Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center via Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
(Athens, Texas) Texas Parks and Wildlife (TPW) spent $8.5 million on a renovation project for the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens over a two-year period, and now the public has been invited to see all of the improvements.
The grand re-opening of the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center took place early Tuesday morning (July 1st), and there was a line of people waiting to see what was in store for them.
The educational facility is once again entertaining, educating, and providing kids and parents alike the opportunity to learn about fish, their habitats, their life cycles, and the sport of fishing.
Since opening in 1996, more than 1.1 million people have enjoyed visiting the Edwin L. Cox, Jr., Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center (TFFC). That figure is getting ready to grow even more thanks to the renovation project.
The remodel project took nearly two years to complete, and many fish were relocated to temporary facilities around the nation, but all have been returned, where they’re enjoying their new aquariums.
To begin with, there are new large aquariums; they updated nearly 300,000 gallons of aquariums, renovated a theater, rehabbed existing exhibits and added new ones, and made quite a few enhancements to the visitors center.
Enhancements have also been made to the recreational ponds. There are new fishing piers and restored fish habitats.
Visitors can also walk through the new Texas Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame. This hall of fame honors individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions to freshwater fishing in Texas.
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You can learn about the diverse inland Texas waterways and the living creatures that call them home, see many diverse fish on display in the aquariums, and see working fish hatchery ponds where fish are grown before being released into area lakes, ponds, and rivers.
You can check out many educational exhibits, walk the wetland trails, fish in the well-stocked, catch-and-release recreational fishing ponds, hop aboard a tram tour, and view the gallery tanks.
Don’t worry, you won’t need a fishing license, because it’s free, and if you don’t have any fishing gear, don’t worry about that, you can check some out for free on site.
Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center is located at 5550 FM 2495 in Athens.
Make plans to visit TFFC in Athens, and you and the kids can reel in the big one for the first time ever, or reel in the big one for the hundredth time!
Celebrate the 4th of July at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center with a free fireworks show. Before the show, you can fish, check out vendor booths, and enjoy some food. The event will begin at 5p Sunday, July 6t,h with the fireworks beginning at dark.
