24 Oct Cadillac Ranch: History of a Unique Place to Visit in Texas

Cadillac Ranch is one of Texas’ quirky roadside attractions, and it has quite an interesting history behind its creation. For that reason, it should definitely be on your list for the next time you are passing through Amarillo. I visited it while on a road trip from Pennsylvania to California with friends. It was a nice stop to break up the driving as well as to see a unique piece of art. Not every day can you see a bunch of cars half buried in the dirt, so take the opportunity to see it today.

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Contents:

1) Location and Directions

2) General Visitor Information

3) History of the Cadillac Ranch

4) Spray Painting the Cars

5) Similar Art Attractions

1) Location and Directions

Cadillac Ranch is conveniently located right off I-40 (also known as Route 66) in Texas. You thus have no excuse to not stop for a visit if you are driving by. For reference, it is 20 minutes west from Amarillo. The next closest city is Albuquerque, New Mexico, which is located four hours west from Cadillac Ranch.

If you are coming from Amarillo, take exit 62A off I-40 to Hope Road and then turn right onto I-40 Frontage Road. Cadillac Ranch will be on the left side. Park along the road and then walk for a couple of minutes to reach the art attraction.

Parking

There is no official gravel parking lot with marked spaces. Instead, you can park along the road in the grass/dirt area.

Nearby Lodging

The best place to look for lodging accommodations is in the nearby city of Amarillo, Texas.

Nearby Airport

There are a few regional airports in the area, but the closest major airport is the Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport. It is located only 20 minutes east of Cadillac Ranch. Additionally, please keep in mind there is no public transportation available from the airport to the attraction. You will thus need to rent a car from the airport or utilize a ride share service such as Uber. 

View of the top of the cars at Cadillac Ranch

2) General Visitor Information 

There are no visiting hour restrictions for Cadillac Ranch, aka one of the most unique places to visit in Texas. It is open 24 hours a day / seven days a week. However, you probably only need 15 or 30 minutes for your visit. That is enough time to walk around the cars, snap a few pictures, and add to the art yourself with some spray paint if you wish.

Bonusssss – there is no entrance fee or cost to visit the attraction. You can thus add this to your itinerary at no cost.

As a note, there are no restrooms available at the attraction site. Be sure you do not need to empty your bladder during your visit.

Lastly, be careful if you plan to visit right after the area receives some rain. The attraction is in a dirt lot, which means it transforms into a mud lot right after a misty shower or an all out thunderstorm. 

View of the bottom of the cars at Cadillac Ranch

3) History of the Cadillac Ranch

Cadillac Ranch is one of the most unique places to visit in Texas due to its interesting history and setup. It has thus become a popular roadside attraction in Texas and on Route 66 in general

The history of Cadillac Ranch goes back to the mid 1970s when Stanley Marsh worked with The Art Farm to create it. Stanley Marsh was a billionaire who desired to create an art attraction that would cause people to stop and wonder…“what is going on here?”. I think it is safe to say he succeeded. The Ant Farm is a group of artists that strive to break the typical stereotype of “art”. Once again, I think they succeeded with this project.

Cadillac Ranch is aptly named due to the fact all of the cars are Cadillacs. The cars are fairly old models, for the attraction was built in the 1970s. Therefore, the cars themselves are from the 1940s to 1960s. However, they are not in the same location as they were back in the 1970s when the attraction was first created. As the city of Amarillo expanded over the years, they needed to make room. The Cadillac Ranch was thus moved about two miles (~3.6 kilometers) outside of the city in the late 1990s.

For another quirky roadside art attraction, check out the Cameron Barnstormer Murals in North Carolina.

Spray painted cars at Cadillac Ranch

4) Spray Painting the Cars

You are allowed to add your own bit of art to the cars during your visit. Bring a can of spray paint if you are feeling artistic. Otherwise, you can often find partially filled cans lying around in the dirt from previous visitors. However, be sure you do not do the same – please do not litter but rather take all of your belongings with you. Last but not least, there is often someone in the parking lot selling spray paint.

Cadillac Ranch cars sticking out of the ground (which is covered in mud)

5) Similar Art Attractions

You might think the name of Cadillac Ranch or the pictures on this page look familiar. This art attraction has inspired others similar to it. For example, Truckhenge in Kansas and VW Slug Bug Ranch in Texas.

Add your own art to Cadillac Ranch when you visit

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Head over to another popular Texas attraction: Palo Duro Canyon State Park.

Do not miss the city of Dallas and its most popular viewpoint: Reunion Tower GeO-Deck.