Top Rated Attractions in Midland/Odessa

Located inside the Music City mall, the MCM Ice Rink is an indoor skating rink open all days of the week. Skates are provided on rent on a per session basis. The ice rink is available to rent out for parties with cakes, snacks, drinks, decorations, plates and napkins provided by the venue. Figure Skating and Hockey 101 classes are also conducted here every week by a certified and qualified instructor from the West Texas Skating school.

Texas is where high school football is at its best and nowhere is it better than in Ratliff Stadium. With room for 19,300 spectators or 19,500 when standing-room only tickets are sold, it is easy to get into the spirit that infects Texas every fall. The Odessa High School Bronchos and the Odessa Permian Panthers both use the stadium as a home field. Although primarily used for football, other events such as soccer, track, marching band contests and graduation ceremonies are also held at Ratliff.

Housed within Museum of the Southwest, on Missouri Avenue, Marian Blakemore Planetarium is often called one of the best attractions of its kind in the Midland/Odessa region. The planetarium incorporates permanent exhibits, a state-of-the-art multi-media station, called Frances & Jack Brown Science Center, and most popularly, the Helen Greathouse Educational Discovery Dome. The magnificent Spitz SciDome towers over 40 feet (12.19 meters) and features high definition programs that are, arguably, the very highlight of a visit to the planetarium. Open all week, except Mondays and Sundays, Marian Blakemore Planetarium makes for an interesting visit.

Enjoy the magic of cinema under the stars at this popular drive-in on the city outskirts. Big Sky Drive-In delights with a schedule of the latest blockbusters and a well-maintained facility for vehicles. The concession stand offers numerous snacking options from classic popcorn to sandwiches and burgers. There's a little play area as well, just in case the kids get bored.

The Museum of the Southwest is more than just a museum, it houses three different unique buildings as well as a sculpture garden on the museum grounds. The art museum is always free and has over 12,000 works to its name with a focus on Southwestern and Native American art. The children's museum allows youngsters to has interesting and innovative interactive art displays, including drawing while on their backs like how Michelangelo painted the Sistine Chapel. Exhibits range from Cubism, to Surrealism, to Pop Art and make learning about art and art history fun. The final building houses a planetarium sure to open up new experiences and ways to view the world to all who attend.

A spectacular phenomenon of outer space, the gigantic Odessa Meteor Crater was formed close to 50,000 years ago, in pre-historic times. Strewn across the ground of the crater are four smaller craters, all of which were formed during the same time period. Built with a motive of safeguarding these craters, the Odessa Meteor Crater Museum is one of the most significant historic sites in Texas. It is well-facilitated and displays a number of items which are in tandem with the Odessa crater, like tektites, meteorites and plenty of other space material. Displayed at the museum is a humongous 300-pound meteorite, while the crater itself is about 500 feet (152.4 meters) wide and 15 feet (4.572 meters) deep, but it used to be approximately 100 feet (30.48 meters) deep. A haven for science and astronomy enthusiasts, the museum is now complete with a picnic pavilion and a visitors center equipped with public restrooms.