Discover Wheeler County
Accommodation in Wheeler County
Rolling prairies and rugged river bluffs give Wheeler County a distinctive landscape. Sweetwater Creek originates in the county and is fed by springs. When planning your trip, you can therefore choose different focuses: scenery, historic places, or the history of Route 66.
Route 66 and Art Deco in Shamrock
U.S. Highway 66 was built through the southern part of Wheeler County in 1916. Today, the county has access to historic Route 66. When approaching from the east, Shamrock is known as the first Route 66 town in Texas. Wheeler can be reached via Highways 83 and 152. Highway 83 connects the Great Plains from north to south; Highway 152 forms an east-west link between Amarillo and Oklahoma City.
In Shamrock, the Tower Station and U-Drop Inn Café were built in 1936 with Art Deco details and two towers. Both are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The restored U-Drop Inn welcomes visitors. Today, the building serves as a visitor center, Chamber of Commerce office, and community center. Its distinctive design and present-day use make it a tangible stop for anyone interested in the history of Route 66.
Another landmark visible from far away is the Shamrock Water Tower: it can be seen from about ten miles in every direction. The tank is said to be the tallest of its kind ever built by the Chicago Bridge and Iron Company, and it remains one of the tallest water tanks in Texas. Its significance as a landmark of engineering and tourism is also part of the town's history.
Mobeetie and Wheeler: Regional History
Old Mobeetie is considered the oldest town in the Texas Panhandle and was Wheeler County's first county seat. The first courthouse in the Texas Panhandle was built here in 1880. Another significant year is 1908, when Wheeler County's wooden courthouse was moved to Wheeler. A stone school was also built in Mobeetie in 1882. These different building histories give you several ways to trace the region's development through specific places and structures.
The Old Mobeetie Jail was built in 1886 from locally quarried limestone. Today, the Old Mobeetie Jail Museum serves public education and the preservation of regional artifacts; the exhibits also include gallows. If you're traveling with children and would like to discuss regional history through tangible objects, you can consider this distinctive focus when choosing places to visit.
The Wheeler Historical Museum is dedicated to preserving the history of Wheeler County. Its Alan Bean exhibit features several personal artifacts belonging to Alan Bean. There is also a nine-foot-tall bronze statue of Captain Bean in a spacesuit. The museum offers a way to explore regional history that takes in not only documents and everyday objects, but also a prominent figure in the history of spaceflight.
Things to Do and Trip Planning
Wheeler's parks and recreation options include Wheeler City Park & Walking Trails. The Wheeler Area Aquatics Center is a recreational facility at 701 E. 7th Street in Wheeler. If you'd like to add a walk or a recreational activity in Wheeler to your trip, you can make these places part of your plans.
When looking for a vacation rental in Wheeler County, it helps to first decide what you want to focus on during your trip: Route 66 history, regional collections, or scenery. The historic sites in Mobeetie and Wheeler, as well as the Route 66 attractions in Shamrock, appeal to different interests and can help you choose where to stay within the county.
For the broader travel overview: Texas.
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