Amarillo, Texas, represents one of the last vestiges of the Old West, where visitors still see cattle roaming the Texas Panhandle and kids can enjoy ranches and parks that transport them back to a time when horseback riding was the primary way to get around. Amarillo museums and theaters schedule live shows that showcase the city’s history, including performances by folks from local Native American tribes, and the city also has standard entertainment, like amusement and water parks.

Outdoor and Cowboy-Themed

Wildcat Bluff Nature Center boasts more than 600 acres of undulating grasslands dotted with wildflowers, cottonwood trees and bluffs, where prairie rattlesnakes, Texas brown tarantulas, burrowing owls and porcupines make their homes. Trained caretakers put on snake-feeding demonstrations on Saturdays, and the center offers summer camp programs that include guided hikes, hands-on activities, games, and arts and crafts. Select summer programs let kids pretend to be caretakers. River Breaks Ranch gives kids a chance to take a 20-minute covered wagon that traverses canyons and the Canadian River Break and offers a view of stampeding cattle. Cowboys and cowgirls at the ranch perform roping demonstrations, horse races and campfire songs.


The Kwahadi Museum of the American Indian resembles an Indian pueblo and features art by more than 100 artists of the Plains and Southwest. The Kwahadi Dancers, a local youth group, schedule summer performances at the museum and venues throughout Amarillo. The museum hosts Native American dancers from Texas, Oklahoma and Colorado performing in full regalia. The museum collection includes bronze castings, carvings, rugs, pottery, prints and paintings, some by Thomas Mails. The Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum contains more than 3 million artifacts covering more than a million years of Texas history, art, archeology, transportation and paleontology. The museum hosts children’s events, such as Week of the Young Child, designed for 3- to 5-year-olds. Each day has a different theme, such as cowboy day, Indian day and nature day.


Amarillo Zoo sits on 15 acres in Thompson Park and features more than 60 animal species native to Texas and from around the world. The Panhandle Plains Overlook exhibit consists of a 5-acre area with bison, elk and pronghorn, while the herpetarium, or reptile house, contains 26 exhibits with lizards, frogs and salamanders of the world. The zoo also has three black bears, big cats and farm animals like the Texas longhorn. The 330-acre park also has walking trails, a playground, lakes and shaded picnic areas.

Amusement Parks

Wonderland Park operates from April to September and features 25 rides and 32 attractions, including its famous 50-foot Texas Tornado steel roller coaster. "Amusement Today" magazine named it the 2009 “Park of the Year.” Water rides include the winding Pipeline Plunge and the Big Splash Log Flume. Kids’ rides include a train, merry-go-round and helicopters. The park offers nightly discounts on particular rides and activities, as well as group rates. Splash Amarillo, the city’s water park, operates from May to Labor Day weekend. It has water slides, a wave pool that produces 6-foot waves, a lazy river, a kids' play area, air-conditioned arcade and two volleyball courts. Splash Adventure Island, the play area, contains 1-foot-deep water with two water slides and waterfalls.

Visitor Center

The Amarillo Visitor Information Center, located at the civic center entrance, has brochures describing many area attractions, travel guides, local maps, entertainment options, local events and dining. The information helps parents outline an itinerary of places they and their kids can visit. The center also provides information about where kids eat free and discounts at local attractions.

About the Author


Suggest an Article Correction