Remember The Infamous Amarillo, Texas Club This Dollar General Replaced?

Amarillo, Texas has its fair share of notable landmarks and iconic buildings. Some of those notable spots live only in the memories of those around briefly when the magic existed. Some are abandoned, and some no longer exist; like one historic building that housed one of Amarillo's most notorious night spots.

Who Remembers The Notorious Amarillo Night Spot Replaced By Dollar General?

If you're on the Boulevard, near 907 E Amarillo Blvd, you'll see a fairly new Dollar General with a decent-sized parking lot attached. It's an unassuming location. You might not give it a second glance, because it looks like every other Dollar General you might see.

What it's built on top though, is what sets it apart. That Dollar General sits on the grave of one of Amarillo's most notorious night spots. It was a club that had a name known far and wide. That Dollar General sits on what used to be none other than the Crystal Pistol.

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Route 66, Cocktails, Pool, & GIRLS! In Amarillo, Texas

Unfortunately, I missed out on the Pistol in its heyday. If you're like me, you too have to live vicariously through whatever information you can find online. The reason why is the building was condemned by the City. It would eventually be bulldozed, and the empty lot left behind was filled with a Dollar General.

Stories abound on the internet of crazy nights, wild women, and all the staples of a bygone era. A review of the Crystal Pistol states that the establishment was run by bikers, so you had to be on your best behavior. The reviewer warned that the bikers didn't put up with any "bs" but the girls were hot.

I was able to find a Facebook account associated with the Crystal Pistol. There wasn't much there except a couple of photos featuring an inflatable pool. Who knew the Crystal Pistol had a DIY indoor pool? Must have been pretty nice, though I doubt it was used much for swimming.

The Pistol, and later Soul Town, was notorious. Supposedly, authorities were called out to the location 122 times between 2012 and 2018.

Soul Town And 100 Years Of History On Route 66 In Amarillo, Texas

Once the Pistol's days were through, Soul Town took over. It wasn't a drastic change. The building remained a club. It would remain Soul Town until its eventual demise after being condemned. A fire would be the catalyst that spelled the end.

The building itself was over 100 years old, supposedly. At one point in its earlier years, it housed a popular county music dancehall called Rainbow Gardens.

Some of country music's biggest legends supposedly played there. It's wild to think that so much history and infamy gave way to an empty lot that became a Dollar General.