Located in the scenic Texas Panhandle, Amarillo is home to wide plains, beautiful sunrise and sunsets, world-class museums, wonderful natural beauty, historic homes, beautiful state parks and plenty of other attractions that provide an interesting glimpse of the city’s culture and history. The city has so much to do and see. If you’re planning your next holiday to Amarillo, take a look at our list of Amarillo best tourist spots, including the scenic parks, art museums, zoos and wildlife refuges.
Spray paint cars at Cadillac Ranch- Your Graffiti Canvas in Amarillo!
Image By Richie Diesterheft from Chicago, IL, USA (Tipping Painted Cars Uploaded by PDTillman) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Located along Route 66 west of Amarillo, Cadillac Ranch is a visually pleasing spot that was built by Stanley Marsh III, a local philanthropist and millionaire. It is the first roadside sculpture in the world. This place has 10 graffiti-covered Cadillac’s lined up and photogenically settled nose down in the ground. Appreciate the images and messages painted on the cars, and to have more fun, unleash your creativity and spray paint the cars.
Address: I-40 Frontage Rd, Amarillo, TX 79124, United States
Walk along the Panhandle’s history at Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum!
Image By No machine-readable author provided. Who What Where Nguyen Why~commonswiki assumed (based on copyright claims). [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
Check out one of the finest art collections of Southwest, experience the petroleum industry history, walk along the paths of a life-size 1880s Pioneer Town, and much more at the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum. Here, visitors cover about 26,000 square miles on foot. It houses over two million artifacts and region’s history spanning 14,000 years. Inside, visitors can marvel at the exhibits and themed displays, including archeology, paleontology, art collections, military items, geography and artifacts. Highlights of the museum include an extensive art collection of over 4,000 pieces of art, paleontology collection from 200 million years ago, a life-sized Pioneer town which include a school house, authentic living quarters and other buildings that allow visitors to experience the pioneer life. The collections housed here is as diverse as the history of region itself. From ancient inhabitants to dinosaurs to West Texas Pioneers, you’ll discover it all here.
Address: 2503 4th Avenue, Canyon, TX 79015, United States
Phone: 1 806-651-2244
Opening hours: Tuesday to Saturday: 9:00am-5:00pm
Stroll among the exotic flora at the Amarillo Botanical Garden!
Map data: Google, DigitalGlobe
Amarillo Botanical Garden features exotic plants and vibrant flowers. It includes an outdoor 4-acre garden that has seasonal plantings, and a Mary E. Bivins Tropical Conservatory which has exotic and rare indoor plants. Learn about the native plants here. Savor the bright colors and smell of flowers. It is a great place for garden lovers!
Address: 1400 Streit Drive, Amarillo, TX 79106, United States
Phone: 1 806-352-6513
Opening hours: Monday to Friday: 9:00am-5:00pm; Sunday: 1:00pm-5:00pm
Experience the animal world at Amarillo Zoo!
Image by Billy Hathorn at en.wikipedia [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html), CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/) or CC BY-SA 2.5-2.0-1.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5-2.0-1.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Amarillo Zoo is home to more than 60 species of animals from across the world. Highlights include the mustang, mountain lions, grazing bison, spider monkeys, Texas longhorns, green-winged macaw and African lions. See the mammals, reptiles, amphibians, invertebrates and birds up-close. It is a perfect place for a day out with friends and family.
Address: 700 Comanchero, Amarillo, TX 79107, United States
Phone: 1 806-381-7911
Opening hours: Monday to Sunday: 9:30am-5:00pm
Take in the natural beauty of Amarillo at Palo Duro Canyon State Park!
Image By Leaflet (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Palo Duro Canyon State Park is a scenic natural attraction that covers about 20,000 acres of land south of Amarillo. It is the second largest canyon in the US. It has over 30 miles of equestrian, biking and hiking trails. It is a perfect place for outdoor recreation activities, including camping, horseback riding, mountain biking, hiking and nature study. Also, the wealth of wildlife and picturesque landscape makes it a great spot for bird watching ad photography. A trip to Amarillo is not complete without seeing the majestic Palo Dura Canyon. Savor the rustic beauty of the canyon!
Address: 11450 State Hwy Park Rd 5, Canyon, TX 79015, United States
Phone: 1 806-488-2227
Experience natural world up-close at Wildcat Bluff Nature Center!
Wildcat Bluff Nature Center covers aver 600 acres of rolling grasslands. With wildflowers, walking trails, knee-high grasses, scenic sites and exciting attractions, it is a perfect place to explore. The center is home to the historic Gregg-Marcy Wagon trail extending from Santa Fe to Fort Smith. See birds, hawk, horned toads, porcupines and other wildlife while walking along the trails. Get a guided tour led by a naturalist.
