Lubbock

The memorial opened in 2004 after years of lobby by local veterans. The monument consists of thousands of memorial bricks donated by survivors, veteran's families and friends. The memorial is popular at night because Huneke Lake has three illuminated fountains colored red, white and blue.

Maxey Park is a popular park adjacent to Covenant Lakeside Hospital. There are several public use buildings, a large playground, and a seating area with open grills for outdoor cooking. The Kenetic Wind Sculpture sits in the northwest corner of Maxey Lake. Most locals call them the Totem Poles. Bruce Taylor, designed the sculpture in 1992, and claimed during their induction they are supposed to be cotton fiber molecules.

A 12-ft (4-m) red granite sculpture depicting the symbols for home, school, church and state. Graduates traditionally have their picture taken next to the seal in full gown with friends and family.

Sculpture garden by Glenna Goodacre installed in 1999. The sculpture's seven pieces depict the seven stages of human life in honor of the College of Human Sciences.

10-ft bronze statue of Will Rogers and his famed horse. The student body voted during its installation in 1950 to turn the horses posterior towards Texas A&M University in College Station- traditional rivals. The statue is wrapped in red crêpe paper by the Saddle Tramps, a student organization, before home football games and black crêpe after national tragedies.

A paved walkway between the newly renovated Student Union Building and Library features several memorial pieces and the controversial Whirlwind series which continues into the Student Union. The foyer and main reading room of the Library also house several sculptures and paintings.

An extension of the Libraries of Texas Tech which focuses on audio/visual studies and education. The center's libraries contain a far-reaching collection of foreign language film and music.

The Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library houses the Archive of Turkish Oral Narrative , Vietnam Archive, Sowell Collection and the West Texas Historical Association. The building is behind the gazebo-sculptures at 15th & Boston Ave. and north of the Agriculture Pavilion. The building is marked but tucked away from the intersection. Current exhibits: Ro Wauer: Reflections of a Naturalist; Darwin Bicentennial; 200 Years of Spanish Newspapers.

Main library on campus and the largest research library in the region. The building was designed to resemble a bookshelf, but the red brickwork and tall white arches give the library a distinctive radiator appeal. The Institute for Studies in Pragmaticism is on the 3rd floor.

The landmark is a natural history and archaeological preserve on the northwest corner of the city. Visitors can take a three-mile walking tour of the grounds. The landmark documents and preserves evidence of over 12,000 years of continuous human occupation in the region. The facility is designated a National Historic and State Archaeological Landmark.

The 78-seat planetarium features a talk radio-style show called WSKY, hosted by Dr. Cosmos. Seating is limited. There is an observatory available to the public at dusk most nights.

Founded in 1929, the museum is a major center of scientific research and houses the Diamond M Fine Arts Collection, portions of the Southwest Collection and a newly construction research center. Current exhibits 2020: Art & Evolution of the Guitar, Land Arts of the American West, Reflections Made Of Memories James Watkins, Chess.

A historical park adjacent to the Museum containing several dozen authentic ranch buildings and exhibits on ranching heritage and the livestock industry. The center is often populated by players depicting life in a late 19th-century ranching town.

The largest arts festival in the region combining fine arts, arts & crafts, food and music. The festival traditionally features an exhibit of Texan studio art. Sponsored by the Lubbock Arts Alliance and local businesses. The event grows in popularity each year with 20 to 30,000 attending.

The largest free festival in Texas! Every year over 100,000 people will walk along the 1/2-mile (800-m) portion of Broadway blocked off for the street fair. At dusk the festival moves into the canyon for concert and fireworks. The Lubbock Youth Symphony Orchestra is featured during the fireworks. Space and parking are at a premium, especially in the evening.

A modest gathering of 20,000 to 50,000 enthusiasts celebrating the prototypical cowboy. Features music, lecture series, cook-offs and horse show.

Cultural festival which focuses on Hispanic history and traditions. Between 10 and 20,000 attend this festival each year. The folk-dance and conjunto banda competitions are very popular.

The nine-day festival is one of the largest regional fairs in the nation. As many as 300,000 people have been known to tread the fairgrounds during fair week. The carnival midway and concerts are the most popular, especially in the evening. Parking is an absolute nightmare. Take a taxi, but be prepared to wait.

An award-winning winery south of Lubbock.

What began as an experiment by biologists at Texas Tech, has become a successful, self-sufficient winery. Wines from Llano Estacado are considered a flagship for Texas wines. The winery will host tours. Call for schedule.

A new and very promising winery north of Lubbock.

The premiere winery.

A unique, boutique winery.

Water park with two 400-ft slides, wave pool, lazy river, etc.

Founded in 1969, Lubbock Ballet is the only ballet company with a pre-professional school in the region. The company's annual staging of The Nutcracker with the help of the Lubbock Symphony Orchestra smashes attendance records each year. Lubbock Ballet hosts several events and competitions throughout the year.

The 400-seat Cactus opened in 1938 as a second-run theater. The unique venue closed after television and the drive-in fad in the late 1950s cut audiences to a bare minimum. Local notable, Don Caldwell, re-opened the Cactus in the early 1990s as a center for live music in the Depot District.

The LSO was established in 1945 when the city's superintendent of schools demanded each school have an orchestra teacher and a band teacher. The men and women recruited to teach were the first members of the LSO. In 1967 the LSO was reorganized as a professional organization. The orchestra maintains an extensive music score library.

Call for showtimes. The only large-format theater in area, and its well-known 60-foot (18-m), 160-degree panoramic screen. Before each screening, a light and sound show shows off the theater's 80,000-watt sound system, featuring music from local composers.

Red Raider sports maintain year-round popularity in Lubbock, offering football, baseball, basketball, and a host of other sporting contests. The football team plays its home games from September to December at Jones AT&T Stadium, and the men's and women's basketball contests are held at United Supermarkets Arena.