Halfway between Waco and the pine woods of East Texas, Franklin is the kind of town most drivers blow past on Highway 79. That's a mistake, if roadside oddities and courthouse squares are your thing. With fewer than 2,000 residents, this Robertson County seat packs a surprising amount into a walkable downtown — plus one genuinely unusual attraction on its edge.

The town's story starts in 1872, when it was founded as Morgan around a railway depot and a few stores. When locals learned another Texas town already claimed the Morgan name, they rebranded as Franklin. The standout relic from that era is the Robertson County Courthouse, finished in 1882. Its mansard roof was demolished at some point and restored in 2014, and today you can wander the grounds freely. Five minutes away, the Franklin Carnegie Library has been lending books since 1914 — one of only four Carnegie libraries in Texas still operating as one.

The main draw for many travellers, though, sits just outside downtown: the Franklin Drive Thru Safari. You stay in your car and follow a route while giraffes, ostriches, monkeys and other animals wander up to the window. Feed cups are sold on site — reviewers suggest buying two, and warn it gets messy. Beyond the drive, there's a walk-around area, paid animal encounters (sloths, at the moment), a reptile house, a lemur-filled lake island, and a seasonal lazy river with cabanas. Private guided tours are available if you'd rather not deal with animal slobber on your own upholstery. The park is open every day, year-round.

One honest caveat: the safari has drawn animal welfare criticism. The Animal Legal Defense Fund has pressed the USDA to revoke the owner's exhibitor licence after documented violations at his facilities. If close-up captive animal experiences trouble you, this may be one to skip — Franklin still works as a quiet small-town stop without it.

Food-wise, two local spots anchor the courthouse square. Leoni Pizzeria does more than a dozen specialty pizzas plus build-your-own (seating is tight), while Doc's Icehouse around the corner pours cold drinks and serves burgers that reviewers rave about — one called theirs the biggest double burger they'd ever been served.

Franklin makes sense for a few different trips. It's about an hour from Waco and two from Austin, so it slots easily into a Central Texas road trip. It also works as a base for the Sam Houston National Forest, where the Big Creek Scenic Area shows off a greener, more wooded Texas than most people picture. Historic buildings, a decent pizza, and a forest hike within an hour of each other — that's a solid small-town day out.