Any fan of rock and roll knows Lubbock, Texas, to be the home of Texas-born, legendary American singer-songwriter Buddy Holly.
Although if you are planning your visit to the city, there are many museums to see—some of them exceptionally unique, such as a gallery displaying 200 different kinds of windmills.
From a museum for agriculture to the gallery of gliders, a heritage site for more than 30 ranches of different eras, and Buddy Holly Center, chronicling the life and artifacts related to the iconic singer Buddy Holly, Lubbock has a lot to offer to its travelers.
Here are the best things to do in Lubbock, Texas:
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This site is dedicated primarily to American Singer-Songwriter from the 1950s, Charles Hardwin Holly, aka Buddy Holly.
The life and times of the iconic rock and roll legend are displayed for his fans.
If you’re a fan of the American classics, then you can’t say no to visiting at least once.
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The place is full of memorabilia, such as his iconic Fender Stratocaster guitar and his unique black glasses.
The center also has a life-size statue of him.
From photographs of significant events of his life to a collection of his personal items, the museum is full of nostalgia for music fans.
It’s a favorite among tourists with a deep interest in good old classic music.
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This is not just a museum.
It’s a story of a passionate Texas home economics teacher and her infatuation with windmills.
Billie Wolfe dedicated 30 years of her life to researching the history behind the artifacts and collecting them.
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She deeply investigated the historical significance of windmills in the lives of prairie people.
The museum was opened in 1998 and soon evolved in 2001.
The museum houses more than 200 windmills of all sizes and varieties.
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Are you looking for a relaxing walk amidst the beauty of nature?
The Lubbock Memorial Arboretum is a historical site of outstanding scenic beauty, featuring a 1.8 mile-long walking trail and native wildlife consisting of birds and butterflies.
The arboretum has a scenic lake named Playa and a beautiful red building where tourists and locals can join for nature classes.
One of the most happening places in Lubbock, the center is known for hosting classes, exhibitions, and various fun events.
The family-friendly attraction offers a range of recreational activities, from contests for arts and photography to shows about gardening and lessons by skilled gardeners.
It’s a gathering place for cultural and recreational activity clubs of the city, as well as not-for-profit organizations.
The garden’s popular features include the tea terrace for quiet contemplation, the rose garden for romantic company, and the memorial arboretum.
You might have been to many kinds of museums, but have you ever been to one solely dedicated to agriculture?
Located at Alton Brazell Exhibit Hall, the Bayer Museum of Agriculture offers an excellent tour for those curious about farming.
Teach yourself and the kids about the various processes involved.
Various steps and processes related to farming are put on display, along with often-used tools and machines.
You can get behind the wheels and experience being a farmer for a while.
There are legitimate farmers in the museum to answer your agriculture-related questions.
There are historical and classic machines from various periods on display, too.
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This is a museum with a beautiful background narrative.
An African-American couple lived through various social biases in the 50 years of their business.
They struggled and yet succeeded in their business, despite all the odds.
Alfred and Billie Caviel decided to donate the former pharmacy.
Their vision was to get the spot converted into a museum showcasing African-American history and culture.
The dream came in 2015, making it a unique museum in Texas.
Its collection comprises photographs of Successful African-Americans such as the astronaut M.D. Bernard Harris.
The exhibition center for international and local for artists aims to support, preserve, and promote their crafts and art.
This place is known for its diverse collections ranging from traditional artistic pieces to modern international artworks.
The artworks on display change throughout the season.
The gallery hosts popular pieces such as the artwork of Tina Fuentes.
Some interactive activities are also held for engagement with tourists.
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From fine arts to biology, textiles to paleontology, and history to natural sciences, the Museum of Tech University is a one-stop destination for everyone interested in related topics.
The natural history preservation and scientific research program are particularly phenomenal.
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The museum is known for collecting and preserving specimens from various eras.
There are many tours available for you to choose from.
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The National Ranching Heritage Center features traditional ranching history displayed by the well preserved historical ranching structures, categorized one after another, in order of their existence.
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It is a heritage center rather than a museum that models themed structures and houses a real-life collection of ranches.
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There are more than 50 ranches, and 30 of them are over 100 years old, still decently preserved despite their age.
