Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)
Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum

Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum

Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum
5
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
We’re a museum dedicated to one thing: the history of the Panhandle-Plains region. But that singular focus expresses itself in a multitude of ways. Inside PPHM, themed exhibitions include those that showcase paleontology, archaeology, textiles, classic cars, petroleum, the Old West and a renowned art collection. PPHM offers visitors a chance to step into history with a life-size Pioneer Town, interactive Don D. Harrington Petroleum Wing, guided group tours and special events. With over two million artifacts, of which only a small percentage are on display, visitors marvel at the vast array of objects we showcase.
Duration: 2-3 hours
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  • Thomas A
    Austin, Texas18 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great Musuem in the Panhandle!
    This was a great visit, particularly on a hot June afternoon in the Panhandle. The museum is very well-done with a wide variety of exhibits depicting the history of the Texas Panhandle. We particularly enjoyed the Pioneer Village. Highly recommend.
    Visited June 2023
    Written June 24, 2023
  • funlonghorn
    Georgetown, Texas216 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Outstanding museum
    I go to a lot of museums, and this one is excellent. Not only very educational, it is well done in all respects. Especially good at educating about the oil industry. Well organized. Easy to spend 2 to 3 hours there.
    Visited June 2023
    Written June 25, 2023
  • SMS
    35 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Top Billing for Museum
    Excellent! Lives up to its top billing! A must see and do while in Canyon. The museum is entirely devoted to the history of the Texas Panhandle from the oil and gas, to cars, to textiles, and prehistoric animals and fossils. In Texas fashion, bold, done first class, and easy to work your way through. We were there for 4 hours, as it was that interesting for us .As a native to Texas I never realized just how valuable the Panhandle was and is. Plus, my husband was in the oil field service business for many years. There is an actual oil derrick and all that goes with it on the first floor from the 1900's and all original, worth the visit if you only see it! The exhibits are long on see and discuss and ponder and they do not overwhelm you with facts, however you leave with a wealth of experience and knowledge!
    Visited December 2023
    Traveled with family
    Written December 5, 2023
  • Marcelyn N
    Canton, Texas221 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Worth your time!
    It snowed one day while we were in the area near Palo Duro Canyon. Our host of the airb&b suggested this museum. So glad he did. If you are in the area, check it out! We stayed two hours and could have stayed longer. It is very well done and extensive. One of the, if not the largest Texas history museums.
    Visited March 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written March 2, 2024
  • kayohh7
    Monterey, California138 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Worth a stop if you like to learn
    Definitely worth a stop. I learned so much about the panhandle plains, it’s a very unique place. We move around a lot and I think this might be the most unique place we’ve ever lived. The museum has a lot of variety between dinosaurs, art, cars, guns, and a section geared more for children.
    Visited July 2023
    Traveled solo
    Written April 5, 2024
  • S4136XSdavidb
    Texas460 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Extensive, impressive
    We were impressed at the size and the depth of this museum. Most displays are well-done and we learned some detail of life in the Texas panhandle. Antique cars alone made the visit worthwhile. Much larger than it appears on the outside.
    Visited April 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written May 9, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

5.0
5.0 of 5 bubbles593 reviews
Excellent
488
Very good
92
Average
9
Poor
3
Terrible
1

markandkarenbrown
Arlington, TX207 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2014 • Couples
I have been wanting to stop at this museum for several years as I have seen it mentioned numerous times by authors (including James Michener) in their acknowledgements. At first it seems like this museum could not figure out what it wanted to be as it features geology, dinosaurs, wind mills, the oil business, classic automobiles, Native American artifacts and guns. Then it becomes obvious that these all have to do with the panhandle plains. The exhibits are wonderfully done and are on par with any big city museum. Well worth a small detour off the highway to spend some time. The city of Canyon is lovely and has much to offer so consider spending the night.
Written August 19, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Arlon M
Midland, TX235 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2014 • Couples
I was at first put off by the $10 entry fee but decided to pay my money and go in. What a surprise. This is really an amazing museum. There is something for about everyone. I'm a history buff and my historical itch was totally satisfied. They have an amazing gun collection for a small museum. The displays are very well done and annotated. If you want to LEARN, this is a great museum. They commentary on every piece seems to be well researched and well written. One of the few museums where I found myself reading as much as looking. I have been in a ton of museums from small towns to the Smithsonian and this place was just at the top of my list (I am a Texan, may not be as interesting to someone from Pittsburgh). It is definitely worth the run from the freeway to Canyon if driving by. It could take all day to do it right though. Closed Sunday and Monday. Closes at 5pm off season and open a little later during summer.
Written March 9, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Brandon E
George West, TX22 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2014 • Couples
The size and scope of this facility is unbelievable. The range of exhibits is hard to take in. All the way from dinosaur bones, Indian artifacts, ladies fashion, luggage trends, automotive, and the oil industry to name a few. This is not like most museums that have some old antiques, silly mannequins, and an old wagon stuck in the corner. Don't get me wrong, I like museums of all stripes, but they are not bragging when they say PPHM is the Smithsonian of our region.

