Amarillo, Texas

==Culture==
{{See also|l1=Registered Historic Places in Potter County|National Register of Historic Places listings in Potter County, Texas|l2=Randall County|National Register of Historic Places listings in Randall County, Texas}}
[[File:War memorial, Amarillo IMG 0128.JPG|thumb|Entrance to Texas Panhandle War Memorial in Amarillo]]
[[File:Vietnam War Memorial in Amarillo IMG 0134.JPG|thumb|Listing of Amarillo-area personnel killed in the [[Vietnam War]]]]

Amarillo has a number of natural attractions near the city. The [[Palo Duro Canyon State Park]] is the United States' second largest canyon system, after the [[Grand Canyon]] and is located south of Amarillo. The canyon is a prominent mountain biking destination and hosts the annual 50-mile Palo Duro Canyon Trail Run.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://palodurotrailrun.com/|title=Palo Duro Trail Run - 50 Miles, 50k, & 20k Races|website=palodurotrailrun.com|access-date=2020-02-27}}</ref> Palo Duro has a distinct [[Hoodoo (geology)|hoodoo]] that resembles a lighthouse. Another natural landmark near the city, the [[Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument]] is located {{convert|30|mi}} north of Amarillo. It is once known as the site for prehistoric inhabitants to obtain [[flint]] in order to make tools and weapons. About {{convert|100|mi|-1}} southeast of Amarillo in [[Briscoe County, Texas|Briscoe County]] is [[Caprock Canyons State Park and Trailway]], the state park is the home of the official Texas State [[Bison]] Herd, who were captured and taken care of by cattle rancher Charles Goodnight.<ref>{{cite news |author=Storm, Rick |title=Bison herd to be moved to Caprock Canyons |date=July 4, 1997 |work=Amarillo Globe-News |url=http://www.amarillo.com/stories/070497/bison.html|access-date= January 25, 2007}}</ref>

Local millionaire [[Stanley Marsh 3]] funded many public art projects in the city including the [[Cadillac Ranch]], located west of Amarillo on [[Interstate 40 (Texas)|Interstate 40]], a monument of painted [[Cadillac (automobile)|Cadillac]] automobiles that were dug into the ground head first. Marsh also participated in an ongoing art project called the Dynamite Museum, which consists of thousands of mock [[traffic sign]]s. These signs, bearing messages such as "Road does not end" or displaying a random picture, are scattered throughout the city of Amarillo.<ref>{{cite news |author=Cowley, Jennifer S. |title=Public Art in Private Places |date=October 2001 |publisher=Texas A&M University's Real Estate Center |url=http://recenter.tamu.edu/tgrande/vol8-4/1523.html|access-date= January 25, 2007 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20060917093309/http://recenter.tamu.edu/tgrande/vol8-4/1523.html |archive-date= September 17, 2006}}</ref> Besides these works, one can find close to the city the final earthwork of [[Robert Smithson]] (and another commission by Marsh), ''Amarillo Ramp''.

The city has events and attractions honoring the [[cowboy]] and Texas culture. During the third week of September, the Tri-State Fair & Rodeo brings participants mostly from Oklahoma, New Mexico and Texas to Amarillo since 1921.<ref>{{cite news |title=Tri-State Tradition |date=June 26, 2005 |work=Amarillo Globe-News |url=http://www.amarillo.com/stories/062605/spe_disama_26.shtml|access-date= January 25, 2007}}</ref> On the Tri-State Exposition grounds, the [[Amarillo National Center]] is a special events center for events ranging from national [[equestrianism|equestrian]] competitions to [[auto racing|motor sports]] and [[rodeo]]s. The World Championship Ranch Rodeo sponsored by the [[Working Ranch Cowboys Association]] is held every November in the [[Amarillo Civic Center]].<ref name="cuisine">{{cite news |author=Smith-Rodgers, Sheryl |title=Cowboy Cooking |date=May 21, 2006 – May 27, 2007 |publisher=American Profile |url=http://www.americanprofile.com/issues/20060521/20060521_5188.asp|access-date= January 25, 2007 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20060811185400/http://www.americanprofile.com/issues/20060521/20060521_5188.asp|archive-date=August 11, 2006}}</ref> The Amarillo Livestock Auction on Bull Road holds a free-to-the-public cattle auction on Tuesdays. Now located on Interstate 40, The Big Texan Steak Ranch is famous by offering visitors a free 72&nbsp;[[ounce]] (2&nbsp;kg) beef steak if it (and its accompanying dinner) is eaten in under an hour.

