This is a beautiful old building built in 1910. The railroad went through Amarillo until 1979…read moreaccording to the guy I talk to at the Railroad Museum east of town. Actually the railroad still goes through because there was a train chugging past the train station as I was taking pictures, but the passenger service ended in 1979. Now all that is available are cargo trains going through. I would have loved to be able to get close to the building and see it, better yet to be able to go inside. I hope they turn this into a museum someday. It would be a shame for it to ever be torn down. How can we preserve our history and our heritage if we destroy it? I'm glad I heard that this building was still here so I could at least park in front and take pictures through the fence. If you like old trains there is a locomotive a couple blocks over called the Madame Queen, near the Civic Center. It is fenced-in also but still interesting to look at. And if you really want the scoop, go visit the Railroad Museum east of town, just off of Amarillo Boulevard. Those guys can tell you anything you want to know about the Amarillo railroad history. Be sure to check their hours before you drive out there. It's all volunteer so they are not open everyday.

You know in the movie Cars when there's a sad nostalgia about a place? Where you know once upon a…read moretime there was a vibrant plaza and a drive that would showcase the best of the area... that's what this was like. Well, there wasn't much now. So in a way yes it was nice to see and imagine what it was but there wasn't anywhere for us to park and see or walk around. My son (3) loves the movie Cars so he thought the signs for the area was the best thing, but it was definitely a quick drive through.

Start your walk at the Natatorium, once a pool and ballroom, now brimming with antiques. Wander…read morepast vintage façades and peppers of neon signage, pausing at unexpected murals that burst with Panhandle pride. Pop into quirky shops for Route66 memorabilia or handcrafted pottery, then dive into a plate of Frito pie at GoldenLight -- its retro charm feels straight from a 1950s road-trip postcard. Browsing, snacking, photographing: every turn offers a new story or snapshot. By dusk, the district transforms with live music and warm lights--proof that this is not just a preserved past, but Amarillo's living route of Americana.

It's worth the stop. It is exactly as you should expect . . . Cadillacs stuck into the dirt,…read morenothing more, nothing less. It is not a museum. It is not a gift shop. There is no visitor center. It is not a destination. It is a unique stopover on your Route 66 Chicago to Santa Monica journey. It is worth the price of admission (free) and a photo op. If you keep things in perspective, you'll smile, take a photo and move on. Can't believe the negative comments left by others.

It was raining doing our visit, but still a lot of fun among the colorful ruins. The Slug Bug…read moreRanch up the road is also a fun visit.

Approach the plaza under the towering stainless-steel beams, peer at the suspended atom model, and…read moreread the story of helium's journey from the sun's spectrum to Amarillo's star pipelines. The sundial's shadow may reveal the hour--on a sunny day, that is. Wander around the engraved capstones and imagine opening future capsules centuries from now. It's quick, free, and thought-provoking--ideal for a 10-15 minute stop.

Cool sculpture and park location! This timepiece built in 1968 is huge and great for photos!…read more Nice place for a walk, pics, watch the dicks, or some frisbee golf!

Stepping up to MadamQueen felt like meeting a queen in exile--towering, dignified, and still proud…read moredespite a few weathered edges. The steel-and-concrete engine looms large, and you can almost feel the echo of its whistle and the clatter of tracks beneath it. Reading the plaque, you learn this wasn't just any locomotive: she pulled essential cargo across the West, leaving an indelible mark on Amarillo's rail legacy. The best part? It's free, open day and night, and easy to reach. We lingered for about 15 minutes--enough time for photos, a glance at the plaque, and a quiet moment to imagine life in the steam age. That said, the chain‑link fence and lack of shelter made things feel a bit distant, physically and emotionally. A protective canopy and more interpretive signs would elevate the experience from a roadside curiosity to an immersive mini‑museum.

The Amarillo Railway Museum is worthy of a stop because of its unique equipment, some that probably…read morecannot be seen anywhere else. The "White Train" is a relic of the Cold War atomic age. It was used to transport nuclear weapons assembled at the nearby Pantex plant. The trains featured armored locomotives, guard cars and weapons cars. There is another piece of equipment unique to Amarillo- a helium transport car. Amarillo has historically been the "Helium Capital of the Nation." I stopped by on a day when the indoor museum was closed, but the outdoor exhibits are accessible to see. Walking ability required.Check out the Museum website for more fascinating details of the "White Train"

