You are 8 years old, just a third grader against the world, trying to make it through your first year with the pressure of a STAAR Test. Today is special, you aren’t worried about a test or homework, because today is museum day. The best day of the year, when you get to go with your class to the local museum. This visit, you are determined to complete all four dinosaur puzzles all by yourself, and you are so excited, you could just scream. Imagine the disappointment when you learn it is your last field trip to the museum, the one day you look forward to every year, and it will be no longer. 

Young or old, tourist or long-time resident, history buff or easily entertained, The Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum (PPHM) has been a beloved staple to not just Canyonites, West Texas A&M University (WTAMU) faculty, staff, and students, but even people from all over the world for over 70 years. It is the largest museum in Texas, housing over 2 million artifacts, both on display and in the archives. However, though it is located on WTAMU’s campus, the artifacts belong to the Panhandle-Plains Historical Society (PPHS), creating a split of ownership between the building and the artifacts. 

According to University President Dr. Walter V. Wendler, the building is structurally unsound and poses great safety risks to staff and visitors. However true, the most recent report referenced by Wender was not the first. A Fire Safety Report inspecting 33 buildings across campus had previously been conducted in 2015, which only showed 13 violations at PPHM. Referring to rudimentary issues such as an “inoperable exit sign,” a “lack of exit signs throughout the 1st floor,” and an “unapproved key operated locking device.” 

The 2015 Fire Safety Report was then proposed to two different architectural firms requesting a proposal to fix the museum, as well as the other buildings on campus. In February 2017, Lavin Architects produced a Fire and Life Safety Study outlining a plan for what would need to be added and repaired. They estimated a total cost for PPHM of $6,584,391, with a project time of just over two years. This price is equivalent to $8,643,906.92 in March of 2025, when Wendler announced the closing, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI Inflation Calculator. Lavin Architects also evaluated the other buildings on campus that needed renovations, as well including Buffalo Courts, Mary Moody Northern Hall, Sybil B. Harrington Fine Arts Complex, and the Virgil Henson Activity Center (VHAC). For all five buildings, the estimated total cost was $16,202,032, with the VHAC estimated to cost $4,630,419, about 1 million less than PPHM. 

The timeline provided by Wendler stated that the initial seeking out of money to fund renovations for PPHM was a joint effort from WTAMU, Texas A&M University and Texas A&M University Systems Government Relations through a Legislative Appropriations Request. They asked for $40 million, about six times the amount estimated to be needed to restore the museum in full, for the safety violations. This was not sent to vote in the legislature as it was deemed unfundable. The request stated, “A facilities condition assessment was completed on the PPHM in 2018. The 2019 Facility Condition Index (FCI) is 37 but will jump to 64 assuming current sustainability levels are maintained,” though no assessment is provided in the timeline to support the claim. 

The second attempt to garner funds was a Tuition Revenue Bond (TRB) request submitted to the 87th legislature, asking for $28.6 million, $12 million more than the estimated cost to repair all safety issues. This request did not detail how much the architectural plan estimated, but merely stated that one had been reported. 

Wendler then hired Perkins+Will Architects, at an unknown cost, to create a Master Plan for the WTAMU campus, which included plans to redesign, rebuild, and remodel various aspects of campus, including PPHM. Though it does not mention any cost estimates for the large plans to change landscaping, roads, pedestrian malls, buildings, etc…

After this, Wendler requested and received another TRB for $65.7 million. “$44.9M was funded to cover the Old Education Building renovations and the residual for life and fire safety and fire marshal issues,” Wendler stated in his timeline, he went on to say. “Since the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum is not an E&G facility, life and fire safety funding could not be used for the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum. The funding was used for the life and fire safety of the Sybil B. Harrington Fine Arts Complex and Cornette Library.”

Texas Constitution and Statutes defines an E&G building as, “Educational and general buildings and facilities” means buildings and facilities essential to or commonly associated with teaching, research, or the preservation of knowledge, including the proportional share used for those activities in any building or facility used jointly with auxiliary enterprises. Excluded are auxiliary enterprise buildings and facilities, including but not limited to dormitories, cafeterias, student union buildings, stadiums, and alumni centers, used solely for those purposes.” 

According to the museum website, the building was operating with an active research center, “The Research Center at PPHM is a library and archives housing sources on the life and culture of the Panhandle-Plains region… The Research Center supports the mission of the museum and encourages the public to take advantage of the information found in these unique sources.”

The PPHM mission states, “PPHM promotes the stories of this region in order to build community, enhance learning, and nurture creativity,” indicating a commitment to preserving knowledge. Lastly, the museum has served as an instructional space in the past, hosting classes such as art history. Wendler said the funds from the TRB could not be used for this reason, even though just two years previously, he justified not fixing the museum with money from a TRB that was denied.

In 2021, the Cultural Foundation of the Texas Panhandle was formed and Wendler lists this as justification of his attempts to save the museum. Except all this did was combine the boards of Texas Parks and Wildlife, Texas Panhandle Heritage Foundation, and Palo Duro Canyon State Park. According to the website for CFTP, many people were named to the board, such as a TAMUS Board of Regents member, a member of the University of Texas and TAMU Chancellor’s Committees, members of each board that were previously separate, and other successful people with ties to TAMU.  

It appears that what this advisory board accomplished was the making of “The Future of the PPHM” booklet. A 72 page document that scraps plans to restore the building already there and instead proposes a 225 million dollar project that would create an entire new building around Pioneer Hall and even proposes a restaurant. Wendler states that the booklet was distributed to interested boards but does not mention who or how many he tried to reach. 

After meeting with the Texas Historical Commission in 2023, TAMU approved a $2 million deal  with DLR Group to conduct a feasibility study, an amount that would have paid for a third of the original price of the museum repairs. This feasibility study then predicted an outstanding $250 million project, for the museum and including an upgrade to the pioneer amphitheater in Palo Duro Canyon for an estimated $45,908,700 as part of the plan. Most of this money would be going towards building a massive building taking over the corner of 4th and 23rd, where there is currently a through street, and demolishing Old Sub and taking over that space. 

After failing to gain funding for his new museum and amphitheater designs, and another fire safety inspection in Jan. 2025, Wendler hired the DLR group again in 2025 for a smaller feasibility study. This time with a grand total of $125 million, $50 million of which would be dedicated to destroying the 1966 addition to the museum and completely rebuilding it. 

 A final study was conducted by Alpha Facility Solutions in March 2025, with an estimated cost of only $100 million to bring it up to standards and keep it function for a projected 20 years. 

This all came to a head March 24, 2025 with the abrupt announcement from Wendler that the museum would be closed indefinitely for safety concerns. Leading to the public outcry that has now taken place. 

A Facebook group of nearly 8.5k people have joined together to fight for the museum to not only stay open but to stay “exactly where it is.” Come back next week as The Prairie will dive deeper into the group and their efforts, including rallies, yard signs, a petition, letters, emails, and more. 

The PPHS Board of Trustees has announced a meeting on Feb. 12 at the Cole Community Center in Canyon. The meeting will be 7-8:30 with doors opening at 6:40. There will also be a meeting hosted by The Amarillo Tribune Feb. 19 at the Embassy Suites in downtown Amarillo. Moderated by CEO Jackie Kingston, and attended by Wendler as well as PPHS members, the Tribune promises answers to the many questions the community has been asking.