Amarillo

Route 66 Historic District is made up of 13 commercial blocks in the San Jacindo Heights area to the west of Amarillo’s city center. The district includes blocks between Forrest and Georgia Avenues. The district includes one of the most intact groups of buildings associated with the famous highway.

The buildings include a variety of architectural styles from the early 20th century, including Art Moderne, art deco, and Spanish Revival elements. Some of the interesting and historically significant buildings that reside in the historic district are the Natatorium, the Adkinson-Baker Tire Company, Taylor’s Texaco Station, and several others.

The Jack Sisemore Traveland RV Museum is a museum dedicated to unusual and vintage RVs. The museum was founded by Jack and Trent Sisemore, a father-son team who started collecting the vehicles more than 25 years ago. Jack Sisemore, the father, owns the oldest RV dealership in Texas and the museum is located in its own building at the dealership.

Some of the more interesting vehicles in the museum include the oldest Fleetwood in existence, the first Itasca motorhome to be built, and the Flxible Bus from the movie RV. There are many other motorhomes in the collection, dating from the 1930s to the 1970s.

14501 I-27, Amarillo, TX 79119, Phone: 806-358-4891

Cowgirls and Cowboys in the West is a western adventure and hospitality company that offers a selection of tours, event and catering services, and more. The company also offers year-round horseback riding and is able to accommodate any skill level of rider, from novice to experienced. The company has tours that specialize in Route 66, the cowboy lifestyle, Palo Duro Canyon, and others.

They offer meal services as well, including chuckwagon meal events that can be booked for private groups and are occasionally open to the public. Other recreational and educational opportunities include photography tours, progressive horseback riding trips as well as several options for speaking, training, and team building activities.

19100 South Farm to Market Road 1258, Amarillo, TX 79118, Phone: 806-672-9256

Cadillac Ranch is not an actual ranch but rather a public art display. The installation was built by three artists, Chip Lord, Hudson Marquez, and Doug Michels, who were involved with the art group known as Ant Farm. The installation includes older, running, used, or junk Cadillac vehicles.

The cars are placed nose-first into the ground at an angle. Automobile enthusiasts will notice a number of interesting, defining features that differ among the automobiles, such as the tailfins. The exhibit has appeared in numerous films and music videos throughout the years. Visitors are encouraged to bring a can of spray paint and add a bit of personal art to the exhibit.

1-40 Frontage Road, Amarillo, TX 79124, Phone: 630-313-0187

The American Quarter Horse Heritage Center & Museum is a museum that highlights this popular breed. The museum showcases photographs and paintings of the horses that have been honored as members of the Hall of Fame. Many of the beautiful paintings were done by acclaimed Western artist Orren Mixer.

The museum also includes many displays related to horseback riding, including cowboy and riding attire, photographs, ribbons, and other artifacts related to the Hall of Fame’s inductees. The museum includes interactive exhibits that teach visitors about horse anatomy, riding, and more. Museum guests are offered a quick orientation to the museum and are then free to explore the exhibits on their own.

2601 I-40 East, Amarillo, TX 79104, Phone: 806-376-5181

The Amarillo Botanical Gardens include more than 4 acres of outdoor, seasonal gardens featuring plants native to Texas. The park also contains an indoor conservatory that highlights tropical and exotic plants from around the world.

Docent-guided tours are available during business hours but must be arranged a week in advance. Guests are also welcome to tour the grounds on their own at any time. The Botanical Gardens offer a variety of educational programing related to plants, gardening, and more. The beautiful grounds are often used for weddings and other private events.

1400 Streit Drive, Amarillo, TX 79106, Phone: 806-352-6513

The Don Harrington Discovery Center is a hands-on science center in Amarillo. The center features a wide variety of interactive exhibits related to many scientific disciplines. The center also houses a planetarium called the Space Theater, with an accompanying exhibit dedicated to weather conditions on Earth and in outer space called the Space Gallery.

The museum and space center are completely family friendly and feature special areas like KinderStudio and Little Builders for young children to play, create, and explore. However, there is plenty for older children and adults to enjoy as well. The Discovery Center hosts a variety of family-friendly events and educational programs throughout the year.

1200 Streit Drive, Amarillo, TX 79106, Phone: 806-355-9547

The Amarillo Zoo is a 15-acre zoological park featuring a host of interesting and exotic animals. The 150 animals in the zoo come from 88 species from around the world. Some of the species are native to Texas, such as bison, tarantulas, and grey foxes. However, many more exotic animals can be seen as well, such as lions, tigers, and several species of exotic birds.

In addition to seeing the animals in the enclosures, guests can attend live animal shows, keeper chats, and animal encounters. The Amarillo Zoo features concession stands that sell a variety of typical park food as well as a Zoovenir stand that is open seasonally and sells gifts and souvenirs related to the zoo and its animals.

700 Comanchero Trail, Amarillo, TX 79107, Phone: 806-381-7911

Wonderland Amusement Park is an old-fashioned amusement park that has been in operation since 1951. The park opened with only three rides and was known as Kiddie Land. Since that time the park has grown to include nearly 30 rides and attractions and is constantly looking to add more.

The park includes a miniature golf course, traditional amusement park rides like bumper cars, and a section of water rides. The park features several rollercoasters with names like the Texas Tornado, Cyclone, and Hornet. A little kid-friendly area includes boats, a merry-go-round and a train, among other rides. The park features concession stands selling food, drinks, and cotton candy.

2601 Dumas Drive, Amarillo, TX 79107, Phone: 806-383-3344

Bill's Backyard Classics is an automobile museum that stemmed from the private collection of Bill and Linda Pratt. The Pratts built the museum not only to showcase their private collection, but also to share their love and interest in classic cars and hot rods.

The museum houses a collection of nearly 100 classic cars dating from 1928 to 2012. Some of the most impressive automobiles in the collection include Bob Seder’s 1961 Pontiac Catalina convertible and a 1956 Cadillac Fleetwood Limo that was owned by Judge Roy Hofheinz. The museum frequently hosts community events, including car shows and more options for family-friendly fun.

5309 S Washington Street, Amarillo, TX 79110, Phone: 806-373-8194