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This preservation center started with only four prairie dogs.
Now, it’s home to numerous animals of the same species and has become a famous tourist hub in the city.
The structural framework, irrigation, and boundaries are customized, keeping in mind the burrowing nature of the inhabitants.
Prairie Dog Town is a unique protected territory.
Many tourists and local residents swarm this place on weekends and holidays.
There are overview platforms constructed to provide a relaxing viewing area for visitors.
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The museum comprises an enormous dome-shaped screen to hold informative speeches, an Omni theatre, and about 250 science displays.
Live science shows are also displayed here daily.
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For tourists who enjoy scientific experiments, exhibitions, and shows, this is an excellent museum to check out.
The museum aims to preserve and exhibit the history and information on gliders related to World War II.
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Take a 90-minute tour through the museum arranged into scenes of the warzone from WWII and observe the significance of the glider program used in the war.
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For your breakfast cravings, Cast Iron Grill is a scratch kitchen restaurant located nearby Buddy Holly Museum.
They offer southern-style breakfast on their menu and a quality spread of pies.
Abuelo’s Mexican restaurant is a great choice if you prefer Mexican food.
It’s a chain restaurant with outdoor dining and curbside pick-up options, known chiefly for its dessert and tea collection.
For a complete dining experience in a homely lodge setting, plan a visit to Aspen Creek Hill during your stay.
It is famously known for its dishes made from fresh produce.
It’s an excellent place for lunch and dinner, both family and solo dining.
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This amusement park features more than 30 kinds of rides of different difficulties, from family-friendly to sports junkie levels.
Choose the best match to your taste and get lost in the thrill of the roller coasters.
From a madhouse to bumper cars and daring rollercoaster rides to various arcade games, it’s a great weekend getaway to have fun with your friends and family.
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One of the park’s best attractions is the dare-devil drop, famous among youngsters and adults alike.
There are slow variants of rides as well for younger children.
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Operating since 1988, Caprock Winery offers the visitors a taste of Texas’ genuinely traditional wine culture.
For wine connoisseurs, it’s a great opportunity to taste-test some rare and exotic wines that are hard to come by.
The tour consists not only of taste-testing their wine quality but also a short trip down their vineyard.
The visitors are invited to relax by the fireplace or patio while enjoying their home-crafted wines.
The land for Legacy Play Village was allotted by the town government and the funding by a bond package, but the credit for the idea and effort behind the construction goes to the volunteers.
This site was slowly put together, considering the artistic representation of south plains into a one-of-a-kind children’s playground.
If you are a tourist to the city with your family or kids or are a resident, Legacy Play Village is ideal for letting your kids loose and having grand fun amidst the historical wooden structures.
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Opened in 1938 and originally called the Cactus Theater, the venue served as a movie house for about 20 years before shutting its doors for good in 1958.
In 1995, Cactus Theater reopened as a live performance theater, and since then, it’s been playing host to live theater plays and musicals, classic and independent films, concerts, comedy, and more.
For many years, the Cactus Theater has been serving the community with live music shows, including The Cactus Family Christmas Celebration, Nostalgia Nites, The JDs, Girls’ Nite Out, and more.
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It even hosted concerts like The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, The Glenn Miller Orchestra, and other America’s legendary big bands.
Marcia Ball, Joe Ely, Gary Morris, Ray Wylie Hubbard, BJ Thomas, The Maines Brothers Band, Guy Clark, Rodney Crowell, Michael Martin Murphey, and dozens more Texas music legends even made spectacular performances here.
Over the years, the Alamo Drafthouse has made it its mission to deliver a movie-going experience second to none.
Whether it’s a private screening of an old favorite, a unique culinary menu created to complement the features, or catching up on some hidden cinematic gems, this movie space will provide you with plenty of unique movie-viewing experiences.
You get cold drinks, tasty beers, or yummy food served to you when you sit down for the movie at this theater.
This place treats you to beautiful images and sounds thanks to the technicians’ constant upkeep of their equipment and the cinematic purists who handle presentation.
It features a 35mm projector attached to widescreen 70mm equipment, which is the standard format for all visionary cinema artists like Paul Thomas Anderson and Christopher Nolan.
