As a tribute to America's best automobile, a collective of artists called Ant Farm decided to place 10 Cadillacs, ranging from a 1949 Club Coupe to a 1963 Sedan, in a wheat field located west of Amarillo, Texas. Mr. Stanley Marsh 3, a local helium tycoon, provided some place for the cars to rest. Ten big holes were dug and the cars were driven with their front end into them. Some people may think of this as sacrilege, as many of these cars are now much sought after collector's items. However, in the seventies, when this piece of art was constructed, a 1959 Cadillac was not as hot as it is today. Had the cars not be used for the Ranch, they would most likely have ended up in an obscure junk yard. So, I think they serve a better purpose today by reminding both Americans and foreigners of this great American automotive heritage. I sincerely hope the Cadillac Ranch may continue to exist for a long, long time to come.
In August 1997 Cadillac Ranch was moved 2 miles to west in order to escape from the expanding Amarillo city limits. Read all about the move in this USA Today article. An updated map is online as well. Be sure to take your paint spray cans with you, as the purpose of this monument is to let the audience participate in it. You can simply write down your name, or if you have an inspiring message, leave it on one of the cars for the other visitors to read (or to erase). While Ant Farm created Cadillac Ranch as a public sculpture, they protect their legal copyright ownership of the image. You may take photographs there, but any commercial exploitation in advertising or product promotion is expressly prohibited without written permission from the artists.
