TEMPORARILY CLOSED!!!! https://www.panhandleplains.org/p/about/pphm-temporary-closure-updates Hours incorrect on Yelp! We love this museum in a past visit but were disappointed to learn of the closure when entering the destination in Waze. read more

This museum was such a blast! IT JUST KEPT GOING! Every corner was something to look at. So much thought went into the design of the museum. Definitely have to see it if you're coming this way. Set aside time because it definitely isn't a stop in for a few minutes situation. You will love it! Check out the benches and chairs, super comfy. read more

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WOW!! Who'dathunk?? What an awesome surprise in a fairly small town. This museum is L.E.G.I.T. Dinos and oil rigs and gems and an unbelievable collection of historical firearms, oh my! This place is BIG. Again, for a small town, it was so unexpectedly large and well done. We didn't even get to see everything because my wife was done - while my 10-year old son was still wanting to see the rest of it! Amazing. To keep my ADD son's attention that long - impressive. I wish we'd gotten to see the north Texas plains area of the music, highlighting the history of the panhandle area. It's supposed to be excellent. The dino section is excellent. The full size, REAL cable-tool drilling rig was a highlight. This thing is OLD and very much real. They had a lot of historical oilfield stuff that was super interesting and just downright neat. (Dork alert - *raises hand*.) They had a classic cars section that was super cool. The historical weapons section was really really respectable and interesting. I can't even remember what else they managed to cram into this place, but I do wish we'd seen it all. I very much hope to go back and see the rest! read more

Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum - Allosaurus! With bonus Triceratops in background. =) - Museums Near Me - Canyon, Texas

You have to visit here if in the area. This is the largest historical museum in Texas. There are so many interesting sights to see here and one gets a good appreciation of what settlers went through to make this area their homestead. Don't forget to pick up a complementary map as you enter. read more

This wonderful museum must stay open! I spent hours in there and had to bring friends back to experience it.

This museum is located in Canyon Tx, just a short drive to Palo Duro Canyon. Be forewarned, this is not a jump in and take a 15 min tour of the museum. you should schedule a few hours to completely tour the two floors of interesting exhibits. read more

This is Texas largest history museum with over 26,000 square feet to walk around and learn. Give yourself enough time to see everything. I would say we were there three hours and that was with a little boy and he was not bored. When you walk in it shows you the different time periods. We loved the dinosaur area, probably my sons favorite. You will walk into the Old West in a life-size Pioneer Town, I really enjoyed that. That is a permanent exhibit along with, paleontology, Geology, archeology, weapons, transportation and many more. They also have special exhibits so they change from time to time. If you go to their website it will show you the exhibits they currently have. We would definitely visit this museum again if we were in the area. read more

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We really enjoyed the history of our area! Recommend for younger folks to learn about the Panhandle and how our area has grown and how it grew read more

What do you do in Canyon when Palo Duro is closed due to flooding?? You go to the local museum! I did not have high hopes for this and figured it would just be a time waster, but this was one of the coolest places we went to! They have a bunch of separate areas from oil, to dinosaurs, to race cars to local Texas history. I loved the different sections and learning something new at each area. The Native American items and local cowboys were super interesting. Great way to spend a rainy afternoon. read more

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Okay so first off, I want to say, if you haven't been to Canyon, TX, you are missing out. This little town is amazing and their downtown square is beautiful! The Panhandle-Plains Museum is connected to the West Texas A&M campus. Parking for the museum is across the street in designated spots just for visiting museum patrons. The museum is multi storied and packed full! To really devote time to each exhibit would take a couple of hours. We are a military family and during the month of June, this museum participates in the Blue Star Family program. This means that veteran, active and guard/reserve are FREE with an active CAC card. What a great asset this collection of history is for TEXAS!!!! read more

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I'm from Austin. I've been to the Bullock Texas History Museum and the Texas Memorial Museum on the UT campus. Both do a great job of educating Texans -- whether it's Texas history or the biology and geology of Texas. But if you want a museum that combines both and adds art, along with a regional focus, you need to go to Canyon and visit the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum. You'll spend several hours there and still be surprised by what all is there. There's quite a bit on the history of the region from Native Americans to settlers to the oil business. There's an incredible gun collection too. If prehistory is your thing, there's a great display of the prehistoric life of the region. Along the way, you can actually walk through a reproduction of a small Panhandle Town from the late 1800s. And you'll get to see quite a bit of art too. The museum has ample free parking and the admission cost is really reasonable, considering the amount of time you'll spend there -- even if you rush through. read more

