Latest on the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum: Wendler has a plan?

A potential path forward is emerging for the future of the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum following its closure in March 2025 due to fire code violations.

Located on the campus of West Texas A&M University in Canyon, the museum was shut down after an inspection by the state fire marshal’s office identified serious fire and life safety concerns. Since then, university leadership and community stakeholders have been working to determine whether the museum can remain on campus long term.

University President Walter V. Wendler provided an update Monday, outlining a developing plan that could allow the museum to reopen in Canyon while also addressing the archival storage needs of the Panhandle-Plains Historical Society collection.

“My perspective is it should be on campus and where it is, as long as the resources are available,” Wendler said.

Funding and feasibility still uncertain

According to Wendler, discussions since the closure have involved local and state officials exploring ways to safely reopen the museum. He noted that any viable plan would depend on a complex combination of funding sources, including state and local dollars, public and private funds, and contributions from both the university and the historical society.

Wendler said it is still too early to provide detailed specifics about the proposal. He hopes to determine its viability by late spring or early summer.

Part of the planning process has included hiring a San Antonio-based firm to develop cost estimates and possible redevelopment scenarios. Those options include partial demolition of existing structures and reconstruction to meet modern fire codes and safety standards.

“We have to fix on one of those and then move forward with it, and all of these scenarios include demolition of parts of the existing museum and then reconstruction, in a modern sense, that would be, meet all the fire codes, meet all the safety stipulations,” said Wendler.

Estimated costs for potential solutions range between $100 million and $250 million.

Wendler emphasized that two key financial components would be required to move forward.

“There’s two steps: the first step is to make sure we have capital funding to tune up the building and do what we need to do in terms of the facilities, and the second is operational funding; we need both of those, and we don’t have either right now,” he said.

Classification challenges

The university currently spends about $1.2 million annually to support museum operations and facilities. However, the museum’s classification creates limitations when it comes to state funding.

Because it is not categorized as an Education and General facility—like classrooms, laboratories, libraries, or administrative buildings—it does not qualify for certain levels of state support, including Higher Education Fund monies. These restrictions complicate long-term planning for repairs or redevelopment.

Focus on collection preservation

A major priority remains safeguarding the museum’s collection of more than 2 million artifacts, which document the history and culture of West Texas and the Panhandle.

Wendler said consultants from the Texas Historical Commission recently reviewed the collection and praised its significance while suggesting it could benefit from refinement.

“They are working to, I’ll say, pair those down a little bit to focus them a little bit, to find out which aspects of the collection are most important for a museum, like PPHM,” Wendler said.

In the meantime, museum staff have begun carefully packing artifacts as a precautionary measure.

Jason Boyett of the Panhandle-Plains Historical Society noted that while remaining on campus is a preferred outcome, other possibilities are being considered.

“Obviously, we would like to stay at WT in some capacity because moving two million things, even moving it 15 miles north to Amarillo, is a many, many years process,” Boyett said. “So if we don’t have to make that move, we would love not to make that move.”

He added that staff are preparing for all scenarios.

“It will not be a process that will take weeks or months or even a year; it will be longer than that. Our museum professionals are currently doing their best to prepare for whatever might happen in the future,” Boyett said.

Packing efforts include removing artifacts from exhibits, inspecting them for preservation needs, documenting their condition, and placing them into protective storage—all while maintaining detailed tracking to meet accreditation standards.

“So, if we build a new museum building on campus on WT, and we have to move to it, we have to pack up,” Boyett said. “If we move it to off-site storage, we have to pack up. If we make changes to correct the fire code issues, we still have to pack up the collection in order to protect it.”

Long history and community interest

Since opening in 1932, the museum has served as a major cultural and educational institution for the region. 

Community engagement has remained strong. On Feb. 21, dozens of residents gathered outside the museum’s historic Pioneer Hall for a rally supporting efforts to keep both the facility and its collection in Canyon.

Public meetings, town halls, and civic discussions have continued since the closure, reflecting ongoing interest in preserving what many consider a regional treasure.

While no final decision has been announced, university officials say discussions are ongoing, and the coming months may determine whether the museum can remain on its historic campus location.