Amarillo Convention & Visitor Council

The Visit Amarillo organization operates as the official destination marketing organization for the City of Amarillo and the surrounding Panhandle. Its mandate covers attracting visitors to the area, supporting tourism-related businesses, promoting events, and providing direct visitor services. Funding comes substantially from the city's hotel occupancy tax, which positions the organization to provide services free to visitors while remaining accountable to the local tourism industry and the broader community.

The principal visitor-facing outputs include the visitamarillo.com website (substantial content covering attractions, dining, lodging, events, and itineraries), the printed Amarillo visitor guide (mailed free on request and distributed at the CVC offices and other visitor touchpoints), the official Amarillo events calendar, social media content, and direct visitor services via phone, email, and walk-in. Specialty content includes detailed Route 66 information, Palo Duro Canyon planning, family-travel itineraries, and seasonal event programming.

For travelers planning a substantial Amarillo stop or a Route 66 trip through the Panhandle, ordering the printed visitor guide a few weeks in advance is a worthwhile step — the printed guide consolidates information that is otherwise scattered across many web pages and provides a reference for in-car use without dependable cell service. The free mailed guide also typically includes coupon offers and discount codes for various attractions, restaurants, and hotels that can pay for the small effort of ordering it.

Visit Amarillo has developed substantial Route 66 content recognizing the corridor's importance to the city's tourism identity. The website includes dedicated Route 66 sections covering the corridor's history through Amarillo, the surviving historic structures and businesses (Sixth Street district, Golden Light Cafe, the various motels and historic sites), and detailed driving itineraries for travelers crossing the Panhandle. The 2026 Route 66 Centennial — the 100-year anniversary of the Mother Road's 1926 commissioning — has been a major planning focus for the CVC and its regional partners.

Centennial programming planned through 2026 includes special events along the Sixth Street historic district, anniversary signage and interpretive enhancements at key Route 66 sites, coordinated promotions with the other major Route 66 cities (Tulsa, Albuquerque, Flagstaff, Santa Monica), and substantial media programming highlighting the corridor's centennial. The CVC website maintains a current calendar of Centennial events; travelers planning 2026 Route 66 trips should check the calendar when finalizing dates to align with major events.

Beyond the Centennial, the CVC provides year-round Route 66 trip planning services including custom itinerary recommendations based on the traveler's specific interests, time available, and traveling party. Travelers can call, email, or visit the office to discuss their plans and receive specific recommendations. The CVC also maintains relationships with the major Route 66 attractions and can facilitate group bookings, behind-the-scenes access for media or special groups, and other arrangements beyond standard public visitation.

The CVC's downtown office on South Polk Street is the principal walk-in location for visitor services. The office is open Monday through Friday, 8am to 5pm, with knowledgeable staff available to help travelers in person with maps, brochures, recommendations, and trip planning. The office is closed weekends and major holidays; weekend travelers needing visitor information rely on the website, the printed guide (if obtained in advance), or the visitor displays at the airport and welcome center.

Phone service is available during business hours at the main CVC number. The website's contact form generally produces email response within one business day. Social media accounts (Facebook, Instagram, and others) are actively monitored and can be useful for quick questions or current event information. For Route 66 travelers, the CVC's Route-66-specific page on the website is the principal entry point and consolidates the corridor-relevant content most usefully.

Other Texas Panhandle visitor resources complement the Amarillo CVC. The Texas Department of Transportation operates the welcome center near the New Mexico border on I-40 east of Glenrio, providing maps and information for travelers entering Texas. The Visit Canyon TX organization provides information specific to the Canyon area and Palo Duro. The Texas Tourism office at the state level provides broader Texas-wide resources. Used together, these organizations cover the full range of visitor planning needs for a Texas Panhandle Route 66 trip.