WT Leading Plan to Modernize Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, Pioneer Amphitheatre

Copy by Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, cchandler@wtamu.edu

CANYON, Texas — A visionary plan to bring Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum and Pioneer Amphitheatre into the 21st century is underway, thanks to West Texas A&M University and state leaders.

Under an initial design commissioned by WT President Walter V. Wendler and others, the museum’s historically significant Pioneer Hall would remain intact and new construction would bring to life the story of the Texas Panhandle in innovative ways.

A feasibility study already has been conducted, with support of The Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp, to address critical issues with the museum’s existing facilities.

The timing is right, Wendler said, because the price tag for deferred maintenance costs and projected upgrades for the existing facilities is approaching $100 million.

The study, conducted by DLR Group and Gallagher & Associates, found improvements that could be made in fire and life safety, exhibition and programming space, and the visitor experience.

DLR and G&A’s plan — which can be read at online.flippingbook.com/view/760628752 — is just a starting point and may not reflect the final design.

The full project would require a budget of several hundred million dollars to fully transform the museum into a lasting testament to the Panhandle and the state of Texas.

“Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, for around 90 years, has been dedicated to preserving and interpreting millions of artifacts unique to Texas, and it serves as a cultural center serving the educational needs of every Texas school district in a 25,000 square-mile radius,” Wendler said. “We want to ensure the museum continues to provide upcoming generations, though interactive educational experiences, the opportunity to connect the past with their present and future.”

The Panhandle-Plains Historical Society was founded in 1921 in an effort to preserve this region’s human, cultural and natural history. Construction on Pioneer Hall began in 1932, and Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, now the largest history museum in the state, opened its doors the following year on WT’s campus.

Since 2021 , the museum has operated under the umbrella of WT’s Cultural Foundation of the Texas Panhandle , which also manages the Texas Panhandle Heritage Foundation, which produces the outdoor drama “Texas” in Palo Duro Canyon State Park.

WT owns the museum’s physical building, and its staff members are WT employees. The Panhandle-Plains Historical Society owns the museum’s collection and operates the exhibits, programs and public events. Both WT and PPHS work closely together to ensure the museum’s success.

“While the current PPHM building has served generations of people in unforgettable ways, the prospect of having a reimagined museum is a very positive one,” said Dr. Andrew Hay, CFTP executive director. “PPHM is daily dedicated to impacting a variety of visitors, students and researchers with the rich history and memories of this region—from prehistoric to present day. I’m very enthusiastic about the priority that WT is placing on having a museum building that matches the unparalleled importance of the collection.”

Wendler and CFTP have worked extensively with local leaders, elected officials, the Texas Historical Commission and The Texas A&M University System to put the plan into motion, but it will require significant public and private funding to make the dream a reality.

“This is nothing more than a vision at this point, but we all agree that it is vital to address the state of the current museum facilities and to make this gem of the Panhandle shine as brightly as possible,” Wendler said. “The museum houses what is arguably the state’s and the nation’s most important historical collections of the history of the American West, and it is our duty to preserve it and make it available to future generations.”

The plan from DLR Group and G&A would maintain the original museum building, Pioneer Hall, which is a registered landmark with the Texas Historical Commission, as the focus of a new museum facility, “like a jewel box in front of the larger institution.” New construction would mimic the hall’s Art Deco style.

Behind Pioneer Hall and a new entrance area, two new major buildings would be constructed—a North Museum and a South Museum, connected by a glass bridge.

“The reimagined PPHM will tell vibrant stories that bring to life the region’s histories—natural, cultural and industrial—while emphasizing their relevance in contemporary visitors’ lives,” the DLR Group and G&A plan says. “The interpretive approach will focus on encouraging visitors to find personal connections within the collections and narratives of the PPHM while highlighting the global connections between the region, the state and the broader world.”

To the west of the museum, adjacent to 23rd Street, a new, state-of-the-art collections building would be constructed to house and conserve artifacts not currently on display. An outdoor artist plaza is proposed, as well, featuring terraced seating, a tree-lined promenade, and a museum café.

DLR Group and G&A’s feasibility study also calls for extensive renovations to Pioneer Amphitheatre, where the outdoor drama “Texas” is staged annually in Palo Duro Canyon State Park.

“Palo Duro Canyon and the play, combined with PPHM, represent in concrete ways the history, heritage, and culture of the region, state and nation,” Wendler said. “Therefore, the amphitheater deserves to be part of our vision for renewing the spaces which house and represent who we are.”

The amphitheater would be significantly enhanced, with new seating, new stage wings, improved lighting and sound systems, and new support buildings, including dressing rooms, restrooms, costume and scenic storage, and a green room. A new entrance plaza would include all-new structures for ticketing, a gift shop, concessions, public restrooms and an art gallery that would host temporary exhibits and artifacts from the PPHS collection.

Focusing on the needs, history and future of the Texas Panhandle are key components of the University’s long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World .

That plan is fueled by the historic  One West  comprehensive fundraising campaign, which reached its initial $125 million goal 18 months after publicly launching in September 2021. The campaign’s new goal is to reach $175 million by 2025; currently, it has raised nearly $160 million.

About West Texas A&M University

WT, a Regional Research University, is redefining excellence in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus, as well as the Harrington Academic Hall WTAMU Amarillo Center in downtown Amarillo. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. WT, a Hispanic Serving Institution since 2016, boasts an enrollment of more than 9,000 and offers 58 undergraduate degree programs, one associate degree, and 44 graduate degrees, including an integrated bachelor’s and master’s degree, a specialist degree and two doctoral degrees. The University is also home to the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, the largest history museum in the state and the home of one of the Southwest’s finest art collections. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offers 14 men’s and women’s athletics programs.

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