Things to Do In Amarillo, Texas

There are so many things to do in Amarillo, Texas! Amarillo is a city full of fun and excitement. From the music scene to outdoor activities, the possibilities are endless. With its unique blend of vibrant culture and western heritage, Amarillo is a great place to explore.

What To Expect In Amarillo

Whether you’re looking for adrenaline-pumping thrills or a relaxing day in nature, there’s something for everyone in Amarillo. Whether it’s panning for gold at Palo Duro Canyon State Park, checking out local art galleries or exploring the Cadillac Ranch’s iconic mural of classic cars, there’s always something to do in this city. Take a dinner cruise along the Canadian River or catch an exciting rodeo show at the Amarillo Civic Center Complex.

If you’re feeling adventurous, head over to Wonderland Amusement Park and take a spin on thrilling roller coasters like the Texas Tornado and The Rattler. There are also plenty of delicious eateries to choose from where you can sample some of Amarillo’s best regional cuisine. Enjoy an evening at the historic Globe-News Center for the Performing Arts to experience world-class performances by renowned artists. No matter what your interests are, when you visit Amarillo you’re certain to have an unforgettable experience!

About Amarillo, Texas

Amarillo means “yellow” in Spanish. Most native Texans agree on the vast greatness of Texas and innately understand why Texas is so famous globally. We do not agree on what the absolute best place in Texas lays. It is impossible to make a call on what is best or the most famous place in Texas. There’s too many of them! Is Amarillo worth visiting? You can bet your horse it is! Amarillo is also famous.

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Exploring Outdoor Adventures in Amarillo

Amarillo lies about in the middle of the Texas Panhandle on the Llano Estacado, with a flat surface and very little soil drainage. Llano Estacado loosely translates into Staked Plains. The Llano Estacado is more precisely interpreted as Palisaded Plains geologically. It lies south of the Canadian River and is the southern extension of the High Plains of North America. It is here that you might want to ask, “What is the coldest month in Amarillo?” The answer is January, and the wind bites bitterly in West Texas. 

The Llano Estacado is full of playa lakes that completely confused the early Spanish explorers. Some Spanish expeditions described the region as full of millions of small lakes and others as a desert. Fifty thousand playa lakes on the Llano Estacado form in round hollows in the ground at certain times a year, making them ephemeral. All this surreal geology plus multi-varied terrain with the colors of the seasons make for a stunning outdoor playground right outside Amarillo’s doorstep. 

The Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument 

When the mammoth lived in Texas 13,000 years ago, the Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument site provided flint for the mammoth hunters. The site continued to provide for survival, commerce, and culture of the native people of the High Plains. The petroglyphs found in this area are ancient carvings in stone. The Alibates Visitor Center consists of museum exhibits, a park movie, and a bookstore. It offers ranger-led hikes and programs.

Palo Duro Canyon State Park 

Palo Duro Canyon is the second largest canyon in the U.S. Visitors can explore over 30 miles of hiking, biking, and equestrian trails. They can camp, glamp, or rent a cabin. Equestrian trails cover 1,500 acres, with two trails shared with hikers and mountain bikers, and people and horses stay at equestrian camps. Pavilions are available for weddings, reunions, and meetings. Its Pioneer Amphitheater features family entertainment shows, fireworks, and BBQ dinners. 

Wildcat Bluff Nature Center

Wildcat Bluff is 640 acres of wide open Texas Panhandle with five miles of trails, five acres of paved and accessible paths, a dig pit for learning about Panhandle prehistory, the Gilvin Science Education Building, and a section of the historic Gregg-Marcy Santa Fe Trail. Its mission is to educate and inspire students, teachers, and the public about the natural world of the Llano Estacado. 

Amarillo Campgrounds: 

• Amarillo KOA Journey, 1100 Folsom Road
• AOK Camper Park, 901 TEXAS-228 Spur
• Amarillo BeStreet Wonderland RV Park, 2001 Dumas Drive
• Big Texan RV Ranch, 1414 Sunrise Drive
• Cadillac RV Park,  2601 Hope Road
• Collins RV Park, 8513 Broadway Drive
• Fort Amarillo RV Park, 10101 W Amarillo Blvd
• Juniper Campground, Canyon, TEXAS · In Palo Duro Canyon
• Hackberry Campground, Canyon, TEXAS · In Palo Duro Canyon
• Oasis RV Resort Amarillo, 2715 Arnot Road
• Overnite RV Park, 900 S Lakeside Drive
• Palo Duro RV Park, Canyon, Texas
• Rockindee RV Spaces, 12775 S Georgia Street
• Route 66 RV Ranch, 10801 I-40
• South Bell Lodging RV Park, 14190 Bell Street
• Scenic Valley RV Park, 14100 S WeStreetern Street
• Sunset Acres RV Park, 14390 S WeStreetern Street

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Enjoying Arts, Culture, and Entertainment in Amarillo

Cadillac Ranch Route 66

The Route 66 Cadillac Ranch is famous around the world—we hardly need to introduce it. Chip Lord, Hudson Marquez, and Doug Michels, who were a part of the art group, Ant Farm, created Cadillac Ranch in 1974.

