Beloved Texas Museum Sadly Closes Due to Safety Concerns

Having moved to Canyon, Texas at a pretty young age I was introduced early on to all they had to offer. I spent a lot of time at the Varsity Theater, they are gone now. I would grab a meal from the Dairy Queen, who is gone as well. We would also grab burgers from Mr. Burger, gone.

I know that things have to close in order to get new things. That is the circle of life. Canyon has for sure grown a lot from those early days. They have opened up a lot of new places to eat and shop. They have grown from being a dry town to now having a venue for concerts.

This Family Favorite in Canyon is Closed

Canyon has come a long way over the years. One of the places I was first introduced to when I got to the area was the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum on the West Texas A&M campus. My best friend lived right up the street from it. So that was one of the places we would go to a lot as young poor students.

So to get word recently that they were in the process of having to close came as a shock to me. They are a staple of the campus and of the city. As a resident, the two big things have always been Palo Duro Canyon and the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum.

Why is the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum Closed?

The canyon is not closing but the museum is. Effective today. The problem is that the building can't pass inspection by the state fire marshal. One would think that making the improvements would be the way to go.

It would be if that cost to get it up to code wouldn't be millions of dollars. It would cost around ninety million to fix everything or around four hundred million to build new. Which is what is wanted.

According to the press release:

Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum is closed to the public until further notice to address fire and life safety concerns, West Texas A&M University officials announced today.

 

WT President Walter V. Wendler made the decision to close the building following a recent inspection by the state fire marshal’s office, which identified numerous and ongoing safety issues.

So for now until everyone can agree the museum is closed to the public. The employees that are needed to maintain the museum will still have a job. The website is gone.

There is still hope that maybe we could get the miracle that Canyon needs. It would be nice to have some last-minute Hail Mary to keep it open. That doesn't seem to be the verdict as of right now.

Canyon took a big hit with this one.