The Anna Depot: How a Town Saved the Oldest Railroad Station in Texas
The 1885 Anna Depot is the oldest surviving railroad station in Texas. Here is how it was built, nearly lost, and moved board by board to Sherley Heritage Park downtown.
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Featured Stories
Anna's Parks, Trails, and Outdoor Life: A Local Guide to Slayter Creek and Natural Springs
From the splash pad and skate park at Slayter Creek to the quiet spring-fed ponds at Natural Springs Park, here is how to spend time outdoors in Anna, Texas.
Buying New Construction in Anna: The Subdivisions, the Builders, and the Tax Line Nobody Explains
Anna's edges are one continuous build site — from the flagship Villages of Hurricane Creek to the 970-acre Sherley Farms and its working organic farm. A buyer's guide to the real communities, who's building them, and the MUD/PID math that surprises new arrivals.
Latest Articles
Before the City, Before the Depot: The Longer Story of How Anna Got Its Name and Its Start
Anna is famous for its 1885 railroad depot, but the town's origins run deeper — a contested namesake, a lost neighbor called Mantua, an 1883 platting of twenty people, and the founding families whose names still mark the map.
Farm Town to Suburb: What's Left of Anna's Cotton and Grain Economy
Long before Anna was a commuter town on the US-75 corridor, its whole reason for existing was moving cotton and grain to market. A look at the working farmland that's disappearing under new subdivisions, and the one big development trying to keep a piece of it alive.
A Month-by-Month Yard Calendar for Anna's Black Gumbo Clay
Anna's expansive Blackland Prairie clay treats a lawn and a foundation as the same problem, and the city's watering ordinance sets real limits on when you can do anything about it. A month-by-month calendar for keeping a yard alive on gumbo soil without running afoul of the rules.
Keeping the Taps Running: How Anna Is Rebuilding Its Water System for 35,000 People and Counting
Anna's drinking water comes from a blend of seven city-owned wells and purchased surface water, a supply system built for a much smaller town. Here is where that water actually comes from, why it runs hard, and what the city is doing to keep pace with the growth.
Anna ISD Is Building Schools About as Fast as It Can. Here Are the Nine Campuses.
In roughly five years Anna ISD's enrollment jumped from about 3,800 to more than 6,100 students. A parent's guide to all nine current campuses, how new each one is, and what the 2022 bond is about to add.
How Anna's City Hall Actually Works: A Plain-English Guide to the Council-Manager System
Anna runs on a council-manager form of government, with an elected mayor and six at-large council members setting policy and an appointed city manager running the day-to-day operations. Here is who does what, and why it matters for a town growing this fast.
Living in Anna, Working Down US-75: A Commuter's Reality Check
Anna sits at the far-north end of the US-75 corridor, about 45 miles from downtown Dallas. What that actually means if you work in McKinney, Plano, or the city — including why the nearest train is a drive away in Plano.
Where Anna Actually Eats: A Downtown-and-Corridor Dining and Shopping Guide
Anna's restaurants and shops still cluster on a few real streets — North Powell Parkway, West 4th, and West White. Here is a corridor-by-corridor guide to the places that are open today, plus the Kroger-anchored center coming to the US-75 exit.
One Town, Several Parks: How to Read Anna's Growing Trail and Park System
Anna's parks each do a different job — the athletic hub at Slayter Creek, the quiet pond at Natural Springs, the all-inclusive playground at Johnson Park, and the heritage green downtown. A practical map of the system, its trails, and the events that fill it.
Things To Do in Anna
Full Guide →Anna Depot & Museum
The 1885 depot at Sherley Avenue and 4th Street — the oldest surviving railroad station in Texas — now a free local history museum open the 2nd and 4th Saturday each month.
Slayter Creek Park
Anna's all-in-one recreation hub at 425 W Rosamond Pkwy: ball fields, tennis and basketball courts, a splash pad, a skate park, and a 3,600-foot walking trail.
Natural Springs Park
A quiet, spring-fed park with pond views, walking paths, and a shaded gazebo with grills for a low-key cookout.
Sherley Heritage Park
The downtown park at 101 S Sherley Ave that holds the restored depot, a community-built train-themed playground, and a pavilion.
Anna Community Library
The city library, hosting programs from Nature Walks and Intro to Pickleball to Prize Bingo and crafting for all ages.
Anna Town Center
The retail hub at US-75 and FM 455 anchored by everyday shopping and dining as the town keeps growing.
Historic Downtown Anna
The original town core around Sherley Avenue and the 1885 depot — the heart of Anna's civic life, its heritage festivals, and a cluster of downtown eateries.
Roma's Italian Bistro
A family-owned Italian kitchen at 111 N Powell Pkwy serving fresh pastas and pizzas daily — one of Anna's favorite sit-down dinners.
Gar Hole
A downtown hole-in-the-wall bar and grill at 106 Houston St with ice-cold beer, hearty bar food, and live entertainment.
Geer Park
A 25-acre tract of parkland east of Sixth and Smith Streets, one of the larger green spaces the city is growing into as Anna expands.