[[File:Globe-News Center in Amarillo Texas USA.jpg|thumb|The Globe-News Center for the Performing Arts building is located near the Amarillo Civic Center.]]
[[File:Sleeping coyote in Amarillo Zoo IMG 0166.JPG|thumb|A [[coyote]] sleeps in the afternoon heat in the Amarillo Zoo.]]
[[Globe-News Center for the Performing Arts]], opened in 2006, houses the Amarillo Opera, Amarillo Symphony, and [http://www.lonestarballet.org/ Lone Star Ballet] concerts. The facility, located just across the Amarillo Civic Center, features a 1,300-seat auditorium. The Globe-News Center was built in hope by city officials and others that it will revitalize the downtown area.<ref>{{cite news |author=Yates, Phillip |title=It all started with a vision |date=January 15, 2006 |work=Amarillo Globe-News |url=http://www.amarillo.com/stories/011506/gnc/spe_gnc1.shtml|access-date= January 25, 2007}}</ref> The nonprofit [[community theater]] group, Amarillo Little Theatre, has its season run from September to May. The theater group's two facilities, the Mainstage and the Adventure Space, are located west of Amarillo's downtown. The Pioneer [[Amphitheater]], located in nearby Palo Duro Canyon, is the setting for the outdoor musical drama ''Texas,'' which plays nightly during the summer. The musical depicts a story about the history of Texas Panhandle settlers throughout the years. In 2002, the [[Theatrical producer|producers]] changed its name to ''Texas Legacies'' after retiring the previous script that was used for 37 years for a more historically accurate one, but attendance declined over the next four seasons, so it was decided to revert to the original [[Paul Green (playwright)|Paul Green]] script in 2006.<ref>{{cite news |author=Chandler, Chip |title='Legacies' preview gets positive response |date=October 26, 2002 |work=Amarillo Globe-News |url=http://amarillo.com/stories/102602/ent_legaciespre.shtml|access-date= January 25, 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author=Crawford, Jim |title='Texas' is back, y'all |date=February 8, 2006 |work=Amarillo Globe-News |url=http://www.amarillo.com/stories/020806/new_3924505.shtml|access-date= January 25, 2007}}</ref>

The Amarillo Public Library is affiliated with the Harrington Library Consortium. The consortium consist of public, college, and school libraries located in the Texas Panhandle that share resources and cooperate with one another. Other members include the Amarillo's public schools, Amarillo College, Canyon Area Library, Lovett Memorial Library in [[Pampa, Texas]], and Hutchinson County Library in [[Borger, Texas]].<ref>{{cite web|author=West Texas A&M University's Cornette Library|url=http://www.wtamu.edu/library/indexes/hlc.shtml|title=Harrington Library Consortium|access-date=June 19, 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060624133824/http://www.wtamu.edu/library/indexes/hlc.shtml|archive-date=June 24, 2006|url-status=dead}}</ref> The Amarillo Public Library's main branch is located in downtown and operates four neighborhood branches.

[[Wonderland Amusement Park (Amarillo, Texas)|Wonderland Amusement Park]] is located in northern Amarillo at Thompson Park, named for Ernest Thompson. The park also houses the Amarillo [[zoo]] and offers [[picnicking]].

Amarillo residents are known as [[List of Amarilloans|Amarilloans]]. Notable Amarilloans include actress [[Ann Doran]] (1911–2000), old-style journalist [[Bascom N. Timmons]], the [[Dory Funk]] wrestling family, former [[Ultimate Fighting Championship|UFC]] Champions [[Heath Herring]] and [[Evan Tanner]], astronaut [[Rick Husband]], professional golfer Ryan Palmer, rockabilly pioneer [[Buddy Knox]], actress [[Carolyn Jones]], actress and dancer [[Cyd Charisse]], actor and poet [[Harry Northup]], [[Texas State Senate|State Senator]] [[Max Sherman]], [[Republican Party of Texas|Republican]] state chairman [[Tom Mechler]], politicians [[Beau Boulter]] and [[John Marvin Jones]], businessman [[T. Boone Pickens, Jr.]], singer-songwriter [[J. D. Souther]], gambler Thomas "[[Amarillo Slim]]" Preston, soldier and interior decorator [[Clyde Kenneth Harris]], and music artist and composer [[Terry Stafford]] ("Amarillo by Morning"; "Suspicion"). Singer [[Lacey Brown]] of Amarillo advanced to the top 24 in season 8 on the hit show ''[[American Idol]]''. She returned to the show again in season 9 and advanced to the top 12 but was eliminated from the program on March 17, 2010. Former residents [[Ziggy Hood|Evander "Ziggy" Hood]] and [[Montrel Meander]] are in the National Football League.