Address: 2301 North Soncy Rd, Amarillo, TX 79124, United States
Phone: 1 806-352-6007
Learn about earth, life and physical sciences at Don Harrington Discovery Center!
Image By Who What Where Nguyen Why (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html), CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/) or CC BY-SA 2.5-2.0-1.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5-2.0-1.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
The Don Harrington Discovery Center is a place for both adults and kids focusing on earth, life and physical sciences. It features hands-on science exhibits, educational programs and a planetarium. Catch a movie on sea monsters at the Space Theatre onsite, see the dinosaurs, learn about the space, planets and explore the night sky at the planetarium. It features exhibits that explore space, sound, weather, optical illusions, natural history, helium and structures. Highlights include a helium technology exhibit, a Foucault pendulum, a weather-watch exhibit, planetary landscapes, Sherlock Holmes Murder Mystery Exhibit and Hunters of the Sky.
Address: 1200 Streit Drive, Amarillo, TX 79106, United States
Phone: 1 806-355-9547
Opening hours: Tuesday to Saturday: 9:30am-4:30pm; Sunday: 12:00pm-4:30pm
Walk through the Aviation history of Texas at Texas Air and Space Museum!
The Texas Air and Space Museum honors the Texas Panhandle and Amarillo’s aviation history. It features exhibits on military, civil and space aircrafts, photographs, newspaper articles, documents and other memorabilia dating back to the inception of English Field Airport. Some of the interesting exhibits include aircrafts like Grumman Gulfstream II NASA Shuttle Training Aircraft, a 1930s DC-3, a de Havilland C-7A Caribou, P-51 Mustang, and much more. Plus, there are airports of the past, Amarillo army airfield and important aircrafts used in twentieth century. Learn the history of aviation through airports and aircrafts on display!
Address: 10001 American Drive, Amarillo, TX 79111, United States
Phone: 1 806-335-9159
Opening hours: Monday to Saturday: 10:00am-4:00pm
Admire the art at Amarillo Museum of Art!
The Amarillo Museum of Art has six art galleries featuring both permanent and temporary collections of art in a three-story facility. Their diverse collection includes 17th through 19th century European paintings, Asian art, 20th century American Modernist paintings, Middle Eastern textiles, drawings, prints, sculptures and photographs. Some of the popular artists whose work has been on display include Francesco Guardi, Georgia O'Keeffe, Louise Nevelson, Franz Kline, and many more.
Address: 2200 S Van Buren Street, Amarillo, TX 79109, United States
Phone: 1 806-371-5050
Opening hours: Tuesday to Friday: 10:00am-5:00pm; Saturday & Sunday: 1:00pm-5:00pm
In-depth look into American Quarter Horse history at American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame!
Image By No machine-readable author provided. J. Nguyen~commonswiki assumed (based on copyright claims). [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html), CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/) or CC BY-SA 2.5-2.0-1.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5-2.0-1.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
The American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame features the history of American Quarter Horse and the people who shaped it and played a significant role in its history. It is world’s popular breed of horse. It has a grand hall that features the Wall of Honor Plaza, larger-than-life bronze statues of important people and horses, a kid-friendly education gallery and a theatre. Plus, there is a beautiful artwork also on display. It is a great place for horse lovers to learn about the popular breed of horse.
Address: 2601 Interstate 40 Access Rd, Amarillo, TX 79104, United States
Phone: 1 806-376-5181
Opening hours: Monday to Saturday: 9:00am-5:00pm
Tour the Harrington House and Step back in time!
The Harrington House is a neoclassical mansion with period furnishings, English and French antiques and fine decorative art dating back to the early 1900s. The house depicts what privileged life was in the early 1900s.
Address: 1600 S Polk Street, Amarillo, TX 79102, United States
Phone: 1 806-374-5490
Know the story of Pueblo and Plain Indians at Kwahadi Museum of the American Indian!
Map data: Google, DigitalGlobe
The Kwahadi Museum of American Indian features the artwork, bronzes, paintwork, culture items and other artifacts of the people of the Pueblos and Plains. There are vivacious Kwahadi dancer at the museum to entertain the visitors with their native dance. Buy Plains and Pueblos souvenirs, statues, art pieces and other keepsakes from the gift shop onsite.
Address: 9151 I-40, Amarillo, TX 79118, United States
Phone: 1 806-335-3175
Best Tourist Spots in Amarillo Map Guide