Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum — Attraction in Canyon

Complete surprise. Was recommended by a local hiker while we were out in the state park. The museum sports a solid collection of artifacts that span the human history of the panhandle region. Also antique cars back to the turn of the 20th century including an electric car from ca 1910. I was actually most interested in the wind mill hall. As we were driving up from DFW abandoned and working windmills dotted the scene and we wondered at the history of their development. This museum has that story locked down and lots of examples that you can interact with. There is a decent three room display of pre-history including skulls of buffalos from 40,000 years ago to present. If you think they are intimidating today … take a look at their ancestors. Ranch history is featured. And among other exhibits the gun room is filled with rifles dating back to the 1700s and the museum can boast a respectable art collection. Teddy Roosevelt’s shotgun from his post-presidency safari to Africa is the prized item. The museum entrance fee can seem pricy at $12 per person for adults, but once you see what they have it’s well worth the price...

First let me say that we are very well-seasoned travelers and this review is not left lightly. It’s a very nice, clean, well-donated-to museum, with many different aspects to it, but it was overall underwhelming. We found ourselves wandering through loosely connected exhibits with varying items that didn’t fit together in obvious ways. The collection itself has great potential, but they lack intuitive organization. There was also a disproportionate emphasis on petroleum and the oil industry, so if that is something you are interested in, this is a great stop for the afternoon. We would have liked to have seen a more personal account from the perspective of the natives and pioneers in order to provide cohesion to what came across as scattered details. The highlight for us was the paleontology section, but perhaps because of our own personal interest. We really did enjoy our time here, but we want to give you a more accurate expectation of the experience. It was $12.50 for admission and may not be worth quite that much with the way it is organized...

I'm from Austin. I've been to the Bullock Texas History Museum and the Texas Memorial Museum on the UT campus. Both do a great job of educating Texans -- whether it's Texas history or the biology and geology of Texas.

But if you want a museum that combines both and adds art, along with a regional focus, you need to go to Canyon and visit the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum.

You'll spend several hours there and still be surprised by what all is there. There's quite a bit on the history of the region from Native Americans to settlers to the oil business. There's an incredible gun collection too. If prehistory is your thing, there's a great display of the prehistoric life of the region. Along the way, you can actually walk through a reproduction of a small Panhandle Town from the late 1800s. And you'll get to see quite a bit of art too.

The museum has ample free parking and the admission cost is really reasonable, considering the amount of time you'll spend there -- even if you...