Things to Do in Amarillo, Texas: A Local Guide
Where to eat, where to stay and what to see when you're in Amarillo for a wedding weekend — or just spending a few days in the Texas Panhandle
If you are coming into Amarillo for a wedding, you have more free time than you think. Most weddings take up one afternoon and evening. That leaves a Friday, a Saturday morning and most of a Sunday. This is our list of things to do in Amarillo when family and friends are in town for a wedding.
Amarillo is a better place to spend them than people expect.
This is the guide we hand people when they ask what to do while they are here. It works just as well if you are only passing through on I-40 with a weekend to fill.
Amarillo at a glance
Airport | Rick Husband Amarillo International (AMA) |
Main interstates | I-40 east and west, I-27 south |
Known for | Route 66, Palo Duro Canyon, Cadillac Ranch, Steak & BBQ |
Region | Texas Panhandle, West Texas |
Getting around | You will want a car |
Palo Duro Canyon | 40 miles, about 45 minutes |
Airport to the west side | About 20 minutes down I-40 |
Getting to Amarillo
Most of our out-of-town guests drive, so start here.
From Dallas, it is US-287 the whole way.
From Lubbock, I-27 north.
From New Mexico or Oklahoma, I-40.
From the northeast, US-60.
From the northwest, US-385.
US-287 also brings people in from the north.
Everything sits around those two interstates. I-40 runs east and west through town. I-27 heads south toward Canyon and Lubbock. Once you have those straight, Amarillo is easy to get around.
If you are flying
Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport is the local airport. It is small, which is mostly good news — you get from the gate to a rental car fast. From there it is about twenty minutes straight down I-40 to the west side of town.
Rent a car either way. Amarillo is spread out and rideshare coverage thins once you leave the middle of town.
Things to do in Amarillo
Start here if you are short on time.
If you have one hour: Cadillac Ranch.
If you have half a day: Palo Duro Canyon.
If the weather turns: Cinergy or the Discovery Center.
If you want something uniquely Amarillo: Historic Route 66 on 6th Street.
If you are here in baseball season: Sod Poodles at HODGETOWN.
Palo Duro Canyon
The big one.
Palo Duro Canyon State Park sits about 40 miles out, roughly a 45 minute drive, down near Canyon. It is the second largest canyon in the country and most visitors have never heard of it until they are standing in it.
Check entry and conditions on the Texas Parks and Wildlife site before you go. It is a state park, not a roadside stop, and it deserves a real morning rather than a quick look.
Cadillac Ranch
Ten Cadillacs buried nose-down in a field along I-40 west of town. Free, and spray painting them is part of the deal. Bring a can.
It is on the west side, close to the hotels most out-of-town guests use. About an hour round trip including the drive.
Historic Route 66 and 6th Street
Amarillo sits on one of the better-preserved stretches of Historic Route 66, and the heart of it is the 6th Street district just west of downtown.
The old alignment runs right through it — antique shops, bars, restaurants and neon in buildings that have been there since the road was the main way across the Texas Panhandle.
Golden Light Cafe and Cantina is on this street. It opened in 1946 and is the oldest restaurant in Amarillo. Old Tascosa Brewing Company is two doors down. If you make one stop on 6th Street, make it that block.
The Big Texan is also a Route 66 story. It opened in 1960 on the old road and moved to its spot on I-40 in 1970.
Route 66 runs all the way through Amarillo and out past Bushland toward New Mexico. Cadillac Ranch sits along the same corridor, which is why the two pair naturally in an afternoon.
Amarillo Sod Poodles
Double-A baseball at HODGETOWN downtown, affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks. If the season lines up with your visit, it is a good evening with a group.
715 S Buchanan St
Cinergy Entertainment
Bowling, arcade, movies. The answer when there are kids along or the weather does something unexpected.
9201 Cinergy Sq
American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame and Museum
Amarillo is a horse town and this is where that shows. Bronze statues outside, exhibits and a theater inside. Worth an hour if you want to understand the part of West Texas that is not visible from the interstate.
2601 E Interstate Dr
Don Harrington Discovery Center
Science center with a space theater. Our kids love it. It is the first place we send anyone traveling with children, and it is the right call on a day when the wind is up.
1200 Streit Dr
Where to eat in Amarillo
These are not from a list. This is where we take our family to eat.
Amarillo eats well, and almost none of it is chain food. Here is what to order at each one.
Steak, because you are in Texas
Get the frozen Crown and Coke. The bacon wrapped quail is outstanding. Locally owned, in Townsquare Village.
9181 Town Square Blvd, Suite 1311
The one with the 72-ounce steak challenge. Touristy, and worth doing once.
7701 I-40 East
Barbecue
Get the ribs.
3301 Olsen Blvd
Worth the drive to the south side.
6723 S Western St
Burgers
Open since 1989. Burgers are the draw and the tea bar is genuinely great, eighteen flavors.
6045 SW 34th Ave
Green chile cheese fries and the bacon cheeseburger.
4201 W I-40
Old fashioned cheeseburger, and get the cheese fries with green chile.
2417 S Grand St
Getting married at Cornerstone? Ask about our Whataburger late night bites. That's the cart in the photo.
Green chile and Tex-Mex
Best chicken fry in town.
13651 I-27
Chimichanga, and ask for the green and poblano sauce mixed.
7312 Wallace Blvd
Build your own nachos with the spicy ranch.
1612 S Georgia St
Chips, salsa and queso to start, then the enchiladas.
2101 S Soncy Rd
Breakfast
Great biscuits and gravy.
9180 Town Square Blvd, Suite 1001
Nashville hot chicken and waffles.
8799 Patriot Dr
Pancakes. That is the whole recommendation.