It is very well displayed, professionally set up, and captivating. The incredibly huge collection of Native American artifacts, and firearm collection is unmatched in any museum I have ever been to.

Not only do they have impressive number of items, the historical significance of many of them is truly interesting. Famous artists, famous historical figures, famous ranchers and businessmen, are all represented in various displays.

My only complaint is after 6 hours of looking, you get tired and start rushing through! I would recommend possibly splitting up a visit between two days, even if it means paying admission twice.

It is probably not the best facility for children under the age of probably 10 as they would not appreciate most of the displays. I went a few times as a child, and I did not really realize the scope and value of it like I do now.
Written February 15, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

cynsau
Walled Lake, MI3 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2013 • Family
Visiting this museum gives you a real feel for history of the people of the panhandle, both native and settlers. Many of the displays have been updated and refurbished - it's a very nicely done. Your pass is good for the whole day so you can see some, go for lunch and come back for more. Visit the museum by day when it's hot out, and then go to Palo Duro Canyon in the evening for a chuck wagon dinner and the show, TEXAS, to get a real understanding of the panhandle region.
Written July 9, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

RTPMoonwatcher
Greeley, Colorado34 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2013 • Couples
A fun place to spend several hours; for a small town museum
this one has almost everything! An amazing and educational
place! The indoor 1890's town was very interesting. There are
some rare autos and a very good gun collection. I could go on
but, it would take to long to describe everything!
Written June 27, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jim C
Canyon, TX18 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2013 • Friends
This is the largest historical museum in the state of Texas. There are two large buildings, with basements and multiple stories, and it's very hard to see it all in a single, all or most of the day visit. The histories involved are as noted in the name -- Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles and the Great Plains -- but there is an enormous amount of history of the entire Southwest and Texas-Oklahoma-New Mexico, plus art and textiles and other sections. I guarantee you will not have enough time to see all that is available to you. Like most such institutions, the P-PHM is having budgetary problems, resulting in elevated prices and days of closure (Monday at this writing). But it's still worth the price of admission.
Written March 14, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Biloxi_MaryAnn
Biloxi,3 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2012 • Friends
As an older person interested in history, most of my travels involve visiting museums since my health won't allow hiking and other strenuous fetes. Prior to visiting the Palo Duro Canyon area, a retired history teacher friend told me to be sure and visit the Plains Museum that it was well worth taking the time to see. She didn't lie; it was great!
Written July 24, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

M C
Texas32 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
i grew up in Amarillo & had been to this museum a zillion times. When I moved to a bigger town I expected the museums to be so much better. Wow was I wrong! I visit musuems everywhere I go. I have never been to a better museum west of the Mississippi. It's well worth the trip. Visit the Cadillac Ranch, this museum, American Quarter Horse, & the Ranching Heritage Center in Lubbock.
Written February 12, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

txgirlfriday7678
Texas74 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2011
My family and I visited the Amarillo area for a long weekend. A co-worker of my husband's suggested we go to this museum. We had to rush through the second floor and basement because we were pushing the 6pm closing time, so do give yourself three hours at least. We were there for about two. My husband and sons really enjoyed looking at the multitudes of Indian artifacts and the huge gun collection. I enjoyed the antique cars, clothes and furniture, which there were less of. They also have lots of art, including a Georgia O'Keefe, that I would have liked spending more time on, but as I said, we were rushed to finish. Also had fossils, dinosaur, cowboy and petroleum displays....really a lot of stuff! The museum is very clean, well lit and cool. Staff was friendly. Didn't get to visit the gift shop. We did enjoy it!
Written August 1, 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Deana S
Beeville, TX65 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2022
The museum was very well presented and a jewel to discover. I was very impressed with every part of it and could have stayed and perused for hours.
Written July 11, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

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