===Museums and art collections===
The [[American Quarter Horse Association]] (AQHA) is an international organization dedicated to the preservation, improvement and record-keeping of the [[American Quarter Horse]] breed. The organization is headquartered in Amarillo and has a museum. There is also an [[American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame]] exhibited in the museum. In addition, the AQHA and Center City of Amarillo co-sponsors the project, "Hoof Prints of the American Quarter Horse" which consist of horse statues located in front of several Amarillo businesses, such as the downtown Amarillo National building, Nationwide Insurance, and Edward Jones. An area business would purchase a horse statue and a local artist paints on it.<ref>{{cite news |author=Welch, Kevin |title=Horses of many colors |date=November 16, 2003 |work=Amarillo Globe-News |url=http://amarillo.com/stories/111603/new_horses.shtml|access-date= January 25, 2007}}</ref>

Two of the Amarillo area's higher education institutions have at least one museum in their campuses. The Amarillo Art Center [http://www.amarilloart.org/], opened in 1972, is a building complex with the [[Amarillo Museum of Art]] (AMoA)<ref name=autogenerated1>{{cite web|url=http://amarillomuseumofart.org/#/|title=amarillomuseumofart.org - Registered at Namecheap.com|website=amarillomuseumofart.org}}</ref> and concert hall located on the Washington Street Campus of Amarillo College. Located on the campus of West Texas A&M University, the [[Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum]] claims to be the largest historical museum in Texas.

[[File:Amarillo pond IMG 0153.JPG|thumb|Medical Center Park, adjacent to Amarillo Botanical Gardens]]
[[Don Harrington Discovery Center]], located in the city's hospital district, is an interactive science center and space theater with over 60 hands-on exhibits.<ref>{{cite web |author= Don Harrington Discovery Center |url= http://www.dhdc.org/exhibits.html |title= Exhibits |access-date= February 14, 2006 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20051125140410/http://www.dhdc.org/exhibits.html |archive-date= November 25, 2005}}</ref> Outside of the building is a steel structure called the Helium Monument which has time capsules and designates Amarillo the "Helium Capital of the World."<ref name="handbook"/> Near the proximity of the Discovery Center, the Amarillo Botanical Gardens has gardens, indoor exhibits, and a library for visitation throughout the year.

The [https://web.archive.org/web/20150321043139/http://www.ttuhsc.edu/sop/museum/ Texas Pharmacy Museum] claims to be the only Texas museum specialized in the research, collection, preservation, and exhibition of the history of pharmacy, is also located in the city's hospital district.<ref>{{cite web|author=Texas Tech Health Science Center at Amarillo|url=http://www.ttuhsc.edu/sop/prospective/visitors/museum.aspx|title=Texas Pharmacy Museum|access-date=April 5, 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060921065555/http://www.ttuhsc.edu/sop/prospective/visitors/museum.aspx|archive-date=September 21, 2006|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Founded in 2013, by businessman Tom Warren, The Amarillo Historical Museum is Amarillo's only local museum to exclusively feature local history.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://amarillohistorical.wix.com/amarillohistory |title=Amarillo Historical Museum |publisher=Amarillohistorical.wix.com |access-date=2017-06-26}}</ref>

Other notable museums in the area are the Kwahadi Kiva Indian Museum and the [[Texas Air & Space Museum|English Field Air & Space Museum]]. The Kwahadi Kiva Indian Museum features a collection of [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] artifacts and provides dance performances. The English Field Air & Space Museum, which had been operated by the Texas Aviation Historical Society featuring aircraft and space exhibits, in 2007 closed its doors and lost many of its aircraft. The museum is now rebuilding its aircraft collection as Texas Air & Space Museum and is located on American Drive on the south side of the airport.