*We partnered with Visit Amarillo to show you these exciting activities. All opinions are our own.
Use this guide to find the best things to do in Amarillo Texas for the whole Family. You will love the quirky art, big Texas love and the interesting kid-friendly museums and activities.
How to Get to Amarillo
You may be wondering, “Where is Amarillo, Texas?
Coming from New Mexico, Albuquerque to Amarillo is a 4-hour drive. Oklahoma City to Amarillo is almost four hours, too. From DFW to Amarillo it will be a 5-hour drive.
You can also fly into Amarillo. The airport in Amarillo, TX is called Rick Husband Amarillo International (airport code AMA). If you fly into Amarillo, you will need a car to get around, as there isn’t a lot of public transportation. Especially if you want to go to Palo Duro Canyon (and you do!) a rental car is necessary. Flights come in on Southwest, American and United. Most of the major direct flights are from Houston, Dallas (DFW and DAL) and Denver.
Book a cheap flight to Amarillo and get a rental car to explore the city.
Where to Stay in Amarillo
There are plenty of hotels in downtown Amarillo. You can also stay on the outskirts of town because everything is fairly close. You’ll find lots of options for Airbnbs in Amarillo. You can find the best place that meets your needs.
Our family stayed in the Hyatt Place in west Amarillo. We love the Hyatt place because it is clean, spacious, and a great value for families. the Hyatt Place offers two queen beds plus a pull-out couch which fits our family of 6 perfectly. We love the free breakfast, the pool and the staff that is helpful and welcoming. The Hyatt Place in Amarillo is right near the Discovery Center and the splash pad at the Medi Center so it is conveniently located.
To top it off, step outside your hotel room at Hyatt Place and you will be treated to a Prairie Dog parade. You will see them popping up all over the median and grassy areas just outside the hotel. Stop and watch a while if you find time.
Where to Eat in Amarillo
You will find plenty of restaurants in Amarillo. All of your favorite chains are available, as well as some local favorite places.
If you are looking for the best breakfast in Amarillo, try Youngblood’s Cafe, Calico Country Restaurant, or Ye Olde Pancake Station.
Eating in Downtown Amarillo is easy for families. Your favorite chain restaurants and fast food options are all around for your convenience and to make the kids happy. For more unique Amarillo dining experience, try menu options and atmosphere at Crush or Six Car Pub and Brewery. For a restaurant with a view, try Amarillo club. Sitting atop the tallest building in Amarillo, you can eat lunch or dinner at Amarillo Club.
Theres nothing better than BBQ in Texas! You will find some of the best BBQ in Amarillo. Tylers Barbeque, Dyer’s Bar-B-Que or Spicy Mike’s Bar-B-Q Haven are all great places to start.
Satisfy a Big Appetite at Big Texan Steak Ranch
If you are a fan of stops along Route 66, you won’t want to miss the Big Texan Steak Ranch. This restaurant stop also offers a gift shop and photo ops for your Texas pride.
The biggest attraction is the 72 oz steak challenge. If you can eat a 72 oz steak and multiple sides within an hour, it’s free! The challenge is live-streamed so you can tune in to see people fail or succeed eating a huge amount of food in only one hour. Or, If you’d rather enjoy your meal, you can order smaller steaks, fries, sandwiches or appetizers.
Eating the 72-ounce steak in Amarillo will make you famous, but at least trying for the prize would be an exciting memory for your trip to Amarillo.
Family- Friendly Things to do in Amarillo
Activities in Amarillo are plentiful and exciting. Try these attractions for a unique and interesting experience traveling with kids in Amarillos.
Create and Play at Don Harrington Discovery Center
The Don Harrington Discovery Center is perfect for kids of all ages. Playing and building indoors is a fun thing to do in Amarillo. Parents will enjoy creative opportunities that have no age limits. Spending time being curious with my kids is one of my favorite ways to spend a day.
When you go inside the Discovery Center you can choose to go right or left into large rooms. Each large room is full of multiple activities for kids and parents to learn from. Lean into your curiosity and creativity. You will love building with Kiva blocks, giant LEGOs, diggging with large machinery, and climbing on playsets.
Tap into your acting skills by becoming a news anchor or a rock band drummer, singer, or performer.
The littlest kids will love the room made specifically for 6 and under. With a small space fenced off for crawling babies, they can roam and play freely. Toddlers can climb up a net structure or build with large chunk blocks.
Don’t miss the outside fun at the Don Harrington Discovery Center. With a massive T Rex and Triceratops the kids can meet dinosaurs they dream of. There are multiple musical chimes and drums to create sounds.
Cool off at Medi Splash Pad and Playground
Just outside the Don Harrington Discovery Center, you’ll find a playground the kids will love to spend hours at. With the shaded pavilions, the green grass and surrounding lakes, you will love the peaceful setting at Medi Park. On hot days, the cold water pouring from rock structures at the splash pad will entice anyone in.
If you are looking for free things to do in Amarillo with kids, you must stop by this park. But plan more time than you think because the kids won’t want to leave. Medi Park is one of the Best Parks in Amarillo.
Don’t forget your swimsuits, towels and sunscreen.
Walk through the Amarillo Botanical Gardens
Right next to the Splash pad, ou can enter teh botanical Garden for a look at unique plants and foilage. You will especially love the exotic plants, butterfly preserves and Japanese Gardens.