Can you paint the cars at Cadillac Ranch?

Yes, you can paint the Cadillacs. Sometimes there’s a vendor selling spray paint at the site, and people leave half-used spray paint cans there for others to use.  

Globe-News Center for the Performing Arts Downtown Amarillo

500 S Buchanan St, Amarillo, Texas

Housed in the Amarillo Civic Center Complex, the Globe-News Center for the Performing Arts is the 340,000 square foot area that contains a variety of multipurpose areas. It boasts two exhibit halls, two ballrooms, and meeting rooms designed to meet a wide variety of needs, including business meetings, banquets, dances, conventions, and trade shows. It has a 1,300, a 2,300, and a 4,870 fixed-seat auditorium/performance hall.

The Globe-News Center is designed with state-of-the-art acoustics in mind and serves as an icon in downtown Amarillo. It is equipped with a orchestra shell that retracts into an upstage garage area into a fully equipped road house. It features a sprung dance floor, a vhydraulic orchestra pit, and a complete fly system. The Globe-News Center is available to accommodate intimate meetings to conventions to huge road shows.

Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum

2503 4th Ave, Canyon, Texas

The Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum is dedicated to the history of the Panhandle-Plains region. It focuses on a variety of ways with permanent exhibits of art, paleontology, agriculture, petroleum, transportation, geology, and more. If you think it is just a museum about one thing, think again. Panhandle-Plain lives in history at. 

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Shopping, Dining and Nightlife in the Heart of Amarillo

If you ask, what is Amarillo, Texas, best known for? It has to be The Big Texan Steak Ranch & Brewery with its 72-ounce steak challenge, well maybe this restaurant is tied with Cadillac Ranch for fame, but…If you can eat a 72-ounce steak in one hour, you eat free at the Big Texan Steak Ranch & Brewery. You do not need to make a reservation for challenge attempts. 

When you’re ready, The Big Texan Steak Ranch & Brewery is ready. Here you can take the true Texas challenge: Its 72-ounce Steak Dinner Challenge Includes: Shrimp cocktail, a baked potato, a salad, a roll and butter, and of course, the 72oz steak. At the Big Texan Steak Ranch & Brewery, it’s more than a restaurant. Here you can find a complex with a motel that looks like a Wild West Town, an RV Park, a few rental houses, a store, and access to the nightlife in Amarillo. 

Fun Times Amusement Park and Mini Golf Course

2601 Dumas Drive, Amarillo

Remember when the carnival would come to town and the state or county fair? That’s what the Fun Times Amusement Park and Mini Golf Course is, but it does not travel like a carnival. Amarillo has its own carnival park that offers different rides and activities for kids of all ages. The attractions include: 

♥A Twist On Snow Tubing With Synthetic Ice & Artifical Hill

♥ Batting Cages
♥Miniature Golf

♥A-Ball-Mination Gellyball

♥Bumper Boats

♥Bumper Cars

♥Free Movie Nights

♥Glo Tubing
♥ Mega Slide Tube Racer

♥Go-Karts

♥Gunky Monkey’s
♥Barrels Of Fun

♥Musik Express

♥Serial Serpent
♥Family Roller Coaster

♥Tilt-A-Whirl
♥ Kiddie Rides

♥Toot-N-Hoot
♥ Kiddie Train Ride

Historic Route 66 Sixth Street Shopping District

The Historic Route 66 Sixth Street Shopping District is on Sixth Avenue between Georgia and Western Streets. It is 13 blocks of commercial development in the San Jacinto Heights Addition west of Amarillo’s central business district. It is filled with all the downtown Amarillo things to do. The district is great for daytime outings and Old West Texas nights. The architecture features elements of Spanish revival, art déco, and art modern designs. These buildings represent the historic development phases of the early 20th century. 

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Affordable Things To Do In Amarillo, Texas

Maybe you are looking for something that is entertaining and budget friendly or even free.  Here are some cheap things to do in Amarillo.

