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    Petroleum Museum

    4.6 (29 reviews)
    Closed 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

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    Exit thru the gift shop.
    Steve S.

    What a fantastic museum! Confession Time: I went (mainly) for the Chaparral car gallery; As an impressionable youth I was captivated by Jim Hall's innovation and in-your-face engineering. I'm an engineer, and watching the Chaparral's run in Can-Am as a kid is a major reason why. So I didn't have high expectation for the rest of the exhibits capturing my attention. Boy, howdy, (as they say in Texas) was I wrong! The museum chronicles the methods, evolution, and history of petroleum extraction in the region, and I learned far more than I expected to. But there is also a wonderful gallery of regional art (paintings) and and gallery of interesting minerals and crystals. And there are educational exhibits specifically tailored to kids. Finally, there is an exterior exhibit of various drilling rigs and (I learned a new term!) "nodding donkeys" out back and I was impressed that most had very detailed plaques describing each of them. The highest compliment I can give an educational venue is, "I lost track of time" and the Permian Basin Petroleum Museum was one where I truly did lose track of time. Pro Tip: Most museum gift shops are ho-hum, but this one is first-rate. The selection of items is almost as vast as the museum exhibits!

    My dad
    Sarah G.

    Brought my dad here while he was visiting since he enjoys museums aaaaaaaand there isn't much to do in Midland. We actually had a pretty good time. Though, I came without my 3 kids (ages 5,4 and 2) so going ANYWHERE without them is a good time. Tickets: Adults $12 Seniors $8 Children $5 Kids 5 and under FREE I admit, we didn't read every single sign, touch every single screen or watch every single video but we did learn a lot about the oil industry. I KNOW my kiddos would NOT have enjoyed coming here. There is a little "kids area" towards the end of the petroleum "tour" with a play car, a video game where you build a car, etc. but they would have been bored out of their minds along the educational side. The mineral exhibit was unexpected but I really liked it. Loved seeing all the different colors/shapes/kinds of minerals. So neat! Then there was an art gallery. I wasn't quite sure how that tied into the petroleum aspect? We breezed through that part rather quickly. Lastly, there was a race car section. I didn't look through that area at all. There were plenty of benches so I zoned out on my phone while my dad looked around. Unfortunately we didn't look around outside and I'm kicking myself bc some of these other reviews mentioned how neat the outdoor exhibits were. Guess it'll give us something to do when we come back.

    Doug C.

    How did we miss coming here for so long. Must visit if all you know about the energy industry is wanting the price of a gallon of gas as cheap as possible. Or natural gas for water heater or stove. Very educational for all including children as there is lots of info suitable for them. Many interactive displays to test your knowledge of what it takes to find and deliver oil/natural gas. Be sure to take in the outdoor exhibits behind the museum.

    Entrance
    Arjan T.

    I learned about the Petroleum Museum from Texas Monthly's fantastic Boomtown podcast hosted by Christian Wallace. The Museum tells the history of the oil boom of the Permian Basin in West Texas. There is also an in-depth permanent exhibit that explains how oil and gas is extracted from the earth. It is fascinating! The museum visualizes the process and what's required in an interactive way. I really enjoyed learning more about the area, and the science and engineering that rules the Permian Basin.

    Never expected this nice of a museum around here! So new and modern. The race cars in the back were a cherry on top! Having over $50 million worth of cars is not bad paying $8 to get inside

    Sandi T.

    It is small. We were through the inside rather fast. The outside is great. They have wonderful era pieces for oil digging, The gallery inside is nice,money have a great mineral section. My was disappointed in the history of oil though, mould like to have had more history and items. The museum only costs 5 dollars and walking to see the outside displays is worth that. I think i thought you would see gas pumps which there is only two and advertising which there is none.

    Dinosaurs in gift shop
    Alice G.

    Great little museum if you are visiting oil country- this is your stop! Inside are exhibits on the history of petroleum in West Texas Permian Basin, with geologic panoramas taking you back 250 million years to the Permian sea. Visit a mock drill rig floor without losing fingers. Check out the tools and equipment inside and out from drilling bits, to pump-jacks, to old antique full retired rigs link g the property! Not into oil and rocks? Stunning mineral collection, southwest art collection, and if you are into old cars, this is the home of the Chapparel race car and there is a great exhibit! And for the shoppers, the staff mines the gem and mineral shows to provide a fantastic gift store!! You can just hit the gift store if you just want some baubles or t shirts, or a dinosaur! Really should not miss this gem!!

    Display in Oil Boom of early 1900 artifacts of settlers of oil towns

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    3 years ago

    Awesome and very informative. Very hands on and audio-visual are intensive. Also, great Formula One cars there as well.

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    19 years ago

    This is a good little education visit to learn about the area and history of petroleum in the are.

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    Review Highlights - Petroleum Museum

    And for the shoppers, the staff mines the gem and mineral shows to provide a fantastic gift store!!

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    Petroleum Museum - museums - Updated May 2026

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