Some places you have to work to make beautiful. Out here the sky does most of it for you: a pink-and-gold sunset over hay bales, a freight train on the horizon, and more stars than the city has seen in years. Bring your camera. You'll find your next idea here.
At a glance
- Best for
- Engagement, maternity, family, and senior photos; creator content; music videos and short films; drones; astrophotography
- Signature shots
- Golden-hour farmland, freight trains, an 1897 Romanesque courthouse, Victorian homes, April bluebonnets, the Milky Way
- From Dallas
- About 35 minutes south; downtown Waxahachie is 8 minutes from the tiny home
- Shooting here
- Guests can bring a photographer or small crew with approval, or book a shoot without staying overnight
Shoot at the tiny home
A true Texas home: warm wood, a covered porch, and nothing but farmland to the horizon. It's small, so every corner has a story in it.
The covered porch
Rocking chairs, a shade tree, and the sky turning gold over the fields. The easiest engagement or maternity frame in Ellis County.
The farmland horizon
Round hay bales and crops that change with the seasons, stretching all the way to the skyline. Pure Texas, in every direction.
The LED fireplace
A color-changing fireplace that glows warm in the evening. Instant mood for reels, slow-living content, and holiday cards.
Kitchen, loft, and bedroom
A farmhouse sink with open shelving and a longhorn print, a vaulted loft with peak windows, and a queen bedroom with horse-print art. Small rooms, big character.
Stars over the roof
Dark country sky, with the Milky Way in the south on summer nights. Your long exposures start at the front door.
House rules for shoots
- Staying with us? Bring a photographer or a small crew during your stay, with prior approval.
- Just shooting? Photographers and filmmakers can book the tiny home for a shoot without staying overnight, with approval.
- Overnight: up to 7 guests, all booked through the booking channel. No parties, and quiet hours run 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.
- Drones: welcome. See the drone rules below.
- The fields: off limits. Shoot them from the house, porch, yard, and drive.
- Gear: room to park trucks and trailers; tell us the length and width of anything big.
Golden hour and blue hour by month
Times for the 15th of each month at the tiny home. Golden hour here means the sun below 6 degrees; blue hour ends when the sun is 6 degrees below the horizon.
| Month | Sunrise | Evening golden hour | Sunset | Blue hour ends |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2026 | 7:31 a.m. | 6:21 p.m. | 6:54 p.m. | 7:18 p.m. |
| Nov 2026 | 6:56 a.m. | 4:51 p.m. | 5:26 p.m. | 5:52 p.m. |
| Dec 2026 | 7:21 a.m. | 4:46 p.m. | 5:23 p.m. | 5:50 p.m. |
| Jan 2027 | 7:28 a.m. | 5:08 p.m. | 5:44 p.m. | 6:11 p.m. |
| Feb 2027 | 7:09 a.m. | 5:39 p.m. | 6:13 p.m. | 6:38 p.m. |
| Mar 2027 | 7:37 a.m. | 7:02 p.m. | 7:35 p.m. | 7:59 p.m. |
| Apr 2027 | 6:58 a.m. | 7:23 p.m. | 7:56 p.m. | 8:22 p.m. |
| May 2027 | 6:29 a.m. | 7:43 p.m. | 8:18 p.m. | 8:45 p.m. |
| Jun 2027 | 6:19 a.m. | 7:59 p.m. | 8:35 p.m. | 9:04 p.m. |
| Jul 2027 | 6:30 a.m. | 7:59 p.m. | 8:35 p.m. | 9:02 p.m. |
| Aug 2027 | 6:51 a.m. | 7:38 p.m. | 8:11 p.m. | 8:37 p.m. |
| Sep 2027 | 7:10 a.m. | 7:00 p.m. | 7:33 p.m. | 7:57 p.m. |
Morning golden hour runs from sunrise for about 35 minutes. Daylight saving time starts March 14, 2027.
Historic downtown and the 1890s courthouse
About 8 minutes from the tiny home. Park once and walk it.
Ellis County Courthouse
The courthouse square
J. Riely Gordon designed sixteen Texas courthouses, and architectural historians call this one his masterpiece: Richardsonian Romanesque, finished in 1897 in grey and pink Texas granite and red Pecos sandstone, with a turreted bell tower. German carvers from a Dallas stone yard cut the faces and foliage around the four entrance portals. Get close for the carvings, then back across the street for the tower at golden hour.
Chautauqua Auditorium
Getzendaner Park, 400 S. Grand Ave.
