Historical Markers
Man and woman walking on pathway near building - weekend history getaways

By car · metro area, Texas

Weekend History Getaways in Amarillo, TX

Two days, one region, and the historic places that make it worth the drive, from the main street buildings to the cemetery on the hill.

Photo: Dylan Mullins on Unsplash

Ask anyone in Amarillo, TX for something to do this weekend that costs nothing and the answer is usually a park. The Amarillo, TX metro area has about 276,235 residents, ranking 185th in the country. The better answer is the history sitting a few miles from the house.

On the record near Amarillo, TX

The 12 nearest

46 listed historic sites on the record within 30 miles of Amarillo, TX.

  1. Potter County Libraryunder a mile from the center of Amarillo · Potter CountyRecorded Texas Historic Landmark
  2. Potter County Courthouse1.0 miles from the center of Amarillo · Potter CountyRecorded Texas Historic Landmark
  3. Fisk Medical Arts Building1.2 miles from the center of Amarillo · Potter CountyRecorded Texas Historic Landmark
  4. Santa Fe Building1.3 miles from the center of Amarillo · Potter CountyRecorded Texas Historic Landmark
  5. Bivins Home1.4 miles from the center of Amarillo · Potter CountyRecorded Texas Historic Landmark
  6. Bivins Library (PLATE 81)1.4 miles from the center of Amarillo · Potter CountyRecorded Texas Historic Landmark
  7. Old First Baptist Church1.5 miles from the center of Amarillo · Potter CountyRecorded Texas Historic Landmark
  8. H. B. Sanborn House1.6 miles from the center of Amarillo · Potter CountyRecorded Texas Historic Landmark
  9. Polk Street United Methodist Church1.6 miles from the center of Amarillo · Potter CountyRecorded Texas Historic Landmark
  10. Shuford-Killough House1.8 miles from the center of Amarillo · Potter CountyRecorded Texas Historic Landmark
  11. Houghton House1.9 miles from the center of Amarillo · Potter CountyRecorded Texas Historic Landmark
  12. Avery and Mary Turner House1.9 miles from the center of Amarillo · Potter CountyRecorded Texas Historic Landmark

Distances are straight-line from the center of Amarillo, TX. Many sites are private property or working buildings - view them from the public way. See them on the map.

Weekend Getaways in Amarillo, step by step

  1. 1

    Open the map and see what is listed within a few miles

  2. 2

    Pick three stops close enough together for one outing

  3. 3

    Read the record for the first stop before you leave the car

  4. 4

    Stand where it happened and find one detail the sign leaves out

  5. 5

    Collect the stops and pick the next three from what is left

What people in Amarillo, TX ask first

How much does it cost to visit these sites in Amarillo, TX?

Most listed sites can be seen from a public road or sidewalk at no cost, and the app is free to use. Some sites are private homes, working churches or museums with their own hours and fees. The record for each one says what it is, so you know before you go.

Where does the information on these sites come from?

From published records: the National Register of Historic Places, the Recorded Texas Historic Landmark program, and the Georgia Historical Society and Georgia Department of Natural Resources marker program. Every site on the page names its source.

How close does a site have to be to show up here?

The list is sorted by straight-line distance from the center of Amarillo, TX and covers sites out to about sixty miles. Most people find several within a short drive, and in older towns a few within walking distance.

Can I visit the sites that are private homes?

You can see them from the street, which is how most listed houses are meant to be enjoyed. Please do not walk onto the property or knock unless the site is open to visitors.

How a visit works in Amarillo

  1. Step 1

    Find the place

    Every stop starts as a pin with real coordinates. In Amarillo, TX the map shows what is listed around you and how far each one is, so the first decision is where to go, and it takes a few seconds.

  2. Step 2

    Read the story

    The record behind each marker is kept whole: what happened there, when, who was involved, and why it was worth a sign. You read it standing where it happened, which is the part a textbook cannot give you.

  3. Step 3

    Get there under your own power

    Walk it, run it, hike it, ride it or drive it. Stops in Amarillo, TX are chained into routes that fit the way you move, so a lunch break, a long run or a Saturday drive can all pass through history.

  4. Step 4

    Collect it and come back

    Each stop you reach counts toward a badge, and a photo or a correction you send makes the record better for the next person. The map remembers where you have been, so the next trip starts where the last one ended.

The rules that make it work

The record comes first

Every site on these pages comes from a published register or marker program, with its source named. Nothing is listed that is not on the record.

Read the whole story

A marker is a few lines on a post. The story behind it is longer, and it includes the hard parts. Both are worth the stop.

Movement makes it stick

People remember the places they walked to. A route through five markers teaches more than fifty marker pages read on a couch.

Local beats famous

The marker two streets over usually has a better story than the one in the guidebook, and nobody else is standing in front of it.

Respect the ground

Many sites are private homes, working churches or cemeteries. View from the public way, follow posted hours, and leave it as you found it.

Every visitor can improve it

Markers go missing, get moved, or carry mistakes. A photo or a location fix from the person standing there is how the record stays right.

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