Midas Service Center

Since 1976, locals and visitors alike have enjoyed the Westfest Polka Festival, held in West, Texas, a short 15 mile drive from Waco. Visitors pay homage to the German culture in Texas with a big variety of food booths, kids' activities, a parade, baking contests, arts and crafts, a tractor pull and even a polka mass! Of course, there is also plenty of polka music and dance contests to enter and enjoy. The event is traditionally held over the Labor Day weekend, so plan to make your way out West for an unforgettable time at the Westfest Polka Festival.

It's a little known fact, but the popular soft drink Dr. Pepper was born in Waco. That unique taste took the soda world by storm and carved a niche for the brand that led to its worldwide success. The Dr. Pepper Museum is an attraction that traces the genesis of this concoction, how it came to be, how it was marketed and the eventual memorabilia and lore that followed in its wake. See the world's most extensive collection of vintage ads, bottles, items, and interactive exhibits that tell the story of how everyone became a Pepper!

The Cameron Park Zoo has the distinction of being the nation's newest natural habitat zoo. The sights and sounds of some of the world's most extraordinary animals await you at this family fun attraction. Explore the Flower Garden Banks Reef and follow the Brazos River to see a herd of bison graze, or watch otters, black bears and jaguars coexist in an amazing recreation of their natural habitat. And don't forget your camera because you'll want lots of photos of the elephants, lions, white rhinos and giraffes.