Mission: Founded in 1921, the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum is the largest history museum in Texas. The Museum works to collect, preserve, conserve, exhibit and interpret the historical, ethnological, cultural, and scientific heritage of the Panhandle-Plains region of Texas and related areas of the Southwest; to operate and maintain the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Texas A&M University Board of Regents; to enlist interest and support in achieving the mission; and to undertake other related activities. Approximately 100,000 guests visit the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum each year. On the campus of what is now West Texas A&M University, the Museum has more than three million artifacts, ranging from the Comanche Chief Quanah Parker's eagle feather headdress to collections of historic New Mexico and Texas art.

Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum is a 501(c)(3) organization, with an IRS ruling year of 1951, and donations are tax-deductible.