Forty years. In the world of outdoor theater, that is a remarkable achievement.

But TEXAS Legacies carries on the now 40-year tradition of outdoor musical drama celebrating Texas history in Palo Duro Canyon State Park.

Since 1966, more than 3 million visitors have made their way to Palo Duro Canyon State Park to be wowed by one of the best musical stories in the nation. It is epic outdoor theater in one of the state's grandest settings. TEXAS Legacies is the story of the Texas Panhandle, its people, their zest for life and gritty determination.

The 2005 season, the fortieth, runs from June 2 through August 20, with shows Tuesday through Saturday. There will also be a special July 4^th show, which falls on a Monday. The show is staged in the Pioneer Amphitheater in Palo Duro Canyon State Park, about 25 miles southeast of Amarillo, TX.

We know that visitors have enjoyed this new twist to the country's most popular outdoor drama. It's a whole new production to share with friends and family," Jerry Holt, Vice President of the Amarillo Convention & Visitor Council, says.

The cast includes historical characters such as Quanah Parker, the last great Comanche Chief, and Colonel Ranald "Bad Hand" Mackenzie, Civil War hero and Parker's main nemesis.

Their stories leap out of history in authentic detail and are interwoven with the production's fictional cast of characters. People like pioneering ranchers John and Maryann Gray, the farming Russell family, Jorge and Maria Hinojosa, who celebrate their Mexican heritage every day of their lives, Freedom Jackson, a cowboy from a slave family; and J.C. Travis and Sara Gray, a young couple whose love for each other just might overcome the obstacles between them.

The powerful stories are as memorable as the larger-than-life characters-

• a lifelong friendship, forged while the nation stands on the edge of disintegration, is put to the test as Ranald Mackenzie and John Gray find themselves on opposite sides of two historic issues.
• the great Comanche nation, once the proud rulers of the plains, is faced with annihilation as Chief Quanah Parker fights to keep his people strong, and reconcile his half-white, half-Indian heritage.
• a young woman's secret from her childhood threatens to keep her away from the man and the land she loves.

Every few years, the TEXAS Legacies' script is updated to move its focus in time, keeping the production fresh for all visitors, according to Bruce Lumpkin, Artistic Director of TEXAS Legacies.

The previous 39 years in the 1,700-seat Pioneer Amphitheater have become renowned for their spectacular theatrical effects. The 2005 season continues the tradition, telling the story with a dynamic live musical score, emotionally-charged scenes, spectacularly realistic environmental effects, including a Civil War battle, a snowfall and a Texas-sized thunder-and-lightning storm with state-of-the-art lighting and sound affects that surround the audience. Remaining from year's past is the classic opening featuring galloping horses and rippling flags that embody the Texas spirit and the famous blazing fireworks finale!

The American Bus Association regularly has named it a Top 100 Event in North America.

A barbecue dinner is available before the show. Show prices vary based on evening of the performance and location in the theater. To be the among the first to celebrate 40 years of epic drama in Palo Duro Canyon State Park by seeing TEXAS Legacies, call (806) 655-2181 or go on-line at www.epictexas.com.