Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum

Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum The largest history museum in Texas, founded in 1932. (Currently closed.)
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The open landscape and big skies of this region may sometimes feel isolating, but ancient residents weren't alone. They ...
05/29/2026

The open landscape and big skies of this region may sometimes feel isolating, but ancient residents weren't alone. They were part of an enormous trade network. Antelope Creek people may have traded Alibates flint and dried bison meat for luxury goods from hundreds of miles away.

This display shows some of those items, including turquoise, volcanic glass, painted Southwestern pottery pieces from New Mexico and sea shells sourced all the way from the Pacific Coast. All of these were found during excavations of Antelope Creek village sites in the Canadian River Valley, dating back to 1200-1500 AD.

"Dreaming of a Harrow" by Arthur Burdett Frost (1851-1928) has been part of our art collection for more than a decade no...
05/29/2026

"Dreaming of a Harrow" by Arthur Burdett Frost (1851-1928) has been part of our art collection for more than a decade now. This illustration was completed in 1900.

Frost is best known for having partnered with Joel Chandler Harris as the illustrator for the "Uncle Remus" books. Highly sought-after during his career, his work also appeared in Harper's Weekly, Scribner's and Life magazines. Today, in addition to PPHM, Frost's work is in the collections of the Library of Congress and the Smithsonian American Art Museum. A. B. Frost was inducted into the Society of Illustrators Hall of Fame in 1985.

This is part of the humerus of a Short-Faced Bear discovered in Briscoe County. One of the largest carnivorous mammals t...
05/28/2026

This is part of the humerus of a Short-Faced Bear discovered in Briscoe County. One of the largest carnivorous mammals to ever walk the earth, it ruled North America before going extinct around 11,000 years ago, covering territory from Alaska to Mexico—including the Texas Panhandle.

This wasn't your average bear. It would have dwarfed a modern grizzly or polar bear, weighing up to three times more than an average male grizzly. On all fours, it would have stood 6 feet tall at the shoulder, big enough to look a grown human in the face. The "short-faced" description has to do with its snout, which was relatively broad in proportion to its face, giving it a profile reminiscent of a bulldog.

This crude iron once belonged to Mary Ann "Molly" Goodnight and was probably made for her by a frontier blacksmith. Befo...
05/27/2026

This crude iron once belonged to Mary Ann "Molly" Goodnight and was probably made for her by a frontier blacksmith. Before electricity was common, pioneers would place these on a specialized cast-iron stove (or directly on the coals of a fire), then use the hot surface to press wrinkled clothing. Electric irons became more common in the Texas Panhandle in the early decades of the 1900s, making these tools obsolete.

Mark your calendars! 🗓️Even while our doors are temporarily closed, the learning (and fun) continues! Join us for PPHM’s...
05/26/2026

Mark your calendars! 🗓️

Even while our doors are temporarily closed, the learning (and fun) continues! Join us for PPHM’s Boulders, Brands, and Bones Summer Camp — our education team can’t wait to welcome young explorers ages 7–11 for hands-on adventures in history, art, geology, and the Old West.

📅 June 23–26 | ⏰ 8:30 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
👉 Register now at https://apps.ideal-logic.com/wtamureg?key=T6DM-JF52T_K9KH-5PTF_75061ba8d1ba — spots are limited!

Your family can discover their creative side at Night at PPHM with a Glow! Join us where guests of all ages can create t...
05/26/2026

Your family can discover their creative side at Night at PPHM with a Glow! Join us where guests of all ages can create their own glow-in-the-dark artwork. This hands-on activity is perfect for families, kids, and anyone who enjoys experimenting with color, light, and creativity in a unique nighttime setting. Whether you make a masterpiece or simply enjoy the process, it’s a memorable way to experience art after dark.

Friday, June 12th from 8–11 PM
PPHM East Lawn (weather permitting)
Tickets are $5 (at the door), and PPHM Members attend for free

This social media photo of a tool from our petroleum collection is visually deceptive, because we assume tools of this s...
05/22/2026

This social media photo of a tool from our petroleum collection is visually deceptive, because we assume tools of this shape will fit in our hands. Now look at the wooden shipping pallet it rests on: That's 40 inches wide and 48 inches tall. (Also notice the photographer's shoe in the bottom right corner.)

This is a massive manual rotary tong, sometimes called a "rig tong." It was used to provide the leverage necessary to grip the threaded connections between sections of heavy drill pipe and casing. This specific artifact has long been part of the 1925 cable tool drilling rig display visible through PPHM's window.

This has been an extraordinarily challenging year for PPHM, but we want to take a moment to recognize the incredible wor...
05/22/2026

This has been an extraordinarily challenging year for PPHM, but we want to take a moment to recognize the incredible work of our Education team. Despite the continued closure of our building, Sheridan, Hagen, Kristin and their talented students have continued delivering meaningful, mission-driven programming to schools and groups across the region.

As of today, PPHM has served 22,636 students during the current school year. (At this point last year, we'd served a little over 17,000 students.) Some institutions might have scaled back in a moment like this, but the demand for our programs has actually increased. Our team met that demand with flexibility and dedication. They rethought traditional delivery methods and found creative ways to rise above our current limitations.

The impact of PPHM extends far beyond the walls of our facility on campus.

Your family can discover their creative side at Night at PPHM with a Glow! Join us where guests of all ages can create t...
05/21/2026

Your family can discover their creative side at Night at PPHM with a Glow! Join us where guests of all ages can create their own glow-in-the-dark artwork. This hands-on activity is perfect for families, kids, and anyone who enjoys experimenting with color, light, and creativity in a unique nighttime setting. Whether you make a masterpiece or simply enjoy the process, it’s a memorable way to experience art after dark.

Friday, June 12th from 8–11 PM
PPHM East Lawn (weather permitting)
Tickets are $5 (at the door), and PPHM Members attend for free

This striking painting by Charles Clyde Squires combines a Western pulp illustration with Japanese design principles. It...
05/21/2026

This striking painting by Charles Clyde Squires combines a Western pulp illustration with Japanese design principles. It appeared on the cover of Short Stories magazine in 1929 for a story called "Rustlers Ride the Southern Ranges."

Squires (1883-1970) was a student of Howard Pyle, known as the "father of American illustration," who often encouraged his students to grab a reader's eye from the newsstand using bold, flat shapes. The massive red sun disc is a direct nod to the Hinomaru, the Japanese sun symbol. The flat, off-center composition and dramatic cropping also reflect Japanese design.

Address

2503 4th Avenue
Canyon, TX
79015

Opening Hours

Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm
Saturday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

(806) 651-2244

Website

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