Based on visitor reviews and overall quality, these are the five best museums in Lubbock, Texas. When you click on a museum’s name, you’ll be taken to a page with details about the museum, such as its hours, exhibitions,
Best Museums In Lubbock TX, check out our comprehensive page with all Lubbock museums for more information on their exhibitions and admission prices as well as discount cards and passes.
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10 List Of The Best Museums In Lubbock TX
1. National Ranching Heritage Center
On the campus of Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas, you’ll find the National Ranching Heritage Center, a museum dedicated to the history of ranching in the United States.
Almost fifty original ranch structures, ranging in age from the 18th to the 20th century, are on display at the NRHC. The structures include a train station, farms, a barn, a blacksmith shop, a school, and a couple of windmills. The exhibits are viewed by the visitor on their own accord via a self-guided walking tour. Public access is unrestricted and uncostly.
2. Silent Wings Museum
The Silent Wings Museum in Lubbock, Texas, is dedicated to “The Legacy of The World War II Glider Pilots.” The museum is located in what was once the control tower and terminal building for the Lubbock Airport in the 1950s and 1960s.
3. Lubbock Lake Landmark
A significant historical and archaeological site in Lubbock, Texas, Lubbock Lake Landmark is also known as Lubbock Lake Site. There are 336 acres in the state and federally protected preserve.
Lubbock Lake Landmark is a time capsule for both extinct animals and ancient humans. Ancient cultures used the Llano Estacado for nearly 12,000 years, as shown by artifacts discovered there.
It is housed in the Texas Tech University Museum. Witnessing ongoing archaeological excavations is a popular activity for tourists. Non-scientists can visit the site thanks to the yearly influx of volunteers who assist with the ongoing excavations during the summer.
Year-round, guests can choose between a guided tour or exploring on their own. The landmark is open from 9am-5pm on Tuesdays through Saturdays, and from 1pm-5pm on Sundays. The location has been recognized as both a National Historic and State Archeological Landmark, and is included on the National Register of Historic Places.
4. American Wind Power Center
In Lubbock, Texas, there is a museum dedicated to wind energy called the American Wind Power Center. To the east of downtown Lubbock, on 28 acres (110,000 square meters) of city park land, you’ll find a museum housing more than 160 windmills in the American style.
5. Museum Of Texas Tech University
There is a museum on campus at Texas Tech University in Lubbock. The main museum building, the Moody Planetarium, the Natural Science Research Laboratory, the educational and research facilities at Lubbock Lake Landmark, and the Val Verde County research site all make up this institution.
It houses a wide variety of collections spanning many disciplines, including art, history, zoology, paleontology, and sociology.
6. The Life of Lubbock’s Famous Son
The Life of Lubbock’s Famous Son, It’s impossible to have a conversation about things to do in Lubbock without first mentioning Buddy Holly, who was born there. The Buddy Holly Center in Lubbock is a memorial to the city’s native son, who has been called “the single most influential creative force in early rock & roll.”
The heart of the Buddy Holly Center is an exhibit hall stocked with mementos from the singer’s brief life, from childhood photos of Charles Hardin Holley to a schedule for his Winter Dance Party.
The J.I. Allison House can be found right next door. Many of the hits by Buddy Holly and the Crickets, in which Allison played drums, were written here. Walk the West Texas Walk of Fame and take a selfie next to the Buddy Holly statue, located on the other side of the street at the Buddy and Maria Elena Holly Plaza.
7. A Taste of the Real West
Nineteen Longhorn steers guided by cowboys greet you as you arrive at the National Ranching Heritage Center. An introduction to the significance of ranching in Texas and the high regard in which its history and traditions are held can be found in the bronze reproductions of brands from the state’s most prestigious ranches.
The massive Ranch Museum Building, built of native stone and timber, houses rotating exhibits of ranch life- everything from art to artifacts, buckskin to buggies, farm machinery to firearms.
8. Harness The Wind
Harness The Wind Windmills, once a common sight throughout frontier towns and farms, were mainly used to pump water and occasionally for grinding grain. You’ll gain a new appreciation for the ingenuity of our forefathers at the American Wind Power Center, the largest windmill museum in the world.
You can’t miss your destination, which is east of Lubbock and marked by dozens of windmills. The sheer variety in windmills based on need and location is fascinating to observe as their blades slowly turn in the breeze.
9. WWII’s Silent Heroes
Many World War II glider pilots received their initial training at Lubbock, Texas’ South Plains Army AirField between 1942 and 1944. What? Those who fly gliders? I’m fairly certain they didn’t go over that in my American history course.
Some of the most courageous and underappreciated war heroes were the pilots who flew silently across enemy lines to deliver troops, Jeeps, arms, and even small bulldozers to crucial strategic points. This museum, housed in the former Lubbock airport terminal, is a tribute to these men.
10. Public Art Collection
The Public Art Collection at Texas Tech includes sculpture, murals, photographs, and paintings, but it is not a traditional museum.
The Texas Tech campus is beautiful, but it will take you several days to explore it all because the Walking Tour Brochure is 184 pages long and includes five tours. Bonus stop on your art tour: The Steel House, located in Ransom Canyon just outside of Lubbock.
Robert Bruno, a former professor in the Texas Tech University College of Architecture, reportedly drew inspiration for his home design from his own untitled sculpture that can be found in front of the college. The house is absolutely one-of-a-kind due to the fact that it was constructed using recycled steel. The house is interesting to see despite the fact that you cannot go inside it.
FAQs Best Museums In Lubbock TX
What is Lubbock best known for?
Lubbock, Texas is well-known as the home of Texas Tech University, numerous well-known musicians, and High Plains wineries. All of that, plus the cultural, culinary, and family-friendly attractions of the Hub City, is why we decided to pay it a visit.
Does Lubbock have a museum?
Everyone in Lubbock is familiar with the Lubbock Science spectrum. This movie theater and science museum is a lot of fun for people of all ages.
Is Lubbock TX worth visiting?
There is something for everyone in Lubbock, from the gushing waters of Lubbock Water Rampage to the exhilarating rides of Joyland Amusement Park, to the world’s largest windmill museum and the National Ranching Heritage Center.
Why is Lubbock great?
Lubbock has a mild, breezy, semi-arid climate with cool nights, warm days, and low humidity, and is famous for its expansive sky and beautiful sunsets. Lubbock has a cost of living index that is 10% lower than the national average, placing it as the eleventh least expensive city in Texas.