A historic auditorium built in 1902 for the Chautauqua gatherings that drew thousands, with wooden benches inside and big shade trees around it. Soft, romantic, and great in any season. The park is open until 10 p.m.
Murals and selfie spots
From the Waxahachie Convention and Visitors Bureau's list. Murals come and go, so check before a planned shoot.
- Crape myrtle mural, 301 S. Rogers St.: pink blossoms, a giant mockingbird, and a love quote.
- Butterfly wings and a Texas flag, in the alley between 100 and 116 N. College St.
- Heart mural by GONZO 247, 107 W. Franklin St., once a backdrop on American Idol.
- Butterflies and iris mural, with selfie wings in two sizes, at Getzendaner Park.
Victorian and Gingerbread homes
Waxahachie has five historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places. These are people's homes, so shoot from the public sidewalk and street, and stay off porches and lawns.
| District | Where | Look for |
|---|---|---|
| West End | About seven blocks of W. Main St. and four of W. Jefferson St. | Queen Anne and Classical Revival homes; the 1904 Sims Library is on W. Main too |
| North Rogers Street | N. Rogers St. | Queen Anne to Tudor Revival |
| Oldham Avenue | Oldham Ave. | Prairie School, Mission Revival, and Classical Revival |
| Wyatt Street Shotgun Houses | East side of the 300 block of Wyatt St. | Single-story shotgun homes from 1900 to 1924, significant to the town's African American history |
| Courthouse district | The downtown square | Late-1800s and early-1900s storefronts around the courthouse |
- Gingerbread trim is the fancy carved woodwork on porches and gables that gave Waxahachie its nickname, the Gingerbread City. Shoot it in side light, early or late, so every spindle throws a shadow.
- The Gingerbread Trail tour of homes, the first weekend of June, is your one chance to shoot some of these interiors. Ask before you photograph inside.
Antique shops and Victorian storefronts are in our antiques and vintage guide.
Trains and industrial Texas
Never shoot on the tracks. Operation Lifesaver says tracks, trestles, and rail yards are private property, using them for a shoot is trespassing, and a train overhangs the rails by at least three feet. Get the shot from somewhere legal instead:
Freight trains at sunset
From the yard
Trains roll along the far edge of the fields now and then, with hay bales in the foreground. Leave a long lens on the tripod and wait.
Railyard Park and the Katy depot
455 S. College St., downtown Waxahachie
The easy train content spot in town: a creekside park with an amphitheater beside the 1908 Katy railroad depot, which once shipped Ellis County cotton to market, and a bright red caboose you can stand right next to. Rated 4.8 stars and a local favorite for graduation photos.
Ennis Railroad & Cultural Heritage Museum
105 NE Main St., Ennis
Ennis is a true railroad town, and the museum sits in the old Van Noy railroad building from about 1915, with an original caboose outside and a platform where visitors watch trains pass. Rated 4.7 stars. Tuesday to Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday 1 to 4.
Midlothian's industrial skyline
Around Midlothian
Cement plants and a steel mill rising out of the prairie. Shoot from public roads only; these are private industrial sites, so check Texas's critical infrastructure drone law before you fly anywhere near one.
Which railroad it is, how many trains run, and more train spots are in our train watching guide.
Bluebonnets, wildflowers, and sunflowers
| When | What | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Late Feb to mid-March | Tulips | Tulipalooza, Getzendaner Park, Waxahachie (10 min) |
| April | Bluebonnets | The Ennis Bluebonnet Trails (20 min) |
| Spring | Wildflowers | Mockingbird Nature Park, Midlothian (20 min); Kachina Prairie, Ennis (20 min) |
| Early summer | Sunflowers to walk in | Western Belle Farm, West (1 hr 5 min); Hemingway Hill, Terrell (1 hr 15 min, from mid-June 2027) |
| June into July | Sunflower crop fields | Farm roads around Ellis County, from the road only |
| Sept 26 to Nov 8, 2026 | Pumpkins | Western Belle Farm's Pumpkin Festival |
Bluebonnets
- The Ennis Bluebonnet Trails cover more than 40 miles of mapped country roads all April, usually peaking in the second or third week. Most of the land is private, so shoot from the road.
- Walk-in fields: Meadow View Nature Area, 1901 Laneview Dr., on Bardwell Lake (blue flowers, blue water), and Kachina Prairie, 1816 W. Baldridge St., never-plowed Blackland Prairie.
- Bloom reports, safety, and more spots are in our bluebonnet and wildflower guide.
