Prairie Dog Town is located inside Mackenzie Park off of 4th Street and Interstate 27 overlooking Meadowbrook Golf Course. It's free and open to the public from dawn to dusk year round.
Of all Nature's wild creatures, none is more appealing and entertaining to watch than the Prairie Dog. Prairie Dog Town was established in Mackenzie Park in the early 1930’s by Mr. and Mrs. Kennedy N. Clapp. It was started with four dogs and two burrows and was the first protected prairie dog colony of its kind. In 1935, the colony was moved to it’s current location when Mackenzie Park became a state park. For his contribution to Lubbock and prairie dogs, Mr. Clapp was named Mayor of Prairie Dog Town in perpetuity.
Within its first five years at its new location, Prairie Dog Town became world famous and a favorite tourist attraction with its own Goodwill Ambassador, Prairie Dog Pete.
Hundreds of prairie dogs and a few burrowing owls enjoy being fed in McKenzie State Park. More than a million visitors, from all areas of the United States, come to Lubbock annually and make Prairie Dog Town a must "visit". Some visitors drive hundreds of miles out of their way just to see the "town."
To this day, Prairie Dog Town still captures the imagination of visitors as evidenced by the 2004 Lubbock Convention and Visitor’s Bureau tourism study.
The survey showed Prairie Dog Town as the 5th most visited attraction in Lubbock by visitors from outside the city.
Prairie Dog Town
MacKenzie Park Rd
Lubbock, TX 79401