2800 Virginia Cir
Route 66 and local
Green chile cheeseburger with fries. Oldest restaurant in Amarillo, open since 1946, right on 6th Street.
2906 SW 6th Ave
Order the Wit 66.
3100 SW 6th Ave
Collard greens, sweet potato casserole, and the buttermilk pie.
1300 N Hughes St
Where to stay
The hotels our couples use most sit on the west side along I-40, about seven to eight miles from us and roughly a ten minute drive. That cluster puts you close to Cadillac Ranch and an easy run back to the interstate.
You can also search hotels near Cornerstone Ranch and book your room in one spot, or pick from the list below.
Holiday Inn Amarillo West Medical Center
8231 W Amarillo Blvd
(806) 322-4777
Drury Inn & Suites Amarillo
8540 W I-40
(806) 351-1111
Homewood Suites by Hilton Amarillo
8800 W Interstate 40
(806) 355-2222
Hilton Garden Inn Amarillo
9000 W Interstate 40
(806) 355-4400
Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Amarillo I-40 West
2000 Soncy Rd
(806) 356-9977
Planning the wedding, not just coming to it? You can set up a hotel room block or a simple booking link for your guests through our hotel page. Your guests pick the hotel and dates that work for them, and you are not stuck making calls.
How to Spend a Weekend in Amarillo
Friday
Get in, check into the hotel, and eat somewhere local instead of at the hotel. If there is a rehearsal dinner, that is your evening. If not, head to 6th Street.
Saturday morning
Breakfast, then Cadillac Ranch if time is tight or Palo Duro if you have most of the morning.
Saturday evening
The wedding, or dinner somewhere off the list above.
Sunday
Breakfast, then one more Amarillo stop before you leave. The Big Texan is right on I-40 if you are driving east.
If you have an extra half day
Palo Duro. It is the one thing people regret skipping, and it takes a real morning rather than a quick stop.
Where Cornerstone Ranch fits in
If the wedding you are attending is at Cornerstone Ranch Event Center, you are headed just west of Amarillo, out past Bushland.
That puts you about ten minutes from the hotel cluster and closer to Cadillac Ranch than most of downtown.
We have been hosting weddings here since 2014, and a good share of them bring guests in from out of state. We have answered the where-should-we-eat question enough times that we finally wrote it down.
If you are the couple rather than the guest and you are still choosing a venue, our guide to what to compare before you book an Amarillo wedding venue is the place to start.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to do in Amarillo for a weekend?
Palo Duro Canyon, Cadillac Ranch, the Historic Route 66 district on 6th Street, Sod Poodles baseball at HODGETOWN, Cinergy Entertainment, the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame and the Don Harrington Discovery Center are the ones visitors ask about most.
Is Amarillo worth visiting for a weekend?
Yes, and more than most people expect. Between Palo Duro Canyon, the Route 66 district and the food, a weekend fills itself without much planning.
What can you do in Amarillo if you only have one day?
Cadillac Ranch in the morning, 6th Street and lunch, then either Palo Duro in the afternoon or a Sod Poodles game in the evening if the season lines up.
What are some free things to do in Amarillo?
Cadillac Ranch is free, and so is walking the Historic Route 66 district on 6th Street. Palo Duro Canyon is a state park with an entry fee.
What are some things to do in Amarillo with kids?
The Don Harrington Discovery Center is the first place we send families. Cinergy Entertainment works when the weather turns, and kids tend to love Cadillac Ranch because they get to spray paint a car.
How do you get to Amarillo?
US-287 from Dallas, I-27 from Lubbock, I-40 from New Mexico or Oklahoma, US-60 from the northeast and US-385 from the northwest. Flying in, it is Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport.
How far is Palo Duro Canyon from Amarillo?
About 40 miles from the west side, roughly a 45 minute drive.
Do I need a car in Amarillo?
Yes, for most visits. Amarillo is spread out and rideshare coverage thins once you leave the middle of town.
Where should I eat in Amarillo?
Depends what you are after. Steak is X- Steakhouse or the Big Texan. Barbecue is Tyler's or Spicy Mike's. Burgers are Buns Over Texas, Blue Sky Texas or Coyote Bluff. Green chile is Green Chile Willy's or Golden Light. Breakfast is Town Square Diner, the Toasted Yolk or Ye Olde Pancake Station.
What is Amarillo known for?
Historic Route 66, Palo Duro Canyon, Cadillac Ranch, and steak.
Planning the wedding rather than attending it?
If you are the couple putting the weekend together, we can help with more than the venue. Tell us where your guests are coming from and we will tell you what has worked.
Schedule a tour or take a look at our wedding packages and pricing.
Happy wedding planning.
XOXO – Ally
Photo: Route 66 photo: Carol M. Highsmith, Library of Congress
About Cornerstone Ranch Event Center
Cornerstone Ranch Event Center is a locally owned and operated wedding and event venue just west of Amarillo, Texas. We've been helping couples celebrate here since 2014, and after more than a decade of weddings, we've learned that good wedding planning is about much more than choosing pretty details. It's about knowing what works in real weddings, asking the right questions, planning for West Texas weather, taking care of your guests, and creating a day that actually flows.
That's why we write these wedding planning guides. Our goal is to share what we've learned from years of hosting Amarillo-area weddings and give couples practical information they can actually use — whether they ultimately choose Cornerstone Ranch or another venue in the Texas Panhandle.
Our venue offers over 10,000 square feet of climate-controlled indoor space, indoor and outdoor options, flexible layouts for celebrations both large and small, and room for up to 500 guests. We're family owned, continually improving the property, and proud to serve couples from Amarillo, Canyon, Bushland, the Texas Panhandle and beyond.
We regularly review and update our wedding planning articles as information, pricing, venue features and local resources change.