"For in the true nature of things, if we rightly consider, every green tree is far more glorious…read morethan if it were made of gold and silver." -Martin Luther (1483-1546) Even at night, I'm still going to stop for a historical marker. This one was interesting. It is located about 5 miles west of Panhandle towards Amarillo. There is a sign about one mile ahead of it indicating that the marker is ahead and there is a small pullout area so that you can be off the roadway. The main central marker reads, "Thomas Cree Homsite. After serving as a teamster in the Civil War (1861-65), Thadium (Thomas) B. Cree worked for the Union Pacific Railroad. In 1888 he and his wife came to the High Plains. They acquired this land and, with no trees for lumber, they built a dugout home. Cree traveled 35 miles at his wife's request to find a sapling and planted it here. He watered it from a nearby lake that he dug from a buffalo wallow. The tree never grew but lived many years despite blizzard, heat, and drought. Gov. John Connally dedicated an historical marker in 1963 to the first tree in the Panhandle." The second marker reads, "The 33rd Anniversary National Convention, Men's Garden Clubs of America, meeting at Amarillo, June 14-17, 1965, formally recognized and paid tribute to the significance of Thomas Cree's Little Tee and to the memory of this heroic early gardenere of these high plains." The third marker reads, "First Tree Texas High Plains. Set front dugout home by Thomas Cree,, 1888. Good luck symbol of settlers through drought, blizzard and heat." Beneath that, a fourth marker, "Cree's Bois D'Arc tree died in the 1970's. County residents planted a new tree here in 1990 as a memorial to the area's early pioneers." [Review 16197 overall - 373 in Texas - 1703 of 2021.]

Long awaited visit with my son due to COVID 19 Been over a year since I've seen him,he was just…read moretransferred here 3/19/21 from Beeville TX It's a 16 hr trip round-trip but he's worth every minute to me

Great unit and great staff! The administration always helps me out and communicates well. I thank…read morethem for always being courteous and professional!

From the same pranksters that gave Amarillo the Cadillac Ranch, Ozymandias Of The Plains, and the…read moreDynamite Museum comes this clever take on land art. As you're leaving Amarillo proper and heading into the Panhandle Infinity, you'll see this Mesa off in the distance on Tascosa Road. Off-white panels have been symmetrically lined up across the upper portion of the mesa - and if the background sky is the same color, the top of the mesa will appear to be levitating. But even if Mother Nature isn't playing along (and the sky was too blue during my visit - as if that's a bad thing) you can still appreciate it. Ironically this is probably the artwork that is the easiest of all the Stanley Marsh 3 installations to grasp, but it's location is so obscure that it just sits/floats there for those of us pilgrims fortunate enough to discover.

We had a great experience at this museum!! I love horses so this was a must see in Amarillo for us…read more They have a whole room that's dedicated to kids, with worksheets and interactive exhibits, as well as a photo-op! I especially loved the little mechanical horse that you can ride for 0.25! Right now they have an origami room as well - if you're a beginner I recommend staying simple, that quarter horse is hard to do! One thing could use some attention though- the video screen in the timeline room is SO quiet. My husband and I could barely make anything out in an otherwise silent room with it on full volume, and there's no captions, so it's very inaccessible.

This is a great museum; however, if you don't know much about horses (as another reviewer said), it…read moremay not be for you. My husband has been involved in the Western world for decades so he knew a lot about the bloodlines, breeders, etc and found this really interesting. The upstairs is full of detailed displays that are really well done, and he spent a lot of time reading them. My kids loved the room downstairs showing tack, animal feed, jockey clothing, etc. (the origami in the special kids' exhibit room looked fun, but was way too complicated to do). I found myself a bit bored, but did really like the display about the artist who painted the early quarterhorses. Throughout the museum, I did need my husband to explain a lot of things! The gift shop is small but nice. Worth a stop if you're a horse or western world fan, though it is a bit expensive for a family for the size of museum.

Another fun and quirky Route 66 stop!…read more We stopped at The Bug Ranch while making our way along Route 66 through Amarillo, and it's such an easy stop to add, especially if you're already planning to visit the Big Texan nearby. Think of it as a smaller, VW Bug version of Cadillac Ranch! The Bugs make for some really fun photos, and we went early in the morning when there weren't many people around. It was the perfect time to wander around and get pictures without having to wait for crowds to clear. They also have mini golf, which looked like it could be a fun way to spend a little more time here rather than just stopping for pictures. Route 66 stamp collectors, don't miss this one! They have a rubber stamp, and it's a really cute one featuring the Bug Ranch, VW Bugs and Route 66. We've been collecting stamps to mark our stops along our Route 66 road trip, so finding this one made the stop even better. A cute, quirky roadside attraction and definitely worth pulling over for on Route 66!

Worth a stop. Very simple, roadside attraction. Cars sticking out, everything is spray painted, you…read morecan add your own art.