNION TOWER (DALLAS) (46%, 22 Votes)
Total Voters: 48
Loading ...SWEET 16
- RIVERWALK (SAN ANTONIO) (63%, 22 Votes)
- CONGRESS AVE BRIDGE BATS (AUSTIN) (37%, 13 Votes)
Total Voters: 35
Loading ...- PEROT MUSEUM (DALLAS) (74%, 26 Votes)
- PRADA MARFA (26%, 9 Votes)
Total Voters: 35
Loading ...ELITE EIGHT
- RIVERWALK (SAN ANTONIO) (60%, 29 Votes)
- PEROT MUSEUM (DALLAS) (40%, 19 Votes)
Total Voters: 48
Loading ...Gun Barrel City
The Texana Region
These quintessential Texan places and experiences are enough to make you want to put on those boots and hats and say “Howdy, y’all”. Even if you didn’t take Texas History class in fourth grade, it’s easy to appreciate the places the great state was built upon and which make it unique today.
ROUND OF 64
- Alamo/Mission Trail (San Antonio) (61%, 30 Votes)
- Fort Worth Stockyards (39%, 19 Votes)
Total Voters: 49
Loading ...- Spindletop (Beaumont) (70%, 32 Votes)
- "Walls Unit" (State Pen/Hunstville) (30%, 14 Votes)
Total Voters: 46
Loading ...- State Capitol (Austin) (80%, 39 Votes)
- Hippie Hollow (Lake Travis/Austin) (20%, 10 Votes)
Total Voters: 49
Loading ...- San Jacinto/Battleship Texas (LaPorte) (63%, 29 Votes)
- USS Lexington (Corpus Christi) (37%, 17 Votes)
Total Voters: 46
Loading ...- Czech Stop (West) (73%, 36 Votes)
- Buc-ee's (27%, 13 Votes)
Total Voters: 49
Loading ...- Floating The River (82%, 40 Votes)
- Crossing The Red River Into Texas (18%, 9 Votes)
Total Voters: 49
Loading ...- Johnson Space Center (Houston) (52%, 25 Votes)
- Fort Davis/McDonald Observatory (48%, 23 Votes)
Total Voters: 48
Loading ...- Your Favorite BBQ Joint (67%, 33 Votes)
- Spoetzl Brewery (Shiner) (33%, 16 Votes)
Total Voters: 49
Loading ...ROUND OF 32
- ALAMO/MISSION TRAIL (SAN ANTONIO) (95%, 41 Votes)
- SPINDLETOP (BEAUMONT) (5%, 2 Votes)
Total Voters: 43
Loading ...- STATE CAPITOL (AUSTIN) (84%, 38 Votes)
- SAN JACINTO/BATTLESHIP TEXAS (LAPORTE) (16%, 7 Votes)
Total Voters: 45
Loading ...- CZECH STOP (WEST) (54%, 26 Votes)
- FLOATING THE RIVER (46%, 22 Votes)
Total Voters: 48
Loading ...- YOUR FAVORITE BBQ JOINT (60%, 27 Votes)
- JOHNSON SPACE CENTER (HOUSTON) (40%, 18 Votes)
Total Voters: 45
Loading ...SWEET 16
- ALAMO/MISSION TRAIL (SAN ANTONIO) (70%, 23 Votes)
- STATE CAPITOL (AUSTIN) (30%, 10 Votes)
Total Voters: 33
Loading ...- CZECH STOP (WEST) (67%, 24 Votes)
- YOUR FAVORITE BBQ JOINT (33%, 12 Votes)
Total Voters: 36
Loading ...ELITE EIGHT
- ALAMO/MISSION TRAIL (SAN ANTONIO) (67%, 32 Votes)
- CZECH STOP (WEST) (33%, 16 Votes)
Total Voters: 48
Loading ...Bug Tussle
The Nature-fied Region
Though many people’s image of Texas comes from Western movies, vast wide open spaces with tumbleweeds and cattle, the truth is the size of the state means there are several microclimates that offer a lot of variety to its natural beauty. Even when man intervenes, the great outdoors of the Lone Star state is something to behold.
