Trippin' Again: A walk through Panhandle history

Editor's note: As we begin to see COVID-19 in our rear-view mirrors, travelers are cautiously returning to the roads. This series offers destination options for eastern New Mexico-area residents looking to get away for a few days.

CANYON - In the center of this small Texas town lies more than 14,000 years of history. From cars to dinosaurs, the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum covers it all.

PPHM opened its doors in April of 1933. History Professor Hattie Anderson of West Texas Normal College, now West Texas A&M University, was the source of this vision.

"She saw that history was being made right before her eyes, and no one was cataloging it or keeping it and saving it for future generations," said Stephanie Price, the museum's marketing director. "And she wanted that to change. So she grabbed like-minded individuals, and they formed what was called the Panhandle Plains Historical Society in the 1920s."

Throughout the Great Depression, people brought bricks, money and artifacts and made her vision into a nationally recognized museum.

PPHM today has three stories of exhibitions and a fourth- floor archive. There are 13 permanent themes, seven permanent art galleries, and five changing galleries year round.

Where is it:

The Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum is about 80 miles northeast of Clovis. The address is 2503 Fourth Avenue in Canyon, on the south side of the WTAMU campus. Don't forget Texas is in the Central time zone.

Hours and admissions:

The museum is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. CDT Tuesday through Saturday. Starting Memorial Day, hours will change to 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. CDTD Monday through Saturday, and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. CDT on Sunday.

Cost is $12.50 for adults, $6 for children 4-12. Younger children get in for free and discounts are available for veterans and active members of the military.

What's new in history:

PPHM offers new exhibits each year and bases the themes on current events. Two prohibition exhibits currently recognize the 100th anniversary of prohibition.

"One is focused on prohibition itself, and the story of bootleggers and gin and crime and jazz. And then we also have a flapper fashion because we have an extensive collection of flapper dresses," Price said.

The Dinosaur Discoveries, Ancient Fossils, and New Ideas exhibit was scheduled to open last week. This is a traveling exhibit from the American Museum of Natural History in New York. It's all about how dinosaurs lived and ate and how they roamed the planet.

Another active exhibit is called rock of ages, which is primarily focused on gems, minerals, and jewelry.

Walk in their footsteps:

A fan favorite is Pioneer Town. Guests are able to explore and imagine what it was like to live in the Old West. The exhibit is surrounded with ambient sounds, hands on activities, and interactive rooms.

Fun fact:

PPHM has a lock of George Washington's hair in its archives. It came from an Amarillo collector who obtained it from a Washington descendant, said Warren Stricker, director of the museum's research center. It's not on display but can be seen by appointment in the research center.

More than a textbook:

"I think museums, they show us the past. I think they teach us about ourselves," Price said. "And I think museums hold up a little bit of a mirror to our society and show us kind of the things that are important to us collectively as a culture at any given time."

More information:

Call (806) 651-2244 or visit the website at

panhandleplains.org