Between Midland And El Paso Is Texas' Unusual Museum Built On Top Of An Old Giant Oil Reservoir

Deep in the heart of West Texas sits a colossal miscalculation that was transformed into one of the Lone Star State's more unusual attractions. Just outside the small town of Monahans, the Million Barrel Museum is a place that tells the story of how one of the world's most prominent oil companies carved a massive, barrel-shaped pit into the landscape, and how its failure morphed into a giant monument dedicated to the region's oil and gas heritage.

Located an hour west of Midland and over three hours east of El Paso, the museum was originally built as a storage tank for surplus crude oil. The idea came from the Shell Oil Company, which constructed the enormous tank in the 1920s to accommodate the region's oil boom. Spanning the size of three football fields and reaching 35 feet deep into the earth, the tank was designed to hold nearly 5 million barrels of crude oil. However, almost immediately after it was filled, the tank cracked, causing large amounts of oil to seep into the ground. The project was quickly abandoned, and the remaining oil was pumped out. After a failed attempt to turn the site into a water park, the barrel was handed over to the Ward County Historical Commission, which converted it into a museum.

After the storage tank was donated, the Million Barrel Museum opened to the public in 1987. The museum chronicles the history of the oil industry in the Permian Basin, a large oil field anchored by the "Tall City" of Midland. Visitors can step back in time and experience what life was like in the basin during the 1920s. The museum grounds feature the first county jail, a railroad section house, the Rattlesnake Bomber Base Museum (used to train B-17 and B-29 bomber crews during World War II), and vintage oil field equipment. One of the museum's highlights is the Holman House, built in 1909. This historic home served as a central gathering place for the town and was used as both a hotel and a temporary hospital.

As interesting as the museum grounds are, the main attraction is the storage tank. Visitors can drive down the old boat ramp built by the land's previous owners, Wayne and Amalie Long, to access the tank's floor. Once inside, they're surrounded by towering, cracked walls that reveal nature slowly retaking this once-mighty structure. The tank isn't completely empty; nestled in one corner is the Meadows Amphitheater, a 400-seat venue built for shows and festivals. Admission to the Million Barrel Museum is free, but certain events at the amphitheater may charge admission. If you want to explore more of West Texas, head west to the town of Van Horn, known as "the biggest little town in West Texas."