My 3 year old daughter & I had a great time exploring the museum. There were only approximately 4 other guests in the building so were able to go at our own pace. We really enjoyed the art galleries as well. We look forward to returning. read more

Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum - She enjoyed the art most of all. - Museums Near Me - Canyon, Texas

Had a few hours to burn and decided to take look here. I really enjoyed this place. I'm not really big into art, but all the other displays were really neat. On the first floor they have old buildings such as hotels, saloons, barber shops......and more that you can view a part of. I mean it's not the whole building, but they show you what it was like back then. You probably need about 3 hours to get a really good tour. I think I was there about 2 hours and there were some exhibits i didn't get too. I would definitely check it out, and I'm glad I stopped in. read more

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First of all, the locals in Amarillo told me not to come here. They told me it would not be worth my time. Boy were they wrong! I only had two hours to spend in here, so I knew I would be in and out quick. Come to find out, there's no way you'll get out that quickly. I was in there for three and easily could've spent twice that long in there. No matter what interests you, there's something you'll enjoy here. There's antique cars, Texas historical items, art galleries, and a massive gun gallery full of firearms from World War I and World War II and beyond. As of August 2018, adult entry is $12.50. They could easily charge twice that and I would've paid it and been just as happy. This is a must see if you're in the area. But definitely plan for half a day. Have a great time! read more

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You can tell upon entering this grand museum that it is well maintained. PPHM is very informative. There's something for everyone. It's hard to describe everything this museum has to offer! read more

This museum is surprisingly good - many, many artifacts, and much larger than the building (or location) suggests. Pro Tip: the museum starts kind of slow. The entrance exhibits are frankly a mixed bag, and kind of confusing. (Why is a cradle board exhibited next to an Apple computer? I don't know, and no one explains!) But, once you move past this, the exhibits show a tremendous amount of thought and community contributions. The replica town was really fantastic, and their exhibit of Native American artworks -- particularly the basket collection -- was extensive. (Too bad it's right next to the exhibit on guns, which seems a little insensitive in some ways.) In this room, take note of the care that went into even the selection of flooring, so that the entire room complements the collection. Highly recommended. read more

This has to be my favorite museum of all time! There are so many exhibits, our family learned so much about our native Texas! My favorite had to be the Pioneer Town, that was set up like small businesses in the 1890s and the region. It was an interactive and so life like. Other than hiking Palo Duro, this Hass to be the highlight of our trip. read more

A hidden gem! Plan on 2-3 hours (at least) to explore all the incredible exhibits. Can't recommend this museum highly enough!

Oh wow! This is a hidden gem. We were passing through Amarillo for 2 nights and looking for something to do. (SO, me, 9, and 7). I'm so glad we found this museum. There is something for everyone here, and waaay more that we realized. We arrived near noon but wished we'd arrived earlier since we stayed until the last minute and wanted more time. Every turn you take through this building takes you to a new display and new topic. As a literature teacher, I loved their display on fairytales and themes. My daughter liked the fairytales and the play village. My son loved the dinosaur puzzles and play village. SO enjoyed the displays on energy use and resources, although they are very weighted in favor of the petroleum industry. We all also agreed the windmills and quincenera displays were well done and interesting. I could keep going but the review is long enough. If you have time and enjoy museums, make this a stop. read more

Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum - Literature display - Museums Near Me - Canyon, Texas

Wonderful museum, full of all sorts of interesting exhibits. We loved it. Friendly staff also. read more

There is a lot to look at here. The kids love it and it isn't real busy, so you can take your time and really dive into some history.

