The city of Fort Davis is known as the "Highest Town in Texas-Where the Stars Come Out to Play." The University of Texas McDonald Observatory hosts the 107" Harlan J. Smith telescope located atop 6800 feet Mt. Locke and the Hobby-Ebberly Telescope (HET) containing the world's third largest mirror (433") made up of ninety-one 40-inch mirror segments on adjacent Mt. Fowlkes. Public viewing nights are Tuesday, Friday and Saturday.

Westerns such as "Lonesome Dove," "The Good Old Boys," "The Streets of Laredo," and "Dead Man's Walk," were filmed here. The local drug store sill serves old-fashioned sundaes and malted-milk shakes. Established in 1854, Fort Davis is a National Historic Site operated by the National Park Service and open to the public year round.

The new 500-acre Chihuahuan Desert Visitor Center has botanical gardens and nature trails, and is home to unique plants and shrubs adapted to the arid climate.