Cadillac Ranch

Amarillo, Texas

These Cadillacs have now been in the ground as art far longer than they were on the road as cars.  They are stripped to their battered frames, splattered in day-glo paint and are barely recognizable as automobiles. Yet .. Cadillac Ranch is more popular than ever!  It's become a ritual site for those who travel The Mother Road, Route 66.  The smell of spray paint hits you from a hundred yards away.  Despite its exposed location in an empty field, Cadillac Ranch seems to give its art a sense of privacy and anonymity.  

Among the many visitors are those from Europe.  They really seem to enjoy attacking the cars during their visit.  Maybe it's because they've lacked a good graffiti canvas since the toppling of the Berlin Wall.  Tourists from around the globe are always welcome at Cadillac Ranch.  If you bring spray paint, make sure to snap some photos because whatever you create will probably only last a few hours before its created over by someone else!

The address is 13651 I-40 Frontage Road.  Just west of the Amarillo city line, I-40 exit 60.  Follow the frontage road on the south side of I-40 (old Route 66) east for one mile.  Cadillac Ranch will be on the right (south) side.  Park your car along the shoulder and enter the pasture through an unlocked gate.  Admission is free.

A man by the name of Stanley March 3 (1938-2014) was an American arts, businessman, philanthropist and prankster from Amarillo.  He is perhaps best known for having been the sponsor of the Cadillac Ranch.  In the 1970s, Marsh collaborated with the art group Ant Farm to create the Cadillac Ranch.  Despite the attention, critics have called them eyesores with little or no artistic value.  In response to the criticism, Marsh is quoted as saying to his critics .. 

Art is a legalized form of insanity and I do it very well.

Stanley Marsh 3

While Marsh was the third person in his family named Stanley, he used the Arabic numeral "3" in place of the traditional Roman numeral "III", as he considered the latter to be pretentious.