7 Things to do in Lubbock Texas + Reasons to Go

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Located in the Texas High Plains region, Lubbock might not be on the average traveler’s radar but, like most smaller cities in Texas, it’s A., worth going to, and B., will surprise you. The appeal of traveling to Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, and Houston is probably always going to be constant but taking the time to discover Texas outside of the big cities everyone has heard of is the stuff good travel stories are made of. 

7 Things to do in Lubbock Texas + Reasons to Go

Lubbock Texas might sound like the middle of nowhere but there are a surprising amount of things to do there.

Getting to Lubbock

You need a car to get around Lubbock, so if you plan to fly, you’ll need to rent a car at the airport. If you’re stacking Lubbock onto a broader Texas road trip, the following travel math will help you:

• Austin: 372 Miles/Roughly 6 Hours
• Dallas: 345 Miles/Roughly 5 Hours
• Houston: 522 Miles/Roughly 8 Hours
• San Antonio: 384 Miles/Roughly 5.5 Hours

If you fly directly into Lubbock, the Preston Smith International Airport (LBB) is serviced by United, American, and Southwest. It’s a small airport but easy to get in and out of. Houston is a central United hub, so it's a quick jump from there to Lubbock.

Things to Do in Lubbock

This list of things to do in Lubbock will take about three days, depending on what pace you enjoy and how you approach museums and wine tasting. If you’re a “read every plaque at the museum” kind of person, it will take longer to go through the museums than if you’re a “breeze through” kind of person. If you want to dedicate a full day to experiencing Lubbock’s wines, you can do that. Your time spent will be considerably shorter if wine isn’t your thing.

Most things to do in Lubbock are fairly short-term, meaning you can fill your days with multiple short activities. If something turns out to be not your cup of tea, it’s easy to adjust and go do something else. 

You might also like: 15 Musts for a weekend in Fredericksburg TX 

Buddy Holly Center

The Buddy Holly Center is a museum dedicated to the life and career of musician Buddy Holly. Admission is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors, $5 for kids and students with college ID, and free for military and veterans. 

The Buddy Holly Center is heavy on exhibits with text and lighter on actual artifacts, although the glasses Holly was wearing in the 1959 plane crash that ended his life are on display. A short film gives an overview of Holly’s life and contribution to rock and roll, which is a must-watch. There’s also an attached gallery that’s free to enter that has rotating art displays. The exterior has a pair of giant-sized Buddy Holly eyeglasses, and the plaza across the street has a larger-than-life statue of the singer with his guitar. Both make great photo opps.

The Buddy Holly Center is not to be confused with Buddy Holly Hall, a performance art center in Lubbock. Buddy Holly Hall’s stages are used for concerts, musicals, ballets, and other productions, so check its website to see if anything on its calendar piques your interest. 

Check Out Lubbock’s Art Scene

Texas Tech University has an outdoor public art collection that’s fun to explore. The campus is open, so if you enjoy walking, grab a map online and see the art at your own pace. If you prefer a guided tour, set up a ride in TTU’s “Art Cart,” a covered golf cart. The tour is technically free, but they ask for a $10 per person donation to help with the Art Cart’s upkeep. 

Other points of interest in Lubbock for art lovers are the Louise Hopkins Underwood Center for the Arts (LHUCA), the Charles Adams Gallery – both free to enter, Glassyalley Art, which has art for sale and classes. To connect with artists or to inquire about unique, hands-on art opportunities, check out the Charles Adams Studio Project’s website before you visit. 

Lubbock also has a First Friday Art Trail on the first Friday of every month from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. The aforementioned businesses, as well as other businesses in the surrounding area, participate in the art walks. 

Wine Tasting

Forty percent of grapes grown for Texas wines come from the High Plains American Viticultural Area (AVA.) Although Fredericksburg and the Texas Hill Country are more popular places for wine tasting, many of the grapes you enjoy there come from the Lubbock area due to the sheer density of wineries. There are six wineries in Lubbock and the surrounding area, so that’s enough to dedicate a whole day to wine tasting and appreciation. The drawback is that no wine shuttle service is in place, so you’ll have to devise your own safe transportation between wineries if everyone in your group enjoys wine. Lubbock does have Uber, and it is a college town, so I’d expect ride-sharing to be pretty reliable there. I have not used ride shares in Lubbock personally, so put in some time to research how you’re getting from winery A to winery B. 

My top picks are Llano Estacado and McPherson Cellars, which are well-known inside and outside of Texas wine circles. Llano Estacado is a short drive from downtown Lubbock, and McPherson Cellars has a gorgeous tasting room with a lovely patio in the downtown area. Both offer a wide range of wines, so wherever your taste buds land, you can find a wine you enjoy. 

National Ranching Heritage Center

This museum and outdoor historical park offer a glimpse into the lives of early ranchers who settled in Lubbock. Indoor galleries feature a variety of Western art and photography that depict frontier life and the early days of the oil book in this area of the country. There’s also space for traveling exhibits, so check the website to see what might be on display. A robust gift shop also sells books, gifts, and other souvenirs. 

The outdoor historical park has over 40 structures along a paved, accessible walking path to explore. These buildings relocated from elsewhere around the Lubbock area, date back as early as the 1780s and as recently as the 1950s. Visitors can go inside some of the buildings, while others can be admired from the outside. Structures range from residential homes to barns to ranch buildings, such as a cookhouse. Fans of Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone series and spinoffs will be excited to see a barn from 6666 Ranch on site.

