Cadillac Ranch

What is Cadillac Ranch?

The installation is simple: ten cars, one row, each planted front end down in the ground. What makes it work is the choice of cars. Each one comes from a different stage of the Cadillac line between 1949 and 1963, so walking along the row is like flipping through a catalog of tail fins, from modest bumps to tall, sharp wings.

The tilt is not random either. Visit Amarillo, the city's tourism office, says the cars match the slope of the Great Pyramids at Giza.

History of Cadillac Ranch

Three artists, Doug Michels, Chip Lord and Hudson Marquez, made Cadillac Ranch in 1974. They belonged to Ant Farm. The cars they used were far from showroom stock. Some still ran, some were simply used, and others were junk. That mix was part of the idea: ordinary old cars, lined up to tell the story of an American design fad.

Visiting Cadillac Ranch: tips

The site is less than a mile off the old Route 66 line and has parking. Plan on 20 to 30 minutes to walk out from the parking area, look at the fins up close and take photos. The row of tails against the open sky is the classic shot.

The Don Harrington Discovery Center is about 4 miles away, a good pick if the group needs time indoors. The U.S. Route 66–Sixth Street Historic District is about 6.5 miles off, and the Ranchotel about 7 miles.