ROUND OF 64
- Big Bend National Park (96%, 44 Votes)
- Buffalo Bayou (Houston) (4%, 2 Votes)
Total Voters: 46
Loading ...- Dallas Arboretum (71%, 34 Votes)
- Ladybird Wildflower Center (Austin) (29%, 14 Votes)
Total Voters: 48
Loading ...- Caddo Lake (54%, 25 Votes)
- Possum Kingdom Lake (46%, 21 Votes)
Total Voters: 46
Loading ...- Ladybird [Town] Lake (Austin) (52%, 25 Votes)
- White Rock Lake (Dallas) (48%, 23 Votes)
Total Voters: 48
Loading ...- Barton Springs (Austin) (57%, 27 Votes)
- Hamilton Pool (Dripping Springs) (43%, 20 Votes)
Total Voters: 47
Loading ...- Palo Duro Canyon (73%, 33 Votes)
- Natural Bridge Caverns (27%, 12 Votes)
Total Voters: 45
Loading ...- Enchanted Rock (93%, 43 Votes)
- The Round Rock (7%, 3 Votes)
Total Voters: 46
Loading ...- Guadalupe Mountains National Park (76%, 34 Votes)
- Monahans Sandhills (24%, 11 Votes)
Total Voters: 45
Loading ...ROUND OF 32
- BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK (84%, 41 Votes)
- DALLAS ARBORETUM (16%, 8 Votes)
Total Voters: 49
Loading ...- CADDO LAKE (55%, 26 Votes)
- LADYBIRD [TOWN] LAKE (AUSTIN) (45%, 21 Votes)
Total Voters: 47
Loading ...- PALO DURO CANYON (67%, 31 Votes)
- BARTON SPRINGS (AUSTIN) (33%, 15 Votes)
Total Voters: 46
Loading ...- ENCHANTED ROCK (64%, 28 Votes)
- GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK (36%, 16 Votes)
Total Voters: 44
Loading ...SWEET 16
- BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK (91%, 31 Votes)
- CADDO LAKE (9%, 3 Votes)
Total Voters: 34
Loading ...- PALO DURO CANYON (63%, 20 Votes)
- ENCHANTED ROCK (38%, 12 Votes)
Total Voters: 32
Loading ...ELITE EIGHT
- BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK (83%, 39 Votes)
- PALO DURO CANYON (17%, 8 Votes)
Total Voters: 47
Loading ...Cut and Shoot
The Regional Region
They say “everything’s bigger in Texas”, and while that may not always be true, it sure helps us wrap our heads around the fact that some of the state’s most memorable places need a bit of a broader brush. While some are more strictly defined than others, there are just some places within places that resonate as part of a larger memory and experience.
ROUND OF 64
- Schlitterbahn (New Braunfels) (52%, 25 Votes)
- Your Sports Team's Home Venue (48%, 23 Votes)
Total Voters: 48
Loading ...- Padre Island (59%, 27 Votes)
- Galveston (41%, 19 Votes)
Total Voters: 46
Loading ...- Fredericksburg (81%, 38 Votes)
- First Monday Trade Days (Canton) (19%, 9 Votes)
Total Voters: 47
Loading ...- Dealey Plaza/6th Floor Museum (Dallas) (63%, 29 Votes)
- 'The 40 Acres' (UT Campus, Austin) (37%, 17 Votes)
Total Voters: 46
Loading ...- Dallas Arts District (64%, 30 Votes)
- Fort Worth Cultural District (36%, 17 Votes)
Total Voters: 47
Loading ...- Pearl District (San Antonio) (78%, 36 Votes)
- Oak Lawn District (PD-193, Dallas) (22%, 10 Votes)
Total Voters: 46
Loading ...- Fair Park (Dallas) (59%, 27 Votes)
- Klyde Warren Park (Dallas) (41%, 19 Votes)
Total Voters: 46
Loading ...- Northpark Mall (Dallas) (61%, 28 Votes)
- Highland Park Village (Dallas) (39%, 18 Votes)
Total Voters: 46
Loading ...ROUND OF 32
- PADRE ISLAND (52%, 25 Votes)
- SCHLITTERBAHN (NEW BRAUNFELS) (48%, 23 Votes)
Total Voters: 48
Loading ...- FREDERICKSBURG (82%, 37 Votes)
- DEALEY PLAZA/6TH FLOOR MUSEUM (DALLAS) (18%, 8 Votes)
Total Voters: 45
Loading ...- DALLAS ARTS DISTRICT (57%, 27 Votes)
- PEARL DISTRICT (SAN ANTONIO) (43%, 20 Votes)
Total Voters: 47
Loading ...- FAIR PARK (DALLAS) (74%, 37 Votes)
- NORTHPARK MALL (DALLAS) (26%, 13 Votes)
Total Voters: 50
Loading ...SWEET 16
- FREDERICKSBURG (78%, 25 Votes)
- PADRE ISLAND (22%, 7 Votes)
Total Voters: 32
Loading ...- FAIR PARK (DALLAS) (56%, 19 Votes)
- DALLAS ARTS DISTRICT (44%, 15 Votes)
Total Voters: 34
Loading ...ELITE EIGHT
- FAIR PARK (DALLAS) (58%, 28 Votes)
- FREDERICKSBURG (42%, 20 Votes)
Total Voters: 48
Loading ...