the petroleum museum

Jose12402

Really nice history of Midland's oil development through the years including the fantastic race car heritage part. Was very impressed with the outside examples of the oilfield environment.

Landchic

Okay, so I have lived in DC and Philly so I've been to some great museums and I think this one is great esp for a town the size of Midland. You can really get a good overview of the oil and gas industry and there is fun hands on for the kids...and adults to. I recommend to anyone passing through or stopping for a visit!

Geomanjim

This is one great museum. My grandson's love to go every time they are in Midland. Excellent history of the story of oil and the oil industry. The Cars are there favorite part of the museum, they really like to sit in the car. The museum rotates enough of the exhibits so there is always something new to see and learn about.

594michaelh

Curiosity got the best of me so I stopped to take a peak at the Petroleum Museum. This is about a 10 minute stop. You can get the jest of it from the side road. Not really worth the stop but if you are interested in oil rigging it might be worth the stop.

pnkgirl

I am in the oil industry and also a racecar owner so this museum was of very much interest to me. The gift shop employee older gentleman was informative and very friendly. We ended up buying a few items from the gift shop and enjoyed a great afternoon on the grounds. The car exhibition has a demo car you can sit in for photo ops so please put on a race coat hanging on the wall and get in! The outdoor oil machinery exhibition is very neat to see. It is worth the drive around back of the building to see. Many many pieces to see and able touch! I have seen some of the modern oilfield pumpjacks from the road so it was a treat to see these up close in a safe environment for even children. Inside the museum there is a gallery of artwork and gems. The gems are beautifully displayed and a must see! I loved this place so much that I am considering getting a membership

temperatezone

The Petroleum exhibits are all outside right now as the Museum inside is being redone. Plenty of rigs to document the ages and eras of drilling. Inside was a crystal exhibit with amazing minerals from worldwide.(How did they ever transport these fragile spikes?) The Chaparral Automobile that is based on Jim Hall's aerodynamic testing at Rattlesnake Raceway CAnAm and Indianapolis has all the cars in order except one which was modified to a later form. There is even a mockup to sit in and take your photo of. The book store is a bit dated. I got a book on the Permian Basin Petroleum discoveries up to 1974 and one on Sebring with Chaparral as well as a Chaparral t-shirt.

apdemas

What a wonderful collection of drill rigs and pumpjacks! The outdoor walking tour of the history and evolution of the drill rigs and pumpjacks is top-notch. They go from the earliest of drill rigs like you'd see on There Will Be Blood to a modern hydraulic fracturing rig. The interior of the museum is quite nice as well. I really enjoyed the oil painting exhibit on the history and community of Midland, and the gem and mineral exhibit is definitely on par with the quality you'd get in a big natural history museum, if a bit smaller. The showing of the Chaparral cars was great too, if for no other reason than to see another facet of the Midland community.It's undergoing a major renovation at the moment, so it's not as big as it could be, but the outdoor rig exhibits are the absolute best part.

621robind

The exhibits were interesting and educational. The exhibit of antique drilling and servicing equipment is top notch. The drilling rig that is accessible through the museum is truly educational.

pumpkin1062

This has lots to do with Oil, but that is not the only things that they have to see. There are many beautiful rocks and stones. During the year they have different displays of different interests. Most of us that live in Midland take this for granted, but for visitors it is a very interesting place to visit.

Circumnavigate

Go- it's a must- see for Midland. True to the industry and its pioneers. Great for both adults and children. A very fun and interactive visit. The Chaparral auto piece is also amazing!

Uhtred-Ragnar

The collection of Jim Hall's Chaparral racing cars shows the evolution of the innovations introduced by Hall. There is an example of each 2 series car with the exception of the 2G. Currently the rear body panels are removed from the 2J so you can view the detail and, in particular, the little engine that powered the fans.

DorisP517

If you like race cars, you need to check out the Chaparral cars at the Petroleum Museum in Midland! Jim Hall's cars are truly superb! Along with the cars, the museum has "over 40,000 square feet of interactive education and entertainment for adventurers of all ages." www.petroleummuseum.org/

GeneM762

The museum is currently starting a multimillion dollar renovation, so much of it is closed. The parts that are open are very interesting. Inside: There's a large collection of Western paintings and painting of oil drillings. It's an outstanding collection. They also have a mineral collection (if you like to look at rocks). And, some displays of oil drilling equipment.Outside: are historic oil drilling rigs.It would have been better if there were more explanations. Maybe they'll add that as a part of the renovations. Honestly, I don't feel that I know that much more about the oil industry after visiting the museum that I did before.

28travel

You could easily spend a couple hours here. There are many interesting exhibits for kids and adults. Don't forget to check out the animals in the education room and the race car exhibit.

rwmoreau

Very interesting and there are many drilling rigs on the grounds that are set up like they were in operation.