Smithville: Where Hope Floats

“…Beginnings are scary, endings are usually sad, but it’s the middle that counts the most.  Try to remember that when you find yourself at a new beginning.  Just give hope a chance to float up. And it will, too… ”  –from Hope Floats

One recent rainy Sunday, we drove out to Smithville, about an hour’s trip from Austin.  Ryan and I had driven by it many times on our treks to Houston, but never stopped.  And after seeing Hope Floats, which was filmed in Smithville in the late 1990s, I had always wanted to explore the small town that looked so charming onscreen.

I finally got my chance, and Smithville didn’t disappoint.  We even got lucky, with a Dairy Queen in town and a break between the showers, long enough to walk around the town square, check out the Train Museum, and take some pictures of the local landmarks.  At just under 4,000 people, Smithville is tiny, and everything of interest is situated in the small downtown area.  That makes it easy to park and walk around the city, taking in the many film locations (Smithville has become a mecca, of sorts, for Texas films), the many antique stores, and charming little eateries.  Here are some pictures from our day.

The Visitors Center, Chamber of Commerce, and Railroad Museum are housed in the same building, conveniently located in the town square at the end of Main Street.  Even though the offices were closed, the box of tour pamphlets was well-stocked.

The Smithville Sign on the edge of town; the Star Biscuit Company Sign (created for Hope Floats); the Smithville Train Sign; and a view of Main Street.

Honey’s Diner, though now closed, was part of the setting for Hope Floats.

The Smithville Depot and trains from the Train Museum.  James and Rhys loved climbing aboard and exploring the old train cars, and the park is open every day.

“Smitty,” the 20-foot tall Gingerbread Man, was featured in the 2009 Guinness Book of World Records and is now a permanent fixture on the town square.

The gorgeous house where most of the movie is set, at the end of Olive Street in downtown Smithville.  The street is incredibly picturesque and some of its other houses have been used as movie sets, too, most recently for Tree of Life.

Some of Smithville’s most charming homes.

I was so excited to finally visit Smithville, and it really does feel a bit like stepping back in time.  We are planning to go back for barbecue soon (what else?), so look for more pictures in the coming weeks.

(For this post, I tried my hand at making photo collages with Gimp, after reading this extremely helpful tutorial.)

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