Old Mill Inn at State Fair of Texas

Built as a flour mill for the 1936 Texas Centennial Exposition, the Old Mill Inn was a large exhibit featuring a modern experimental flour mill, three model kitchens and a tea room. The roof features beams of old timbers and woodwork handcarved by German carpenters and connected with wooden pegs while the stones are laid in the manner of the masons of a century ago. The Old Mill Inn also features a fireplace in the downstairs dining area in its original state from 1936, and a working waterwheel and fountains complement the nostalgic experience. In subsequent years, the Old Mill Inn became the Bordens Dairy Exhibit during the State Fair of Texas where youngsters visited “Elsie” the cow, her husband “Elmer” (of glue fame) and their calf son, “Beauregard.” Today, it serves as a welcome oasis for Fair Park visitors wanting good, reasonably priced home cooking like chicken-fried steak, sandwich baskets, fruit cobbler and more. The Old Mill Inn Restaurant sits across from the Magnolia Lounge near the Big Tex Circle.

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