West Texas isn’t exactly known as paradise on earth, but the college town of Lubbock is definitely the paradise of West Texas! Trust me, as a gal livin’ down in the Midland/Odessa area, the thought of taking a trip up to Lubbock is like getting back into civilization! With an incredible selection of food, shopping, playgrounds, museums, and an assortment of activities, this is the place to be. It is a treat when we take a trip up to visit Lubbock!
My favorite part about visiting a college town is not only the crazy selection of restaurants, but college students are broke so a lot of activities are FREE! As a mama of 3 kids and another on the way, free is my new favorite word. Check out this list of our favorite free things to do in Lubbock, Texas.
Free Things To Do In Lubbock, Texas:
Get Up Close and watch Prairie Dogs At Prairie Dog Town
Any activity that involves animals is a win in my book, especially a free activity! Drive through the Mackenzie Main City Park past playgrounds, Joyland Amusement Park, and baseball fields to a large dirt field. Before you even get out of the car you will see adorable little prairie dogs scurrying from hole to hole.
This was my favorite free things to do in Lubbock, Texas! I have never seen so many prairie dogs in my entire life in one spot. My kids thought it was so cool to sit and watch the little prairie dogs scurry around their feet as they sat on the wall watching them. We watched as they gathered together nibbling on food, and we heard them chirp as a bird flew by. It was cool not just to watch them, but to watch these animals in their natural environment.
Location: MacKenzie Park Rd, Lubbock, TX 79401
Hours: Mon-Sun 5am-12am
Walk By An Active Archeological Site At Lubbock Lake Historic Landmark
One thing that Lubbock has that the majority of west Texas is missing are hiking trails. North of Lubbock just out of town in Yellow House Canyon Park is a small museum surrounded by nature trails. Start these hikes by exploring a small museum teaching about the history of the first inhabitants of the land. My favorite part of the museum was my daughter explaining to my son that the natives were healing a hurt buffalo, I didn’t have the heart to explain they were cutting it up to eat it. Haha! There are a couple of little interactive experiences and for such a little museum it was a fun thing to go through.
The series of hikes they have available will take you through statues of prehistoric creatures, native wildflowers, a pond of turtles, and an active archeological site. Stretch your legs, learn some history, and experience west Texas now and from the past.
Location: 2401 Landmark Dr, Lubbock, TX 79415
Hours: closed Mon, Tues-Sat 9am-5pm, Sun 1pm-5pm
Honor Our Soldiers At The Monument Of Courage
I love the USA and I love those who work so hard to keep it safe and secure my freedoms for me. This beautiful monument has the names of those who have served to give us our freedoms. It is a monument with statues, flags, and flowers. It really is a beautiful park to relax and remember all those who have given so much for us.
Location: 4014 84th St, Lubbock, TX 79423
Hours: Open 24 hrs
Watch Out For Dinosaurs at The Museum Of Texas Tech University
Museums are often way too expensive to take my kids to. I mean honestly most of them make you pay for ages 2+ and with 2 kids already above 2 and one more not far behind it adds up really fast. So this free museum in Lubbock was a gold mine to find!
Travel back in time with the dinosaurs and evolve into the pioneers. Live through the western expansion and building of civilization in Texas. Travel up to space and explore the planets and then wander through a room of stuffed wild critters. The wildlife room was my favorite. There were so many animals to look at from bugs, to birds, to rodents, and then herbivores and carnivores.
My kids loved the space center and changing the planets to light up in different ways. There is also a small planetarium connected to the museum to take you even farther into the stars. It is a small museum, but for free education that is fun I am completely a fan!
Location: 3301 4th St, Lubbock, TX 79415
Smell The Roses At Helen Hodges Rose Garden
One thing that I miss about living in west Texas are colors. I mean you sure get color from the sunsets, but the surrounding land is barren and desert. Brown and yellow make up the colors of the trees, the houses, the ground, and everywhere you look. Walking through a garden was a reminder of how beautiful this world is that we live in.
This garden is very small, but is filled with roses of all colors. I mean literally there were all shades of pinks, white, yellow, purple, and orange. It was fun to hand my little daughter my camera and let her take pictures of the flowers. I definitely recommend this activity with your kiddos.
Location: 2410-2498 40th St, Lubbock, TX 79412
Hours: Open 24 hrs
Learn About Ranching At The National Ranching Heritage Center
Another free thing to do in Lubbock, Texas is the National Ranching Heritage Center by Texas Tech University. This museum is not your normal museum. Nope, it is not in a building, but out there in the desert of west Texas. What better way to learn about the history of west Texas than to walk right through it from building to building.
There are statues, flags, and antiques all over to show how the ranching world of Texas was and has become. It isn’t a touch and feel or even and activity filled center, but it is still fun to walk through the buildings and teach the littles about the tools and oddities that they find.
Location: 3121 4th St, Lubbock, TX 79409
Hours: Mon-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 1pm-5pm
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