Centennial Plaza

Centennial Plaza is a public park located in downtown Amarillo, Texas. Created in 1987 to commemorate Amarillo's 100th anniversary, the plaza serves as both a recreational space and a monument to the city's history.

The centerpiece of Centennial Plaza is a large fountain featuring a slowly revolving globe. The globe rests on a bed of flowing water and can be manually rotated by visitors, adding an interactive element to the display. Surrounding the fountain are inscriptions detailing Amarillo's history and the vision for its future as of 1987.

Another notable feature of the plaza is a statue of astronaut Rick Husband, an Amarillo native who commanded the Space Shuttle Columbia. The statue is notable for its intricate details, including carefully crafted spacesuit patches and boot laces.

Adjacent to the Rick Husband statue is a unique wall composed of colorful tiles. These tiles are actually individual pieces of artwork created by local residents, including children, offering a community-driven artistic element to the plaza.

The plaza also contains a time capsule, buried during the centennial celebrations. According to inscriptions, this capsule contains memorabilia from the year-long centennial celebration and is meant to be opened every 50 years, with the next opening scheduled for 2037.

While Centennial Plaza offers these points of interest, it's worth noting that some visitors have observed areas of the park that could benefit from additional maintenance and care.