Remembering Selena in Corpus Christi: Mirador de la Flor and other places that honor her

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Selena Quintanilla-Pérez was born in Lake Jackson, Texas, in 1971, but Corpus Christi is the city that claims her as its own. She won a Grammy in 1994 for her album Live, and she was on her way to even bigger stardom when she was killed in 1995 at just 23. More than three decades later, people still travel from all over the world to visit the places in her hometown connected to her life and music.

This guide covers those places, with practical details checked against official sources. Many visitors come here to grieve as much as to celebrate. Some of these places are private businesses, a working cemetery, or a residential neighborhood, so a little courtesy goes a long way.

Mirador de la Flor (the Selena memorial)

The best-known stop is Mirador de la Flor, which means "Overlook of the Flower." It's a life-size bronze statue of Selena standing in one of her stage outfits at an overlook on the bayfront seawall, looking out over Corpus Christi Bay. Sculptor H.W. "Buddy" Tatum created it, and it was unveiled in 1997.

• Location: 600 N. Shoreline Blvd., downtown on the bayfront, near the entrance to the Peoples Street T-Head.
• Cost: there's no admission charge. It's an outdoor public memorial.
• Parking: the closest parking is on the Peoples Street T-Head. Check the posted signs for current rules and any fees.
• After dark: the city upgraded the lighting at the bayfront overlooks to LED. The Visit Corpus Christi guide suggests coming after dark, when colored lights above the statue give it a concert-stage feel.

Next to the statue is the Paseo de la Flor, a walkway of hand-painted tiles with flowers and music notes. Visit Corpus Christi says South Texas schoolchildren and senior citizens made the tiles. Read the plaque facing Shoreline before you leave.

The statue gets busiest around Selena's birthday, April 16, and around the anniversary of her death, March 31. Visitors often leave flowers. If you bring some, set them down carefully and leave room for the next person's photo.

The Selena Museum at Q-Productions

The Selena Museum is run by the Quintanilla family at Q-Productions, the family's recording studio and production company, on the west side of town.

• Address: 5410 Leopard St.
• Hours: Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Closed Saturday and Sunday.
• Admission: $5 for ages 2 and up, free for ages 1 and under.
• Phone: (361) 289-9013

The weekday-only hours catch a lot of weekend visitors by surprise, so plan around them. According to Visit Corpus Christi, the museum displays stage outfits Selena designed, her gold and platinum records, family photographs, and her red Porsche, and visits can include a look at the recording studio. Official Selena merchandise is sold on-site.

Her resting place at Seaside Memorial Park

Selena is buried at Seaside Memorial Park, a cemetery and funeral home at 4357 Ocean Drive. Her grave is inside a black-fenced plot, and many fans come to pay their respects.

Keep in mind that this is an active cemetery where local families are burying and visiting their own loved ones. Some basic courtesy:

• Drive slowly, and park only where it's allowed.
• Give space to any funeral or family visit in progress, and wait if a service is nearby.
• Keep your voice down, and don't walk on other graves.
• If you leave flowers or tributes, keep them modest.

The funeral home lists office hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. It doesn't publish separate cemetery visiting hours online, so call (361) 992-9411 if you're planning an early or late visit.

Selena Auditorium

Downtown on the bayfront, the city's former Bayfront Auditorium was renamed the Selena Auditorium in 1996. It's part of the Hilliard Center complex at 1901 N. Shoreline Blvd. and still hosts concerts, comedy, and the Corpus Christi Ballet's Nutcracker. To go inside, you'll need a ticket to a show. Otherwise it's a quick stop for a photo of the building and its signage.

More places fans visit

Visit Corpus Christi, the city's tourism bureau, lists these additional stops in its Selena guide:

• Selena's star on the Texas Walk of Fame. The walk is downtown near 300 N. Water St. and honors South Texas musicians, and Selena's star is part of it.
• Swantner Park (5426 Ocean Dr.). This small bayfront park on Ocean Drive is where the young-Selena cumbia scene in the 1997 movie Selena was filmed.
• Hi-Ho Restaurant (3703 Morgan Ave.). This longtime local breakfast-and-lunch spot is known as one of Selena's favorite places to eat, with photos of her on the walls. It closes in the early afternoon, so go early and call ahead.
• The Molina neighborhood mural. On the west side, a mural of Selena painted outside Times Market, at Bloomington St. and Elvira Dr., is a popular photo stop. The surrounding streets are residential, so park legally, keep it brief, and respect private homes.
• Corpus Christi Museum of Science and History (1900 N. Chaparral St.). Visit Corpus Christi says the museum has an exhibit on the making of Mirador de la Flor, with original molds and design concepts. Regular museum admission applies.

What about Fiesta de la Flor?

Fiesta de la Flor was a large two-day festival honoring Selena, held in Corpus Christi each spring from 2015 through 2019. In October 2019, Q-Productions announced it would no longer be held in Corpus Christi. In January 2020, the company confirmed to local media that the festival had ended for good. There's no official announcement of a 2027 festival. Some event-listing websites still post festival dates, so rely only on official announcements from Q-Productions or the Selena family before planning a trip around one.

Fans still gather in Corpus Christi around her birthday and the anniversary of her death. Check local event calendars in March and April.

Planning a Selena day

• Go on a weekday if you want to see the museum, since it's closed on weekends.
• Group stops by area. Mirador de la Flor, the Selena Auditorium, the Walk of Fame, and the science museum are all downtown along the bayfront. Seaside Memorial Park and Swantner Park are both on Ocean Drive, south of downtown. Q-Productions, Hi-Ho, and the Molina mural are on the west side.
• Start early if Hi-Ho is on your list.
• Visit the memorial twice if you can: once in daylight for photos, and once after dark for the lights.
• Bring water and sun protection. The bayfront statue site is outdoors, and South Texas sun is strong most of the year.