GRAND SALINE
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f you’re looking for a salty little city to visit, then Grand Saline is the place to go. Nestled in the northeastern portion of Van Zandt County, the city named “Big Salt” offers a variety of things to see and do that make this unique community a must-see destination. Located on historic U.S. 80 at Texas 110, the city boasts one of the largest, purest salt domes in the world and is home to Morton Salt Company. It is said that the Grand Saline mine has enough salt to supply the world for 20,000 years. And of course, no visit to Grand Saline would be complete without a stop at the famous Salt Palace. Known as the world’s only building made completely of rock salt, this quaint little museum is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The city’s salt history is on display here. Inside, you can learn about the role salt has played in the development of the region, watch a video of work down inside the mine, and admire myriad vintage salt memorabilia. The Salt Palace also displays memorabilia of Chris Tomlin, a native of Grand Saline who is a multi-award-winning Christian singer/songwrit0er. In 2018, he received the Billionaire award from Pandora for 1.8 billion lifetime streams. It is estimated each week, 20-30 million people sing one of his songs in worship. You can also study the history of Wiley Post, a native son who was the first man to ever fly around the world. He pioneered the use of liquid oxygen in flight and invented the pressurized suit. Grand Saline’s rich history goes back to the days of horse-drawn wagons and the railroad. The old Grand Saline depot has been converted into a public library, and the old lumber yard that sat across the street has been converted into a city park. From the park, you can stroll down Gallery Alley into downtown, where most of the old buildings remain today. One of the oldest, the Darby Building, will soon be home to the Salt Museum, Grand Saline’s newest edition. When complete, this museum will allow people to experience what it’s like to
travel down a shaft into the salt mine. Other sites abound in downtown, including vintage signs and early century architecture. The second Saturday in April brings the annual Main Street Festival. The historic downtown will be cordoned off for visitors to enjoy live music, food galore, kiddie activities and vendors of all kinds. Then, the Salt Festival occurs on the second weekend of June. There will be special lunches served in a tent each day of the three-day festival. It brings a parade, contests of all kinds and for all ages, both food and merchandise vendors, followed by live musical entertainment in the evening. If you get hungry, there are a variety of places to eat in Grand Saline. From fast food to sit down restaurants, Grand Saline has a little something for everyone — barbecue, Tex-Mex, pizza, sandwiches, burgers or hot dogs. For the more adventurous, a visit to East Texas Zoo & Gator Park should be on your itinerary. It is located just outside Grand Saline on FM 1255 off Texas 110. You can see alligators from hatchlings to mature ones over 13 feet long. They also have rescued animals, monkeys, zebras and snakes as well as a petting zoo of barnyard animals. Grand Saline is a great place to spend the day or a lifetime. For more information, please visit or contact the Salt Palace visitor’s center at (903) 9625631 or check them out on Facebook at Grand Saline Salt Palace Museum. TOURISM GUIDE 2022 | 37
