Charles Goodnight was an innovator, entrepreneur, and true cowboy. Mary Ann Goodnight was an equal partner in their business ventures and marriage, serving as educator, doctor, and mother to much of the Panhandle. These two dynamic people shaped the imagination of generations. Molly was a cattlewoman in her own right, educated much of the Panhandle, and spurred the conservation movement to save the Southern Bison Herd. Charles served as a Texas Ranger scout, invented the chuckwagon, formed cattle drives, and with business partner John Adair, established the JA Ranch, the first cattle ranch in the Texas Panhandle in 1877 in the Palo Duro Canyon area. In 1887, Goodnight established the Goodnight-Thayer Cattle Company in present Armstrong County and built a spacious Folk-Victorian-style two-story ranch house. The Goodnight home is restored on its original site and features a 268-square-foot second floor sleeping porch with spectacular views of the countryside and the nearby bison herd that are actual descendants of the herd preserved and raised by Charles and Mary Ann Goodnight.
Location
4989 CR 25
Goodnight, TX 79226
806-944-5591 for general information
806-670-5627 for school tours, adult group tours and large group reservations
Contact us
See map
Hours
Tuesday to Saturday
10 a.m.–5 p.m.
Tours of the Goodnight House
11 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m.
Tickets
Adult $5
Senior/Veteran/Teacher/First Responder $3
Child (6-17) $2
Child (5 and under) Free
Family (2 adults & 1 child) $8, each additional child $1
Programs
Public Tours
Living History Programs
Special Events
School Programs
See the site
Plan Your Visit
Peer into pioneer prairie life during a tour of the Charles and Mary Ann Goodnight historic home.
Goodnight Ranch History
Charles Foxwing Goodnight was born March 5, 1836, on the family farm in Macoupin County, Illinois.
Support the Friends of Goodnight Ranch
Friends of Goodnight Ranch is a "Fiscally Sponsored Project" of the Friends of the Texas Historical Commission (a 501(C)(3) nonprofit charitable organization). Your gift will directly support this organization.
Events at Goodnight Ranch
Red River War Series: Battle of Palo Duro Canyon
Saturday 11 a.m. - 12 p.m.The walls of Palo Duro Canyon have a majestic view but also contain stories of conflict and sorrow. Join us as Goodnight Ranch interpreter, Madeleine Van Leunen presents a lecture on this all-important battle.
Red River War Series: Settling the Prairie
Saturday 11 a.m. - 12 p.m.Brave women needed to settle the Texas frontier! Come learn about these amazing women who helped tame the Wild West and brought a sense of comfort and culture to the Texas Panhandle.
Red River War Series: Native American Storyteller
Saturday 11 a.m. - 12 p.m.Second chance! Don't miss this opportunity to experience the art of storytelling as told by Native American storyteller Eldrena Douma.
Support Our Historic Sites
Make a gift to the Friends of the Texas Historical Commission, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization dedicated to supporting the historic sites of the THC.
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