Discover 11 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Midland (United States). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Permian Basin Petroleum Museum, Wagner Noël Performing Arts Center, and The Museum of the Southwest. Also, be sure to include Chaparral Center in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Midland (Texas).
Table of Contents
Permian Basin Petroleum Museum
Museum in Midland, Texas. The Permian Basin Petroleum Museum is a museum in Midland, Texas, USA, with exhibits relating to the oil and gas industry of the Permian Basin of west Texas and southeast New Mexico. Museum exhibits include the geology of the area during the Permian period, the technology of the petroleum industry, racing cars designed by Jim Hall, and paintings by artist Tom Lovell.
The museum was founded in 1975. The collections are housed in a 60,000-square-foot (5,600 m2) building, with an outdoor exhibit space for large oil-field machinery. The museum is open to the public seven days per week.
The museum maintains a research library containing donated material related to the history of the Permian Basin oil industry. It also houses the Petroleum Hall of Fame which includes over 140 men and women who have impacted the Permian Basin's petroleum industry.[1]
Address: 1500 W Interstate 20, 79701-2041 Midland
Wagner Noël Performing Arts Center
Music hall in Midland County, Texas. The Wagner Noël Performing Arts Center is a performing arts venue located between the cities of Midland, Texas and Odessa, Texas. WNPAC is owned by The University of Texas, and is built on a satellite campus of The University of Texas of the Permian Basin. It houses an 1800-seat main concert hall and a 200-seat recital hall, and also houses the UTPB music department.[2]
Address: Midland, 1310 N. FM1788
The Museum of the Southwest
Museum, Natural history museum, History museum
Address: 1705 W Missouri Ave, 79701-6516 Midland
Chaparral Center
The Chaparral Center is a multi-purpose indoor arena located on the campus of Midland College in Midland, Texas. It opened in 1978 and has a capacity of 5,500 people.[3]
Haley Library and History Center
Specialty museum, Museum, Library
Address: 1805 W Indiana Ave, 79701-6949 Midland
Fasken Center
Shopping center in Midland, Texas. The Fasken Center is a complex of two 182-foot-tall high-rise buildings in the downtown business district of Midland, Texas.
The first tower was built in 1974 with fourteen floors. In 1982, the second tower was constructed to mirror the first tower. It, too, has fourteen floors. The Fasken Center is sometimes referred to by locals as the Twin Towers of Midland. Many oil and gas companies are tenants of the buildings, as well as a bank.[4]
Address: 500 W Texas Ave # 1140, 79701-4391 Midland
Yucca Theater
Theatre in Midland, Texas. The Yucca Theater is a theatre in Midland, Texas. In 1927, oilman and former Montana senator Thomas S. Hogan announced plans to build a theatre to complement the nearby Petroleum Building. Opened in 1929, the Yucca Theatre started as a movie and vaudeville house. The theatre is a Texas historic landmark. The Summer Mummers is a yearly production presented at the Yucca, and runs on Friday and Saturday nights from the first weekend in June to Labor Day weekend. There are typically 30 performances each summer. The show comprises a locally written melodrama, followed by the olio.[5]
Address: Midland, 208 N Colorado St.
Midland College
Community college in Midland, Texas. Midland College is a public community college in Midland, Texas. It was established as an independent junior college in 1972 and held its first classes on campus in 1975. Since that time, the campus has expanded to a 704,752-square-foot main campus on 224 acres in Midland. It also has numerous locations in other parts of Midland and in Fort Stockton, the Pecos County seat.[6]
Address: 3600 N Garfield St, Midland
Sibley Nature Center
Science museum, Park, Relax in park
Address: 1307 E Wadley Ave, 79705-5722 Midland
George W. Bush Childhood Home
Museum in Midland, Texas. George W. Bush Childhood Home is a historic house that was home to former U.S. Presidents George W. Bush and George H.W. Bush from 1951 to 1955. It is located at 1412 W. Ohio Ave. in Midland, Texas.
The home was built in 1940 and was purchased by the Bush family in 1951 for $9,000 (equivalent to $90,000 in 2020). They lived in the 1,400-square-foot (130 m2) home until late 1955. It was also the earliest childhood home of Governor Jeb Bush. The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2004. It was purchased for $100,000 to become the museum, which had its opening dedication on April 11, 2006.[7]
Petroleum Building
High-rise building in Midland, Texas. The Petroleum Building is a highrise in downtown Midland, TX.
The building was built in 1928 and consists of 12 floors with a neo-gothic facade. The building stands at 137 ft but with its spires reaches a height of 151 ft. The Hogan building is a registered, Texas historical landmark. The tower is named for lawyer and oil entrepreneur Thomas Stephen Hogan.
The design of the Petroleum Building, like the Woolworth Building in New York City and the demolished Baum Building in Oklahoma City, utilizes many classic architectural devices. Gothic spires and Moorish arches, lavish carved surfaces and opulent marble, all intended to clothe the business house with the respectability of a cathedral. The architect was Wyatt C. Hedrick.[8]
Address: 221 N Main St, Midland