Albany, one of the more interesting towns in this part of Texas, started as a stagecoach stop on the Butterfield Overland Mail in 1854. It’s still a tiny place but it has a lively feel, the oldest County Courthouse in the state, and, more surprisingly, a small but intriguing art museum (closed Mon.; free; 325/762-2269) in the Old City Jail at 211 S. 2nd Street. A big surprise in the middle of the ranchlands, the museum contains an outstanding permanent collection of art by Modigliani, Picasso, and others, and also displays Chinese ceramics from the Tang and Ming Dynasties.
