We Left Our Mark at Cadillac Ranch on Route 66

If you’re driving along Interstate 40, it’s hard to miss one of Route 66’s most recognizable attractions. Just outside Amarillo, Texas, are ten vintage Cadillacs stuck nose-first in the ground, covered in years’ worth of colorful spray paint.

We stopped at Cadillac Ranch during our honeymoon road trip to Yosemite National Park. We figured we’d spend a couple minutes taking pictures because we didn’t want to pay for spray paint. Instead, we found a couple of partly used cans lying on the ground and added our initials and the year to the artwork.

Where to Find the Cadillac Ranch

Cadillac Ranch sits just west of Amarillo, Texas, along historic Route 66. Before the Interstate Highway System, this iconic highway stretched from Chicago to Santa Monica and became one of America’s most famous road trip routes.

Route 66 has remained part of American pop culture for decades, inspiring songs like (Get Your Kicks on) Route 66 and Cadillac Ranch by Bruce Springsteen, the television series Route 66 and, more recently, Disney and Pixar’s Cars franchise.

The Heartbeat of the Mother Road

Route 66 was built in 1926 and stretched 2,448 miles from Chicago to Santa Monica. It earned nicknames like the “Mother Road” and the “Main Street of America” as it became synonymous with the American dream of exploration and freedom.

As car ownership exploded after World War II, Route 66 struggled to keep up because of its narrow, two-lane design and limited capacity.

By 1985, Route 66 was officially decommissioned, but it left behind a legacy that lives on through roadside attractions like Cadillac Ranch.

As we hit the road for our honeymoon adventure from Alabama to Yosemite National Park, we couldn’t resist visiting Route 66. Interstate 40 might have come to replace the Mother Road, but what better way to embrace its spirit than by visiting Cadillac Ranch?

The History of Cadillac Ranch

Cadillac Ranch was built in 1974 by the Ant Farm collective and funded by the Amarillo millionaire, Stanley Marsh 3. The installation includes ten Cadillacs that are buried nose-first in the ground, reportedly positioned at the same angle as the Pyramids in Giza.

Each of the Cadillacs were chosen to celebrate the evolution of automotive design, from the 1949 Club Sedan to the 1963 Sedan DeVille.

When this exhibit first opened, tourists immediately began leaving their mark on the cars (literally). Instead of discouraging graffiti, the creators decided to embrace it. Today, painting the cars is part of the experience. You can bring your own spray can, buy one or find one lying on the ground like we did. Cadillac Ranch is open 24/7/365 and has no admission cost.

Leaving Our Mark

Like a lot of people, we first heard about Cadillac Ranch through social media. The brightly painted cars seemed like a place you need to visit at least once, so we added it to our Route 66 road trip.

We didn’t read anything online about the exhibit before visiting, so we expected to find dozens of half-buried Cadillacs scattered across a field. But the reality was quite different.

When we pulled up at Cadillac Ranch and looked out in the field, we were both excited and a little disappointed. The Cadillacs weren’t right next to the road but were instead 700 feet (214 meters) into a field covered in mud.

And, if we’re being honest, we expected more than ten Cadillacs.

There is something exciting about being able to spray paint an art installation since most prefer that you don’t even touch them. We didn’t think to bring our own cans with us, but there was a truck parked in the field selling cans.

I don’t remember what they were being sold for, but one Tripadvisor users reported paying around $7.50 per can. We weren’t thrilled with the price, especially since we could have picked some up from Walmart for less than $3, just 6 miles from Cadillac Ranch.

We found a couple of partly used cans on the ground instead, added our initials and left our mark without paying a dime.

Since this art installation is constantly changing, I’d recommend taking pictures of your spray painting since it will probably only last a few hours before it’s been covered.

If you’re looking for souvenirs, stop by the 2nd Amendment Cowboy gift shop. It’s less than a mile from Cadillac Ranch and sells Route 66 memorabilia, Cadillac Ranch souvenirs and has its own oversized cowboy statue outside.

Reflections in the Rearview Mirror

We only spent about an hour at Cadillac Ranch, but it’s a classic Route 66 stop that’s worth making time for. Between the colorful cars, the constantly changing artwork and the chance to leave your own initials, it’s a fun little break from a long drive across Texas.