National Ranching Heritage Center, Lubbock, TX

Everything that has to do with the west and ranching can be found at the National Ranching Heritage Center at 3121 Fourth Street, Lubbock, TX 79409. The outdoor park closes at 4:00 pm Monday through Sunday; however, the interior of the Heritage Center is open Monday through Saturday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm and Sunday from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm. The facility will also be closed on the following holidays: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Easter, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Tours can be arranged through the Heritage Center by phone.

The National Ranching Heritage Center was dedicated in 1976 and features a thirty acre facility. It is devoted to preserving the ranching history, pioneer life and the development of the live stock trade in North America. Visitors to the center can view thirty eight ranch structures that span time from the late 1700's to the more recent 1900's. The buildings showcase the materials used to construct them as well as the area that they came from. Guests can see dugouts, windmills that were used for power, corrals, barns, pens for animals, one room school house, bunkhouse for the ranch hands, stock cars and a depot. There is also a blacksmith shop and ranch headquarters building, but one of the favorite items is a locomotive.

Some of the unique materials that were used to build some of the structures consist of cactus stalks and mud chinking to a more elegant two story ranch home that was purchased through a mail order catalog. Every building has been restored and furnished to represent the period it was produced in.

There are many events throughout the year at the National Ranching Heritage Center including: a spring Boss of the Plains Award Dinner, preservation and history classes for children in the summer, a Ranch Day and National Golden Spur Award Dinner in the fall and finally Candlelight at the Ranch in the winter that displays a luminary lit greeting card. Many other events take place during the year and information on those can be attained through the Heritage Center.

The National Ranching Heritage Center sponsors the Junior Rough Riders, a membership for youths. Some of the programs that are part of the membership are coloring contests, summer youth classes, children's library, Heritage Halloween and Ranch Day. They have printed books that can be used when children tour the facility such as: Where's Joe-Jack Rabbit, Children's Activity Guide and Heritage Handbook. These publications are suitable for different age groups to enhance their visit.

Cogdells General Store is the place to visit to take home a piece of the National Ranching Heritage Center. They are open Monday through Friday from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm, Saturday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm and Sunday from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm. Toys, stationery, food, apparel, art, books, CD's, home furnishings and souvenirs are all part of this delightful store that was so much a part of frontier life.