Panhandle–Plains Historical Museum
Panhandle–Plains Historical Museum is a history museum located on the campus of West Texas A&M University in Canyon, Texas, United States, a small city south of Amarillo. Records date it to 1933. For a second stop, Palo Duro Canyon is 14 mi away.
A museum inside Canyon
Summers are hot
July and August highs run 91–93°, and about 84 days a year reach 90°. When to go ↓
You can stay in Canyon
Panhandle–Plains Historical Museum is inside Canyon, which has 9 places to stay, so you won’t need a base farther out. Where to stay ↓
Best months: Apr, May, Sep and Oct
April, May, September and October are the mild months, with highs of 73–84°. When to go ↓
Established in 1933
Panhandle–Plains Historical Museum dates from 1933. About ↓
Written from NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia.
A month-by-month look
This is the year’s weather near Panhandle–Plains Historical Museum.
Panhandle–Plains Historical Museum
Panhandle–Plains Historical Museum is a history museum located on the campus of West Texas A&M University in Canyon, Texas, United States, a small city south of Amarillo. The museum's contents are owned and controlled by the Panhandle-Plains Historical Society, while West Texas A&M University and the Texas A&M University Board of Regents maintain and provide the facilities. Panhandle–Plains Historical Museum is the largest history museum in the state of Texas with 70,000 visitors annually and more than three million artifacts. The museum has been closed since March 2025 after a Texas State Fire Marshal inspection identified significant life-safety concerns in the nearly century-old building.
- Type
- Museum
- Established
- 1933
- Wikipedia readers
- 1.8K a year
Where to base yourself for Panhandle–Plains Historical Museum
The closest towns with hotels, motels or campgrounds are Canyon (9) and Amarillo (125).
- 1Palo Duro Canyon
- 2American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame
- 3Don Harrington Discovery Center
- 4Wonderland Park
- 5Amarillo Museum of Art
- 6Texas Air & Space Museum
Compare 8 towns
| Town | From Panhandle–Plains Historical Museum | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canyon | in town | — | 9 5 hotels · 2 inns & B&Bs · 1 lodge or cabins · 1 RV park | 16,518 | $240K | A− |
| Amarillo | 16 mi north | 25 min | 125 84 hotels · 27 motels · 3 inns & B&Bs · 2 lodges & cabins · 3 campgrounds · 6 RV parks | 205,130 | $197K | D |
| Rockwell Place | 4 mi north | 5 min | 3 3 RV parks | 2,016 | $92K | — |
| Timbercreek Canyon | 8 mi northeast | 10 min | 2 1 campground · 1 RV park | 476 | $400K | — |
| Palisades | 9 mi northeast | 15 min | 1 1 inn or B&B | 295 | $267K | — |
| Lake Tanglewood 30% vacation homes | 9 mi northeast | 15 min | 1 1 lodge or cabins | 734 | $634K | — |
| Hereford | 30 mi west | 45 min | 11 9 hotels · 1 motel · 1 RV park | 14,976 | $110K | B− |
| Bushland | 17 mi northwest | 25 min | 1 1 RV park | 2,779 | $425K | — |
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service
Make a day of it near Panhandle–Plains Historical Museum
These lie within 62 miles as the crow flies.
114 mi Canyon & gorgePalo Duro Canyon
216 mi MuseumAmerican Quarter Horse Hall of Fame
62 mi State parkCaprock Canyons State Park and Trailway
315 mi MuseumDon Harrington Discovery Center
43 mi National MonumentAlibates Flint Quarries National Monument8K visitors a year
419 mi Theme parkWonderland Park
515 mi MuseumAmarillo Museum of Art
620 mi MuseumTexas Air & Space Museum2K visitors a yearPhoto credits
Palo Duro Canyon: Kimberly Vardeman from Lubbock, TX, USA, CC BY 3.0 · American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame: No machine-readable author provided. J. Nguyen~commonswiki assumed (based on cop, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Caprock Canyons State Park and Trailway: Leaflet, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Don Harrington Discovery Center: Who What Where Nguyen Why, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument: NPS Photo, Public domain · Wonderland Park: Slapshot46 at English Wikipedia, CC BY 3.0 · Amarillo Museum of Art: Who What Where Nguyen Why a/k/a Anonymous Cow, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Texas Air & Space Museum: Richardawarner, CC BY-SA 3.0
A visit to Panhandle–Plains Historical Museum: questions
Is Panhandle–Plains Historical Museum in Canyon?
Yes. It’s inside Canyon, TX.
When is the best time to visit Panhandle–Plains Historical Museum?
April, May, September and October, with highs of 73–84°.
What is the closest airport to Panhandle–Plains Historical Museum?
Rick Husband Amarillo (AMA), about 20 miles away. The nearest big hub is OKC Will Rogers World (OKC), about 246 miles.
Where should I stay near Panhandle–Plains Historical Museum?
Amarillo (16 mi, 125 places to stay), Canyon (in town, 9 places to stay) and Rockwell Place (4 mi, 3 places to stay).
Notes from people in Canyon
Tips will appear here once someone posts in Canyon’s Town Square.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.