Spindletop Gladys City Boom Town

Distance from the hotel: 6 miles

The Spindletop oilfield, discovered on a salt dome formation south of Beaumont in eastern Jefferson County on January 10, 1901, marked the birth of the modern petroleum industry. Through a self-guided tour, visitors to Gladys City experience 15 replica buildings filled with objects from the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries that depict life during the first Spindletop oil boom. From a saloon and post office to a general store and livery stable, visitors get a glimpse of what it might have been like to work and live in the historic Spindletop oilfield.
 
We re-create the gusher using water and only run it for about 2 minutes. But it is always fun to watch how high the water will blow and what direction the spray will take. It is always free to enjoy the gusher re-enactment. Regular admission fees apply to museum entrance.