Sunflowers
- The big fields you see from the road are crops. Ellis County farmers plant sunflowers for seed, and the fields move every year. They're private: don't walk in, don't pick, and pull fully off the road to shoot. Want in? Find the owner and ask.
- Western Belle Farm, 7929 Heritage Pkwy., West, runs a sunflower u-pick in early summer. Check its calendar for dates and its photography rules.
- Hemingway Hill, 11656 County Rd. 309, Terrell, opens summer u-pick and sunflowers in mid-June 2027, with sunset picking on Thursdays. No drones.
Watch your feet: check for fire ants and snakes before anyone sits down in a field.
Spots by shoot type
| Shoot | Try | When |
|---|---|---|
| Engagement | The courthouse square, Chautauqua Auditorium, then the porch at sunset | Evening golden hour |
| Maternity | The porch and farmland horizon; bluebonnets in April | Last hour before sunset |
| Family | The bluebonnet trails, Getzendaner Park | Spring mornings |
| Senior and graduation | Railyard Park, the red caboose, downtown murals | Weekday mornings, before the crowds |
| Creator and Instagram content | The LED fireplace, the farmhouse kitchen, the loft | Evenings and slow mornings |
| Music video or short film | The tiny home, trains from the yard, downtown with a city permit | Golden hour into blue hour |
| Drone | The tiny home and the farmland around it | Calm, clear days |
| Astrophotography | The yard, facing south | New moon, April to August for the Milky Way |
Astrophotography: camera settings that work here
Face south and east for the darkest sky; Dallas glows on the northern horizon about 35 miles away.
| Shot | Starting settings |
|---|---|
| Milky Way | f/1.4 to f/2.8, ISO 3200 to 6400, 15 to 20 seconds on a 14 to 24mm lens. For sharp stars, use the 500 rule (500 divided by focal length; multiply the focal length by 1.5 first on a crop sensor), or the stricter NPF rule in a planning app on high-megapixel cameras. |
| Star trails | f/2.8 to f/4, ISO 800 to 1600, 30-second frames on an intervalometer for an hour or more, stacked later. Point north at Polaris, about 32 degrees up, for circles (with the Dallas glow); east or south for darker arcs. |
| The tiny home under the stars | Shoot the house at blue hour and the sky after dark from the same tripod spot, then blend them. Or light the house with the softest LED setting for a second or two. |
| The Moon | Base ISO, f/8, about 1/125 to 1/250 second at 300mm or longer. |
| Phone | Tripod, flash off, night or astrophotography mode at its longest exposure. |
- Focus by hand: live view, zoom in 10x on a bright star or planet, and turn the ring until it's a pinpoint. Tape the ring so it doesn't drift.
- Shoot RAW, white balance around 3800 to 4200K, image stabilization off on a tripod, and a 2-second timer or remote.
- Stack for clean files: 10 to 20 identical frames merged in a stacking app cut the noise way down.
- Fight dew: on humid nights the lens can fog. A lens heater or a hand warmer with a rubber band works.
- Plan the core: the Milky Way's bright center sits low in the south, about 29 degrees up at best. Best months are June to August from about 10 p.m. to 1 a.m.; in spring it rises before dawn.
New moon dates for planning
The darkest nights fall within a few days of a new moon.
| 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|
| Oct 10, Nov 9, Dec 8 | Jan 7, Feb 6, Mar 8, Apr 6, May 6, Jun 4, Jul 3, Aug 2, Aug 31, Sep 29 |
Bold dates are prime Milky Way new moons. Meteor showers, planets, and what to look for are in our stargazing guide.
Drone rules
Drone disclaimer: read before you fly
You fly at your own risk. You are responsible for knowing and following all current federal, state, and local laws every time you fly, including FAA rules and Texas law.
The Waxahachie Tiny Home and its hosts are not responsible for any laws you break, or for any damage, injuries, or fines that come from your flight.
The rules on this page are a starting point, checked in October 2026. Laws change, and this isn't legal advice.
At the tiny home, take off from the property and fly wherever the law allows. We don't limit flights over the surrounding farmland.
- Pass the TRUST test (The Recreational UAS Safety Test, free online) and carry proof when you fly.
- Register any drone that weighs 250 grams or more. Registered drones also need Remote ID.
- Stay at or below 400 feet in uncontrolled airspace, keep the drone in sight, and get FAA authorization before entering controlled airspace.
- Getting paid? Client work falls under Part 107. The FAA's advice: "When in doubt, assume Part 107."
