Quick Question: Is Cadillac Ranch Really Worth Visiting?

Built in 1974 by artists Chip Lord, Hudson Marquez, and Doug Michels and funded by Stanley Marsh 3, Cadillac Ranch stands as one of Amarillo's most prominent landmarks. Located on private land off of I-40, it's difficult for travelers to miss the half-buried Cadillacs.

Upon closer observation, visitors will notice that these vehicles are broken-down, have lost their original colors, and are now coated with decades of graffiti spray paint. Anybody familiar with this spot, however, knows that this is not the result of vandalism, but a tradition. Guests who visit often bring spray paint cans, marking the monument as they please.

Surprisingly, the now-disfigured Cadillacs were once fully intact, but after its initial opening to the public, visitors began defacing the cars. Stanley Marsh and the Artists behind this piece did not mind this and actually encouraged guests to make this art piece their own. Decades later, countless visitors have transformed these monoliths into something entirely new.

This attraction has garnered tourists from all over the world, has been featured as an Easter egg in films such as Cars and has even appeared on Rihanna's Instagram page where she expressed some strong political options in the form of spray paint on the cars. It's amazing that a piece created 48 years ago is regularly given new identities by its guests, who come to make their own contributions to this piece of art.

So to those of you who have not yet made the trip to Cadillac Ranch, it's time to pick up some spray paint and let out your creative flair on this public spectacle. Just be sure to take pictures, because you'll find that others are ready to make their own marks as well.