See the views at Palo Duro Canyon State Park
Palo Duro Canyon State Park is a short 30 minute drive from Amarillo. It is the 2nd largest state park in Texas and is sometimes referred to as the “Grand Canyon of Texas”. When you enter Palo Duro Canyon, you will be on top of the walls looking out over the canyon. Stop at the Visitors Center for more information and great displays to learn about the geology of the area.
Drive all the way down and through the canyon. There are multiple pull-outs along the way to take a walk or a hike.
The most popular hike is Lighthouse Hike. It is 5.7 miles and leads out to a large rock formation that looks like a lighthouse.
You can enjoy the canyon with a jeep ride or a horse ride. You will find a couple of options right outside the canyon entrance that offers tours.
Don’t Miss Texas Outdoor Musical Performance
Be sure to plan a trip to Palo Duro Canyon State Park during the summer so you can experience TEXAS outdoor Musical in Palo Duro Canyon State Park. Its truly one of the best things to do in Amarillo with kids, and for every age!
Every year, the Texas outdoor Musical puts on an incredible performance with music, dancing, and acting. The stage has a backdrop of the Palo Duro Canyon walls. They use the incredible scenery to show the history of the Texas frontier and early pioneers and Indians from the area.
Purchase the VIP package for the show which included a includes a tote bag, swag and a free drink for the show.
With a paid ticket to Texas outdoor musical, you can enter Palo Duro Canyon for free after 4 pm. Explore for a few hours before you can grab dinner at the pavilion.
Outdoor BBQ Dinner before the show
Enjoy BBQ brisket, pulled pork, and smoked sausage, along with the classic beans, coleslaw, and potato salad perfect for a Texas barbeque.
Preshow Entertainment
Before the show, you can learn the history of the Indigenous people of the area straight from one of the members of their tribe in full customary dress. Music and dancing will fill your time until you can be seated for the show.
Outdoor Musical Show
You will love the setting of the performance. As the sun sets during the first act, you will catch glimpses of the stars appear. The show continues to light up the cliffs so you can enjoy the sights of the canyon long after it is dark.
Don’t be surprised by actual lightning strikes and fire-starting right behind the stage. The finale includes a water show, fireworks and slide show that will instill strong emotions of patriotism and pride.
You will walk away from this performance full of energy and love of the hardships people endured to make the area a thriving city.
Don’t miss TEXAS outdoor musical. It is well worth a visit. We were blown away by the dancing and acting. My kids, ages 4-12, were all entranced the entire performance.
The performance does start late (8:30 pm and ends around 10:45. You will have at least a 30-minute drive after the show to get back to Amarillo. If you are camping inside Palo Duro Canyon you will be much closer to your bed. We planned to have the kids fall asleep in the car on the ride to the Hyatt Place, but they were so energized by the show, they sang and laughed the whole way to our hotel.
Texas Outdoor Musical is a must-see in Amarillo, Texas.
Board the planes at Texas Air and Space Museum
Texas Air and Space Museum is free to enter and see the full-sized airplanes as well as rooms full of model airplanes. They do offer some coloring pages for kids to enjoy while you look around and learn more about the planes. There is an old plane set up with the doors open so you can climb up the stairs and walk right up the aisle into the cockpit.
Interact with the Animals at Amarillo Zoo
The best Amarillo Attractions include a trip to the Zoo. Zoos around the country can be quite expensive, but the Amarillo zoo is affordable at only $4 for adults and $2 for kids. Experience 120 mammals, birds, and reptiles as you explore the Amarillo Zoo.
Create your own Art at Cadillac Ranch
One of the cheapest things to do in Amarillo is to stop by Cadillac Ranch. This is a free art installation, where Cadillac cars have been planted right into a farmer’s field. Visitors are encouraged to leave their mark with brightly colored spray paint. You can bring your own spray paint or buy some from the truck at the entrance.
This is a unique and interesting stop just outside of Amarillo.
Learn the History and future of Cal Farleys Boys Ranch
Just north of Amarillo, Cal Farley’s Boys Ranch is doing amazing things for kids who need hope for a bright future. You can tour the facilities, learn about the history and contribute to the cause of helping youth.
At Cal Farley’s Boy Ranch, boys and girls from ages 8-18 are given a home, parents, schooling, jobs and more to help them succeed and grow with the tools they need. I was so impressed that kids learn to work with horses and cattle and can actually get a paying job taking care of the animals. This is a working farm, but also a place where at-risk kids are helped as they transition to adulthood. Check out the amazing things happening at Cal Farley’s Boys Ranch.
Family Itinerary in Amarillo
Stay at the Hyatt Place Amarillo West
Day 1
- 9-12 Don Harrington Discovery Center
- Lunch at the Medi Splash Pad and Park
- 4 pm Palo Duro Canyon State Park
- 6 pm Outdoor BBQ at the Pioneer Amphitheater
- 8 pmTexas Outdoor Musical
Day 2
- 9 am Amarillo Zoo
- Lunch: Big Texan Steak House
- 1 pm Texas Air and Space Museum
- 3 pm Cal Farley’s Boy Ranch
- 6 pm Spray Paint at Cadillac Ranch
- Dinner at a favorite restaurant of your choice
Map of Amarillo, Texas
Everything in Amarillo is easily accessible with the freeway running the length of the city. from one side to the other of the city of Amarillo is about a 15- minute drive. Everything is fairly close, so you can easily fit several activity in without worrrying about traffic or crowds.
Pin the best things to do in Amarillo with kids for youe next trip to Texas.
If you love traveling in Texas, be sure to check out all the things to do in these other fun towns in and around Texas
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