The 8 Coolest Landmarks in College Station, Texas

Texas A&M University is one of the most historic and tradition-laden schools in the SEC. From the yell leaders orchestrating the Midnight Yell to the gathering of students for the Silver Taps, the Aggie traditions are endless and equally awesome.

The school’s military roots trace back to 1876, when TAMU opened near Bryan, Texas, as an all-male establishment known as the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, or Texas A.M.C. Enrollment in the school’s Corps of Cadets was mandatory until 1965, and the school didn’t accept women until the year prior in 1964.

Texas A&M in College Station, Texas features a ton of campus landmarks, historic sites, buildings, memorials, sculptures and statues that the student body and visitors from all over the United States can enjoy. These are the eight coolest of those landmarks.

But first, a few honorable mentions found on the TAMU campus map and around town: Academic Building, Rudder Theatre Complex, Memorial Student Center, Cushing Memorial Library, Sbisa Dining Hall, Administration Building, Sam Houston Sanders Corps of Cadets Center, Reed Arena, Olsen Field, and the Museum of the American GI.

Kyle Field
“Home of the 12th man,” Kyle Field is a must-see and must-attend stadium on Aggie game days. Built in 1904, the venue is not only the oldest stadium in college football but also the third-largest by capacity (102,733) and largest in the state of Texas.

George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum
Easily one of the coolest attractions, the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum has a full day’s worth of things to see and read — 44 million pages of papers and documents, to be exact.

“Pennies for Sully” Sculpture
Texas A&M students are well-acquainted with the sculpture of Lawrence Sullivan Ross, the president of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas from 1891-1898, who embodied the Texas Aggie spirit.

The Dixie Chicken
Serving up barbecue and beer to the College Station community since 1974, The Dixie Chicken is an absolute staple of a watering hole to Aggies and Texans.

Bonfire Memorial
Twelve people died and 27 were injured in the tragic collapse of the annual Aggie Bonfire in 1999. Every year, the Texas A&M students would build and light a stack of 5,000 or so logs sometimes as high as 105 feet high before TAMU’s game against the University of Texas until tragedy struck that year. One week later, Texas A&M upset the heavily favored Longhorns, 20-16, in a highly emotional game.

Five years later, the Bonfire Memorial was dedicated in the same spot to honor the lives lost in 1999 and serve as a reminder of the Aggies’ core values.

Century Tree
Century Tree is an absolutely massive low-hanging live oak tree on campus that was planted over 100 years ago. It’s more than just an ancient, beautiful work of Mother Nature, though.

12th Man Statue
A statue commemorating E. King Gill, known as the 12th Man Statue, now sits outside of Kyle Field.

“Welcome to Aggieland” Water Tower

It’s not as old as Old Main, the very first building constructed on campus, but the large “Welcome to Aggieland” water tower that currently welcomes high school graduates heading for TAMU and visitors to campus has a bit of history behind it.