• Amarillo Botanical Gardens, 1400 Streit Drive, Amarillo,: $8.00
• Amarillo Scavenger Hunt: Amarillo Art & Elms: From $12.31 per adult. 
• American Quarter Horse Heritage Center & Museum, 1600 Quarter Horse Drive, Amarillo,: $8 & $10 admission
• Cadillac Ranch, Route 66: Cadillac Ranch is free, and visitors can usually find spray paint cans with paint left in them. 
• Fun Times Amusement Park and Mini Golf Course, 2601 Dumas Drive, Amarillo: Free movie nights
• Harrington House, 1600 S Polk St,:  Free Admission.  A 15,000 square foot mansion with 20 rooms, eight bathrooms, seven fireplaces and four floors. Tours are offered on Tuesdays and Thursdays, mid-April through mid-December to guests ages 14 and over. Admission is free.
• Jack Sisemore Traveland RV Museum, 14501 I-27,: Free Admission. A huge vintage RV collection. 
• Texas Air & Space Museum, 10001 American Drive,: Admission is free.  The museum has several interactive exhibits, and you can actually get into several of the planes on display. 

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Things To Do In Amarillo, Texas For Couples

For couples taking a weekend getaway, here are some things to do in Amarillo, Texas:

Cowgirls and Cowboys in the West Riding Stables

Take a romantic horseback ride with your sweetheart on the hauntingly beautiful Llano Estacada. 19100 Farm To Market Rd 1258, Amarillo

Tacosa Drive in Theater

Not too many people today remember what generations did for romance before 1980. The local drive-in movie was the best place ever for romance. Try out the double feature! Open seasonally. 1999 Dumas Drive, Amarillo.

Awaken Med Spa

If you are looking to relax, Awaken Med Spa offers couples massages; each half can choose his or her type of massage. 9200 Town Square Blvd #1150, Amarillo.

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Weird Things To Do In Amarillo, Texas

Like most of Texas, there are some weird things to do in Amarillo, Texas. Here is a sample:

The Floating Mesa

The floating mesa is one of several unusual sculptures in the Amarillo area commissioned by Stanley Marsh 3, a local visionary eccentric and bon vivant. The illusion the piece creates is that the top portion of the mesa is floating. The intended illusion of the top of the mesa “floating” in the air occasionally is effected when the sky behind it is the right shade of white. On clear days with no overcast, the line of plywood sheets painted white appears to blend in with the sky behind the mesa. While the Floating Mesa’s illusion only works from one side, the effect is nonetheless intriguing.

It’s located about eight miles northwest of Amarillo on Tascosa Road. 

Combine City 

Combine City is a collection of fourteen half-buried Combine tractors, and kind of a homage to Cadillac Ranch. Orville Ladehoff created Combine City because he loved his Combine tractors. It is located near the south end of Whitaker Road on the north side of Highway 1151, about 2.7 miles after the Osage Road.

The 6th Street Massacre Haunted House

3015 6th Avenue, Amarillo

This haunted house is really a haunted house, but it is also a commercial haunted house only open during the Halloween Season from September 30 to October 31. 

Haunted Natatorium Amarillo

2705 6th Avenue, Amarillo

A century old spa on Sixth Street in Amarillo, Texas is home to the Natatorium, familiarly called “The Nat,” and according to locals, a few unearthly spirits as well.  The “Natatorium” is an old-fashioned word for an indoor swimming pool and when this building opened in July 1922, that’s exactly what it housed. However, in 1926, J.D. Tucker purchased the pool building and turned it into a dance palace. Covering the pool over with a fine wooden dance floor, the Nat Ballroom began to cater to the flappers of the Roaring ’20s.

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Amarillo Golf Courses

In a town of about 200,000 people, the biggest town, miles and mile from the big city lights, out on the Llano Estacado, full of cows, cowboys, horses, oil wells, and wildcatters, one would not expect to find so many golf courses. Why do cowboys like to play golf? There are some relevant parallels between golf and rodeo. One might say that both sports lend themselves to life’s lessons, and both can be frustrating and thrilling at the same time. 

Check out the golf courses below, or explore our Map of Amarillo Golf Courses.

• Amarillo Country Club
  4800 Bushland Blvd
  Amarillo, TX 79106

• Comanche Trail Golf Complex
  4200 S Grand
  Amarillo, TX 79103
• Palo Duro Creek Golf Club
  50 Country Club Dr
  Canyon, TX 79015
• Preston West Golf Course
  9101 S Coulter
  Amarillo, TX 79119
• Ross Rogers Golf Complex
  722 NW 24th
  Amarillo, TX 79107
• Tascosa Golf Club
  4502 Fairway Dr
  Amarillo, TX 79124