Million Barrel Museum,
Monahans, TX.
by Chad Hauris: Photos taken 5/6/05, Updated 8/3/05
Retro Electronics Home Page
The Million Barrel Museum is in my opinion the best historical museum in the Permian Basin area. It features a large concrete bowl in the earth that, in the 1920's and capped with a wood roof, was designed to hold a million barrels of oil in reserves for Shell. The idea did not work as the tank floor began to leak the oil and the idea was scrapped, the wood top removed, but the tank basin still exists today.
Here is a link to the Monahans Chamber of Commerce Page about the Museum.
Here is a link to the "Road Trip America" page about the Museum showing an aerial view.
We visited the museum on May 6, 2005 while on business in Pecos and Monahans. Click on the photos for larger views.
Edge of the million barrel tank showing the restored Holman House in the background.
Far view of the tank...an amphitheater is in the tank basin at the right and an old oil rig service truck is at the left.
Looking into the tank from the entrance ramp. In the 50's the tank was filled with water as an artificial lake, but, due to rapid evaporation, the idea was a bust. This ramp was originally a boat launch ramp but now you can drive down in.
The museum also features railroad memorabilia including a box car which has been turned into a mini-museum and a caboose...here is John on the caboose platform.
The caboose was originally used on the Missouri Pacific line and was built in 1977 according to the museum curator.
Here is a link to information about Missouri Pacific.
John seated in the caboose.
Caboose stove...it burned kerosene or diesel oil which was stored in a tank out on the outside platform.
The museum claims to have the "longest stretch of railroad track in the world" inside the boxcar.
Old Hwy. 80 sign with Chad. Hwy. 80 has now been renamed Business I-20 where it goes through the towns, the route of the old Hwy. 80 having been superseded by Interstate 20. Here is a page with a lot of interesting info about Highway 80.
Re-creation of the old post office in Penwell, TX.
The fully restored Holman House, which was moved from downtown Monahans to the museum. The house was built in 1909 and originally served as a hotel and, for a time, as a hospital.
Upright piano of the mid-late 1800's in the parlour of the house.
Return to Pecos/Monahans trip page 1.
Return to Special Feature Articles.
Retro Electronics Home Page
by Chad Hauris: Photos taken 5/6/05, Updated 8/3/05
Retro Electronics Home Page
The Million Barrel Museum is in my opinion the best historical museum in the Permian Basin area. It features a large concrete bowl in the earth that, in the 1920's and capped with a wood roof, was designed to hold a million barrels of oil in reserves for Shell. The idea did not work as the tank floor began to leak the oil and the idea was scrapped, the wood top removed, but the tank basin still exists today.
Here is a link to the Monahans Chamber of Commerce Page about the Museum.
Here is a link to the "Road Trip America" page about the Museum showing an aerial view.
We visited the museum on May 6, 2005 while on business in Pecos and Monahans. Click on the photos for larger views.
Edge of the million barrel tank showing the restored Holman House in the background.
Far view of the tank...an amphitheater is in the tank basin at the right and an old oil rig service truck is at the left.
Looking into the tank from the entrance ramp. In the 50's the tank was filled with water as an artificial lake, but, due to rapid evaporation, the idea was a bust. This ramp was originally a boat launch ramp but now you can drive down in.
The museum also features railroad memorabilia including a box car which has been turned into a mini-museum and a caboose...here is John on the caboose platform.
The caboose was originally used on the Missouri Pacific line and was built in 1977 according to the museum curator.
Here is a link to information about Missouri Pacific.
John seated in the caboose.
Caboose stove...it burned kerosene or diesel oil which was stored in a tank out on the outside platform.
The museum claims to have the "longest stretch of railroad track in the world" inside the boxcar.
Old Hwy. 80 sign with Chad. Hwy. 80 has now been renamed Business I-20 where it goes through the towns, the route of the old Hwy. 80 having been superseded by Interstate 20. Here is a page with a lot of interesting info about Highway 80.
Re-creation of the old post office in Penwell, TX.
The fully restored Holman House, which was moved from downtown Monahans to the museum. The house was built in 1909 and originally served as a hotel and, for a time, as a hospital.
Upright piano of the mid-late 1800's in the parlour of the house.
Return to Pecos/Monahans trip page 1.
Return to Special Feature Articles.
Retro Electronics Home Page