natural wonder
Palo Duro Canyon State Park
The second-largest canyon in the United States, a colorful 120-mile gash in the Texas Panhandle often called the 'Grand Canyon of Texas.'
23 km · about 25 min drive
Texas, United States · North America
Canyon is worth a stop: 30 minutes from Bushland, 23km from Palo Duro Canyon State Park.
Canyon is a town located in Texas, United States. With a population of 14,887, it is an important destination in North America.
On a road trip, Canyon sits in United States, where you drive on the right. It's in the America/Chicago time zone. Below you'll find where to stay, things to do nearby, and everything you need to add Canyon to your route.
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&MRead more
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.
The museum's permanent exhibits include American Western life and agriculture history artifacts, art, paleontology, geology, Native American art and artifacts, firearms, antique vehicles, decorative arts and furniture, petroleum industry artifacts, sports artifacts, and textiles. The museum also features the outdoor Pioneer Town that includes a livery, saloon, schoolhouse, pioneer cabin and other buildings.
The Panhandle-Plains Historical Society was founded in 1921 by faculty and students of West Texas State Teachers College and area supporters to preserve the history of pioneer life and natural history in the West Texas region. The museum received financial assistance from the Commission of Control for the 1936 Texas Centennial. The museum opened its permanent and present location on April 14, 1933.
The noted historian Angie Debo served as curator of the museum from 1933 to 1934.
In 2001, the museum underwent a $5.8 million renovation.
Some of the permanent exhibits include "People of the Plains: Experiments in Living", displays the difference and similarities of past and present Southern Plains settlers; "Pioneer Town", a recreation of a small settlement in the Texas Panhandle in the early 1900s; "The Don D. Harrington Petroleum Wing", a two floor exhibit showing the Texas Panhandle's oil boom years in the 1920s and 1930s; and "The T-Anchor Ranch House", an exhibit outside of the museum which recreates the original house that was constructed in the late 1870s.
West Texas A&M University President Walter V. Wendler announced on December 16, 2025 that the university had formally asked the Panhandle-Plains Historical Society to develop a plan to relocate its museum collection from the WTAMU campus, citing long-term declines in state funding, rising operating costs, and safety concerns related to the aging facility.
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Canyon offers many attractions including tourist sites, museums, parks, and local restaurants. Explore famous landmarks, scenic roads, and natural wonders on our interactive map and plan your visit.
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Canyon is located in Texas, United States, North America. The coordinates are 34.9803 latitude, -101.9188 longitude.
Canyon has a population of approximately 14,887 people, making it a town in United States.
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Essential numbers in United States
AAA roadside assistance: 1-800-222-4357. Right turn on red is legal in most states unless signed otherwise.
Full driving guide for United States3 notable places within an hour's drive.
natural wonder
The second-largest canyon in the United States, a colorful 120-mile gash in the Texas Panhandle often called the 'Grand Canyon of Texas.'
23 km · about 25 min drive
landmark
Iconic Route 66 public art installation of ten half-buried Cadillacs nose-down in a Texas wheat field.
24 km · about 25 min drive
cafe
An iconic Route 66 steakhouse in Amarillo famous for its free 72-ounce steak challenge, giant cowboy sign, and Texas-sized roadside personality.
26 km · about 30 min drive
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