For thrill-seekers looking to visit Lubbock, there is no better way to make the most of your time here than to enjoy Adventure Park at 29th Drive.
With a full restaurant, ziplining, mini-golf, go-karts, bumper boats, climbing towers, and arcade games, you and those you’re vacationing with will be kept busy all day long here.
Their Expedition Cafe offers loaded bacon cheese fries, chicken nachos, mac and cheese hotdog, Hawaiian pizza, and more tasty treats just in case you get hungry.
Cypress Peak Ropes Park is Adventure Park’s indoor ropes course climbing facility that gives you the experience of a lifetime by allowing you to scale three stories, cross bridges, walk tightropes, and perform over forty-five physical challenges to keep your adrenaline pumping.
Their game room features a stunning array of 50 games with the latest hits and retro favorites.
And if you’re visiting with kids, your little one will surely love riding their water bumper boats, go-karts, pedal boats, and ziplines.
Their Lazer Maze, Gem Mining, Ninja Zone, Rock Wall, two 18-hole mini-golf courses, and Adventure Towers also capture children’s enthusiasm.
It’s never too late to learn more about agriculture and its past in Lubbock.
At FiberMax Center for Discovery, take the opportunity to touch up on your historic farm knowledge through its variety of exhibits.
In 2001, the organization of the non-profit group that would handle the display and collection of machinery contributing to the technical innovation of Lubbock.
After years of planning and renovating, it officially finished construction in 2014 and opened to the public soon after.
FiberMax Center for Discovery’s central exhibit hall exposes you to a world of modern agriculture through interactive technology.
Learn more about irrigation, crop harvesting, and cotton harvesting with a visit here.
To fully immerse yourself in the agricultural exploration experience, drop by the working pivot irrigation system and homestead outside.
Find this one-of-a-kind museum on Canyon Lake Drive.
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Lubbock Lake Landmark, part of Texas Tech University, is an archaeological site that’s one of the most important in North America.
First explored in 1939, this landmark holds various evidence of the ancient settlers in the South Plains.
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In the 40s, bison kills from over 10,000 years ago came to light through thorough research around the place.
Part of its long-term exhibits includes a display of tools and artifacts that early ancestors used around Yellowhouse Draw.
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Get to know what it’s like to live in a dugout, too, in one of the exhibits at Lubbock Lake Landmark.
Head over to Landmark Drive to start your archaeological tour.
Get a taste of local Texas wine at English Newsom Cellars.
This small family-owned winery on East Woodrow Road takes pride in taking control of the whole winemaking process, from grape production to fermentation.
But more than its wine-tasting capabilities, it’s also a great venue to host your more memorable events.
Whether you need an intimate space to raise a toast to graduation and birthday milestones or just somewhere to celebrate life through live music, English Newsom Cellars has got your back.
Its multi-functional facilities and magnificently landscaped vineyard offer the perfect backdrop to your festivities.
Don’t forget to swirl and smell your glass of wine at your next party.
If you’re looking for a remarkable Lubbock exploration adventure, you might like ALON/USA Fina Sculpture Garden.
This art-focused center overlooks the beauty of Mackenzie Park.
It features six large structures standing around a circle.
But what makes ALON/USA Fina Sculpture Garden significant is its relevance to the art and heritage of Llano Estacado.
These pieces of abstract art are a result of Sculptor Steve Teeters’ creativity and initiative.
Don’t forget to bring your camera on your trip to this garden on Block of East Broadway.
Looking for an art experience unlike any other while on your Lubbock excursion?
Situated on Avenue J, Charles Adams Gallery is a premier fine art gallery showcasing local artists.
Through its halls, browse paintings, sculptures, and other unique artworks you won’t find elsewhere.
Find exemplary gilded frames at the same time while at Charles Adams Gallery.
You never know, your next inspiration may come from this place.
Lubbock, Texas, is home to a plethora of amazing things, including exquisite music, various fine dining options, and charming attractions.
When you book your vacation in Lubbock, you can expect an incredible cultural scene to the tune of a great number of fun activities.
For those looking for the trip of a lifetime, make sure to bookmark this page.
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