Photo: Wikimedia Commons — see author and license on the file page.

Slug Bug Ranch

Retro roadside
In Amarillo, Texas
2.0 mi from Route 66

Slug Bug Ranch is a row of Volkswagen Beetles planted nose-down in the ground in Amarillo, TX, and visitors cover them in spray paint, just as they do at Cadillac Ranch on the other side of the city. It began at the Conway exit of I-40 and moved to Amarillo's east side in 2024, where it stands on the interstate frontage road beside the Big Texan RV Ranch. The old Conway site is empty.

What is Slug Bug Ranch?

A line of half-buried Beetles joined, after the move, by more Bugs and several of the Big Texan's retired limousines, all sunk nose-first and painted over and over. It sits about 2 miles off the old road.

History of Slug Bug Ranch

Route 66 News says Tommy Crutchfield created the ranch in 2002 beside his family's trading post at Conway, about 25 miles east of Amarillo; the Bug Ranch Association's own site puts it in the 1990s. The Conway site closed in October 2023 after a dispute over the land; the Big Texan took the cars, and the new ranch opened on June 14, 2024, with the nonprofit Bug Ranch Association looking after it.

Visiting Slug Bug Ranch: tips

A quick stop at any hour: bring a can of spray paint and leave your mark. Skip the Conway exit, where the Beetles used to be; nothing is left there. The photo on this page shows the original Conway site before the move.

Practical info

Address: 1415 Sunrise Dr (I-40 frontage road, next to the Big Texan RV Ranch), Amarillo, TX 79104
Website: vwslugbugranch.com
Hours: We have no opening hours for this stop yet — check the official site.
On site & nearby

Sources: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) · Wikidata · official site — may be outdated. Suggest a fix

Places to eat near Slug Bug Ranch

All diners →

Steakhouse
The Big Texan Steak Ranch
Amarillo, TX · 1.0 mi from Slug Bug Ranch
An Amarillo steakhouse and motel from 1960, painted bright yellow and known for its 72-ounce steak challenge.
Café
GoldenLight Cafe
Amarillo, TX · 5.7 mi from Slug Bug Ranch
A burger café on Amarillo's Sixth Avenue stretch of Route 66, serving since 1946, with a music room next door.