The town within the town. Lubbock's oldest residents may be its smallest: at Mackenzie Park sits Prairie Dog Town, one of the first protected prairie-dog colonies anywhere, established in the 1930s when a Lubbock couple decided the disappearing plains icon deserved a permanent address. The colony has been barking at visitors ever since — a few acres of the original High Plains, holding out cheerfully in the middle of the Hub City.
The city is named for Colonel Thomas Saltus Lubbock, Texas Ranger and brother of a Texas governor; it incorporated as a city on March 16, 1909.
Why People Visit Lubbock Texas
- Tour the American Windmill Museum — the world's largest windmill collection, more than 170 restored windmills turning over the plains, plus the "Legacy of the Wind" mural.
- Walk the National Ranching Heritage Center — more than 50 authentic historic ranch structures and trails preserving the cattle-ranching heritage of the South Plains.
- Visit the Lubbock Lake Landmark in Yellow House Canyon — a National Historic Landmark preserving more than 10,000 years of human presence on the Llano Estacado.
- Explore the Depot District — the historic Santa Fe Railroad depot district downtown, with murals, event venues, and railroad-era architecture.
- Relax in Mackenzie Park — broad lawns, the Brazos headwaters canyon, lakes, and family recreation along Yellow House Canyon.
- Drive out to Buffalo Springs Lake — the canyon reservoir and recreation area southeast of town, a green break in the plains.
- Take in Lubbock's West Texas music heritage — the city's enduring identity as a cradle of West Texas rock and roll, celebrated at its music-heritage venues and the West Texas Walk of Fame.