The National Ranching Heritage Center is a free activity, although donations are welcome.

Prairie Dog Town

Prairie Dog Town, located in Lubbock’s Mackenzie Park, was started in the 1930s by a resident who feared the extinction of the Black Tailed Prairie Dog. Today, the prairie dogs are thriving in a field in the park, and there’s a small covered pavilion where visitors can observe them in the shade. 

Watching prairie dogs is probably exciting for some and underwhelming for others. However you see it, there’s not much to this activity, and there’s no cost to enter the park. 

Silent Wings Museum

The Silent Wings Museum is dedicated to the unique history of the World War II Glider Pilots. Admission is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors, $5 for kids and students with college ID, and free for military and veterans. 

Gliders were motorless aircraft towed by C-47s into combat zones. The gliders, usually carrying cargo, crash-landed, and then the pilots—who had no parachutes—proceeded to fight as infantry soldiers. The museum is very near the airport and doesn’t take long to go through – maybe an hour – making this a good first day or last day activity for anyone flying in and out of Lubbock. 

Lubbock's food scene -Where to Eat

• Chez Sami – Upscale French food in an intimate, approachable setting. Lunch and dinner.
• Cast Iron Grill – Homestyle cooking and homemade pie, breakfast and lunch. Pies often sell out early. 
• Evie Mae’s BBQ – Traditional Texas BBQ, sides, and desserts, open for lunch until sellout.
• La Diosa Cellars – Mediterranean style tapas and extensive wine list in a funky, artsy atmosphere. Lunch Tuesday through Thursday; Lunch and dinner Friday and Saturday.
• The West Table – Upscale, seasonal menu, dinner only.
• The Nicolett – Fine dining, high plains cuisine, dinner only.
• Monomyth Coffee – Specialty coffees, teas, pastries, quiche, and overnight oats.

Don’t Miss

The Buddy Holly Center is my “definitely don’t miss” in Lubbock. He’s an integral part of what puts Lubbock on the map as a destination and, really, such an essential part of what shaped rock and roll music. Even if you aren’t a fan of his music or don’t think you are, the Buddy Holly Center is an excellent first stop to get a sense of what makes Lubbock tick. 

Besides, posing in the giant Buddy Holly glasses out front is a really fun Instagram photo, and that alone makes the Buddy Holly Center worth a couple of hours of your time.

Honorable mention to pie for breakfast. If you need an excuse to splurge, the pie at the Cast Iron Grill probably won't last until lunch.

Maybe Skip

I’ll preface this by saying I like Prairie Dog Town, but maybe Prairie Dog Town. It’s a large field in a public park full of prairie dogs being prairie dogs. You’ll probably know from the description whether or not Prairie Dog Town is your thing, so plan accordingly. 

Where to Stay

The Cotton Court Hotel is a boutique hotel in downtown Lubbock owned by the same hotel group as one of my San Antonio favorites, the Hotel Valencia Riverwalk. It is a modern boutique hotel with 165 rooms situated around a courtyard loaded with amenities. 

Amenities include a pool, fire pits, weekend live music, lawn games, and an on-site restaurant. The rooms are spacious with cozy, retro decor that reflects Lubbock’s place in music history. The vibe is relaxed with little luxury touches, like plush bath towels and robes, and a full-size refrigerator with honor bar amenities. 

The lobby has a unique piece of Buddy Holly artwork over the reception desk – you might have to back away and view it from different angles, but once you see it, it’s very clever. The reception area also has unique Lubbock gift items for sale and guitars to check out. The outdoor space has a very “glamping” vibe so if you play guitar, grab one and head over to the firepit and make some new friends. 

For other hotel options, see the list on Visit Lubbock's website.

Listen

I talk about all things Lubbock and Amarillo on Episode 911 of the Amateur Traveler Podcast:

Travel to Lubbock and Amarillo, Texas – Amateur Traveler Episode 911

 

Where Else to Go – Trips from lubbock

Want to explore more? Here are possible side trips and add-ons:

Caprock Canyon State Park and Trailway – Caprock Canyon is 95 miles and about a 90-minute drive from Lubbock. Although the natural scenery isn’t as stunning as you’ll find in Palo Duro Canyon State Park, it is a gorgeous spot for hikes, scenic drives, and to peep at the state bison herd. 

Guadalupe Mountains National Park – One of two National Parks in Texas, Guadalupe Mountains National Park is 113 miles from Lubbock, and the drive takes about two hours. The terrain is rugged, but there are varied hiking trails, including the Guadalupe Peak Trail, which takes intrepid hikers to Texas’ highest elevation point.

Amarillo – Amarillo is 122 miles and less than a two-hour drive from Lubbock. Things to see include Palo Duro Canyon State Park, Palo Duro Creek Ranch, the infamous Cadillac Ranch, and the quirky, fun, and delicious stops in the Route 66 Historic District. 

Roswell – This alien-friendly New Mexico town is 170 miles and less than a three-hour drive from Lubbock. Roswell’s claim to fame is a purported alien crash site in 1947, the source of many conspiracy theories. Roswell sits kind of out in the middle of nowhere, and a visit to Lubbock, Amarillo, or Guadalupe Mountains National Park just might be as close as most travelers get to being able to make the trip there semi-conveniently.