Amarillo Texas Travel Guide

Amarillo is found in the northwest corner, or “panhandle” of Texas, and is nicknamed the “Yellow Rose of Texas”. The metro population is approximately a quarter million, so you can expect the amenities, including Amarillo TX hotels, restaurants and attractions, to be plentiful. Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport (AMA) averages over 300 takeoffs and landings each day, but many visitors arrive by car. Amarillo City Transit (ACT) provides city bus service.

Amarillo lies on I-40, with its business portion following historic Route 66, so you will be greeted by many references to this famous roadway. A couple of Amarillo’s iconic attractions lie along this highway: the Cadillac Ranch, an outdoor art exhibit consisting of graffiti-covered Cadillac cars buried into the ground nose-first (a definite “must-see”!), and the Big Texan Steak Ranch, with its famous offer of a free 72-oz steak if you can eat it within an hour (perhaps not a “must-eat” for those with a tiny appetite!).

The downtown area is home to a couple favorite community events: the Center City Block Party, held in August, with live bands along Polk Street, and September’s Good Times Celebration Barbecue Cook-Off – it’s lip smacking good! The Civic Center is located in downtown Amarillo, hosting major concerts and conventions, along with Amarillo Bulls NAHL hockey games and Amarillo Venom indoor football games. Each November you can attend the World Championship Ranch Rodeo at this Center.

Amarillo Civic Center manages the Globe-News Center for the Performing Arts, the place for all things cultural in Amarillo. The Amarillo Opera performs here; you can also see the Amarillo Symphony and the Lone Star Ballet at this PAC. Every Christmas, the ballet and symphony work together to present The Nutcracker, a great family-friendly classic. Another nice venue is Amarillo Little Theatre, offering about a dozen performances every year. 

Head to the Tri-State Exhibition grounds and the Amarillo National Center for large concerts, rodeos and equestrian events. One of the city’s most popular events, the Tri-State Fair and Rodeo is held at Tri-State Fairgrounds every September; you can attend annual Coors Cowboy Club Ranch Rodeos here as well.

Many itineraries to the southwestern United States bring one to the granddaddy of sites, the Grand Canyon. If that’s not on your agenda this trip, spend a little time at Palo Duro Canyon State Park, just an hour’s drive south of Amarillo. Often compared with the Grand Canyon, Palo Duro boasts extraordinary natural features including canyons, caves and hoodoos. All sorts of outdoor activities are available, such as hiking, bird watching and mountain biking. The famous musical drama, TEXAS, is held here during the summer at the spectacular Pioneer Amphitheatre.

Another popular locale where you can take in the beauty of the Texas Panhandle is at Lake Meredith, where you can boat, fish, hunt, hike and swim. Still haven’t had enough of the great outdoors? Head to Amarillo Botanical Gardens which will present you with garden after garden of perennials, annuals and stunning Amarillo botanical delights. During the summer the Gardens offer live musical performances on Thursday evenings.

As you can see, there’s lots to do for families in Amarillo!  A couple of other favorites are Wonderland Park, offering exciting thrill rides, kiddie rides, a train and miniature golf, and the Don Harrington Discovery Center, proffering interactive science exhibits about space, the human body and a variety of mind-challenging activities to stimulate your brain.

Amarillo is one of Texas’ gems – it’s likely you will be passing through on your tour of the southwest. Plan to stop for a bit and explore some of her highlights – OneTravelSource.com is here to help you!