The PPHM is a wonderful museum for anybody interested about the history of oil, the Plains, Native Americans, or any number of subjects. With different levels, rooms, and themes, this is easily the best museum I've ever been to. There are even some fun interactive games to play throughout. I highly recommend coming here. read more

This is an awesome museum filled with everything that makes Texas, Texas. Guns, Oil, Indians, Cowboys and Longhorns, and some cool Dinosaur fossils. I particularly liked the Old Cowboy and Indian outfits, the old custom made cowboy boots, and the oil industry installations. The discovery and the industry that grew out of that black muck is fascinating. This was a very very nice museum, surprisingly good for being in such a little town. Come check it out if you're in the area. read more

This place was great! The geology exhibit was awesome (I'm a nerd for rocks), and the Pioneer Town was way cooler than I could have imagined. You can actually go inside most of the little buildings and touch old stuff, look inside cabinets, etc. They even have a trunk of clothing for kids to dress up in. Make sure you see the basement exhibit. It's not on the map, so it's easy to miss, but it's definitely worth checking out! Wear comfy shoes, as it's a long walk. They have lots of benches where you can sit and rest though. read more

Largest museum in the State of Texas. Various exhibits that are always amazing to see relevant to the Texas panhandle and more. I love the museum every time I visit. I go 2-3 times a year. They even have temporary exhibits 1-2 times a year. read more

Extensive collection across numerous subjects. Wish we could have spent more than one hour there.

cannot believe how amazing this museum truly is!!! well worth the 10 bucks we were here for almost 3 hours so much to see absolutely amazing so much to learn read more

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What a terrific jewel in Canyon! This is a well curated museum that covers pre-historic times to present. The Pioneer Town is a must see. We stayed for a couple of hours but easily could have spent more time getting in-depth with the exhibits. Be sure and pick up your punch card from the front desk, collect the stamps as you go, and then redeem for a souvenir at the gift shop. Also, if you buy tickets as a package with the Texas musical then you get 20% off in the store. Great benefit! read more

Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum - Entrance - Museums Near Me - Canyon, Texas

We spend the entire day there. We learned a lot about settling the Texas Panhandle, Native American culture and history, and the oil and gas industry. A great experience and definitely an enhancement to the Palo Duro Canyon experience. Currently there is a World War I exhibit that is very nicely done. They have built the exhibit around the stories of many Texas Panhandle military men. read more

There is something for everyone here! My kids (ages 7 & 4) thoroughly enjoyed it... it's very interactive, thorough and incredibly informative! Dino bones, vintage windmills, a vintage oil derrick, Indian exhibits, a huge firearms collection, pioneer town... it's AWESOME! read more

This is a great, comprehensive museum, with a lot of displays and artifacts. They have artwork, artifacts, history of oil, Indians, cattle, pioneers, wars, guns, cars, and on and on. 26,000 feet of museum displays, that you cannot possibly see in one visit. We thoroughly enjoyed it. Normal price for 65+ was $10 each, but found a groupon for $7.20 each. That was great, but $10 would have been a good price for hours of entertainment. read more

Wear comfortable shoes! Takes about three hours to see it all. We really enjoyed the collection of fossils and bones that had been found in the area. I also liked the various women's clothing from different decades. The pioneer town was pretty neat too, although it was really dark down there. I thought the $10 per person price tag was a little high, but it was a nice way to beat the heat while we waited to see the "Texas" musical a few miles away. read more

Wonderful museum covering lots of history, lots of hands-on exhibits. We completely lost track of time. Want to come back again soon!

Absolutely one of the best museums!! So many fabulous exhibits that encapsulate West Texas! Friendly staff and very family friendly!

This museum has it all from dinosaurs to old west to even sea shells. They even have a complete old west town that u can walk through n c how they lived back then. The guns on display are extensive! They even have activities for kids to do to help them learn. We will definitely b back! read more

Best museum in the area! Three floors of history to browse through. Our favorites are the car and gun exhibits but they also have exhibits of fine arts, textiles, dinosaurs, fossils and more. read more

Wasn't expecting much, but left convinced that this is the best museum in West Texas and a perfect example of how a regional museum should be curated. First floor is a mix of geological and regional history with thoughtful displays and items interesting to both adults and kids. Heavy on oil history, which is fascinating and appropriate foe this region. The real gem is an outstanding collection of regional art, particularly modernist early 20th century west Texas and new Mexico paintings and prints. Yes, there is a good early Okeefe (who taught in canyon) and a few other big Santa Fe names, but the highlights were the lesser known regionalists. The museum is enormous and well worth a trip to this charming town. read more

Our hiking trip in Palo Duro was rained out and we needed to find something to keep the kids entertained. The museum exceeded our expectations and was very educational and engaging--even for two younger children. The staff was very friendly and even pointed out the artifacts in drawers that we'd missed. read more