Marfa Area



The Arcon Inn is located in the original old town site of Marfa, just one block west of the Presidio County Courthouse (built in 1886) and the famous El Paisano Hotel (built in 1931), both national historical monuments.



The movie "Giant" was filmed on a ranch near Marfa in 1956 and the stars (Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, James Dean, Chill Wills) and crew stayed at the El Paisano Hotel.

Highland is the main street of Marfa, where there are many interesting shops and galleries, including the Chinati Foundation, founded in 1986 by the internationally renowned architect/artist, Donald Judd.

Located in the remote, far West Texas high grasslands of the Trans-Pecos portion of the Chihuahuan Desert, and surrounded by the eastern end of the Rocky Mountains, the growing Marfa, Ft. Davis, and Alpine area is a magnet for artists and writers and is being called the next art Mecca of the southwest.  The gorgeous desert mountain scenery, the excellent mile high climate (the coolest summer nights in Texas), clean air and water, relaxed southwestern ranching atmosphere, and friendly locals are immediately appreciated.

Marfa is known internationally for its mysterious "ghost lights", a light show that appears almost nightly against the desert mountains just east of town.  The lights are a phenomenon that has been recorded back in local history for hundreds of years and is yet unexplained despite being investigated by scientists from around the world.