Texas adds its own rules for state parks, Army Corps lakes, wildlife, privacy, and critical infrastructure. Shot ideas, settings, and the full rundown are in our drone guide.
For filmmakers: the Movie Capital of Texas
The Waxahachie Convention and Visitors Bureau counts more than thirty motion pictures shot here, including three Academy Award films. A few you know:
- Places in the Heart, Tender Mercies, and The Trip to Bountiful, the town's Oscar-winning run in the 1980s.
- Bonnie and Clyde (1967) and Pure Country.
- Walker, Texas Ranger and, more recently, Lawmen: Bass Reeves (2023).
Permits
- Filming in town: fill out the Waxahachie Film Permit and submit it to City Hall. The Waxahachie CVB's film page has the form and a contact.
- City parks: park rules say commercial activities may need prior approval or a permit, so ask before a paid shoot.
- At the tiny home: our approval comes first. Ask the CVB whether your production also needs a city permit.
Shooting video at the tiny home
- Sound: it's extremely quiet, with crickets and wind. A freight train passes on the far line now and then, so plan your audio takes around it.
- Space: about 400 square feet. Perfect for a two- or three-person crew; tight for a big one.
- Base camp: self check-in, a full kitchen, and a washer and dryer for wardrobe.
Book a shoot
- Send your date, crew size, and what you're shooting through our booking form (choose "Photo or video shoot"), or message us on VRBO or Airbnb.
- We approve the plan: a shoot during your stay, or a shoot-only booking.
- Arrive with self check-in and catch the light.
Questions we get
Where are the best photoshoot locations near Dallas?
Waxahachie, about 35 minutes south, packs a lot into a few miles: an 1897 Romanesque courthouse, five National Register historic districts, a 1902 auditorium, murals, a red caboose, and golden-hour farmland. Ennis adds bluebonnet fields and a railroad museum about 20 minutes farther.
Can I do a photoshoot or video shoot at the tiny home?
Yes. Overnight guests can bring a photographer or a small crew during their stay with prior approval, and you can shoot the porch, yard, drive, and every room. The fields around us are working farmland, so they're off limits, but they make a beautiful backdrop.
Can I book the tiny home just for a photo shoot?
Yes, with approval. Photographers and filmmakers can book it for a shoot without staying overnight. Send your date, crew size, and what you're shooting through our booking form.
Can I fly a drone at the tiny home?
Yes. Take off from the property and fly wherever the law allows; we don't limit flights over the surrounding farmland. You're responsible for following all federal, state, and local laws, and we're not responsible for any laws broken.
Where are the sunflower fields near Waxahachie and Dallas?
Ellis County farmers grow sunflowers as a crop most summers, but those fields are private and move every year. For a field you're allowed to walk into, try the summer u-pick at Hemingway Hill in Terrell or Western Belle Farm in West.
Where can I take bluebonnet pictures near Dallas?
The Ennis Bluebonnet Trails in April, about 20 minutes from us. Meadow View Nature Area on Bardwell Lake and Kachina Prairie in Ennis are public places to walk in, and Mockingbird Nature Park in Midlothian blooms too.
Is it legal to take photos on railroad tracks?
No. Operation Lifesaver says tracks, trestles, and rail yards are private property, and using them for a shoot is trespassing. Shoot trains from a public spot well back from the tracks, or from our yard, where freight trains roll past on the far line.
What are the best camera settings for the Milky Way?
Start at f/1.8 to f/2.8, ISO 3200, and 15 to 20 seconds on a 14 to 24mm lens, focused manually on a bright star. Shoot RAW on a tripod, on a moonless night between April and August, facing south.
Do I need a permit to film in Waxahachie?
For a production, yes: the city has a Waxahachie Film Permit you submit to City Hall, and the Waxahachie Convention and Visitors Bureau helps filmmakers. City park rules also say commercial activities may need prior approval or a permit.
What movies were filmed in Waxahachie?
Places in the Heart, Tender Mercies, The Trip to Bountiful, Bonnie and Clyde, Pure Country, and Lawmen: Bass Reeves, among others. The visitors bureau calls Waxahachie the Movie Capital of Texas.
When is golden hour in Waxahachie?
About 35 minutes before sunset. That's around 6:20 p.m. in mid-October and 8 p.m. in June. The blue hour after sunset lasts about 25 minutes.
About this guide
Written by the hosts of The Waxahachie Tiny Home, a family-run rental on farmland just outside Waxahachie. We checked the details on this page against official sources and update it as things change. Hours, prices, and dates move around, so confirm before you go.
Last updated October 3, 2026
