The National Ranching Heritage Center, a museum of ranching history, is located on the campus of Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas. The NRHC features over fifty authentic ranching structures dating from the late 18th to the mid-20th century. These structures tell the story of ranching in North America through the real stories of real ranches and real heritage of early settlers who forged the ranching lifestyle to what it is today. Visitors can explore the exhibits through a self-guided walking tour.
History
The center was established in 1969 by the Ranching Heritage Association.
On January 22, 2019, the Heritage Center launched an exhibit which shows the importance of the different breeds of cattle brought into the southwestern United States. The first cattle, explains the exhibit, were Andalusian brought to the continent in the second voyage of Christopher Columbus. Later breeds, such as Hereford, Angus, and the Texas Longhorn shaped the destiny of the American West.