Marfa, population 1,974, sits at a unique crossroads of rural Southwest culture and international art Mecca. The town is equally influenced by its cattle ranching legacy, its proximity to Mexico and the vibrant migration of artists from big cities who have been drawn to Marfa since the early 1970’s for its serenity and mystic quality of light. Here you will see a real cowboy and a major work of art in the same afternoon. What is now desert was once ocean, dinosaur homeland and Apache territory. There is talk of an inexplicable, elusive phenomenon of lights. Marfa sits amidst some of the Southwest’s best natural and built wonders, including Big Bend State and National Parks, McDonald Observatory, Chinati Hot Springs, the Davis Mountains and Balmorhea State Parks. Check out our Places To Go map for things to do in Marfa, and in the region.