VW Slug Bug Ranch

osmcnelly (Atlas Obscura User)

Just a few miles east of Amarillo, Texas, and its celebrated Cadillac Ranch, travelers may stumble upon a much smaller and lesser-known installation created with five now-considerably-decayed Volkswagen beetles.

The history of this site, located in the old Route 66 town of Conway, is unclear; however, its premise is exactly the same as the Caddy original: the cars are partially buried at approximately 45-degree angles, their noses facing downward into the dirt, left to disintegrate over time, with visitor participation encouraged (or at least not actively discouraged) in the form of spray painting.

Landscape maintenance is minimal, perhaps because it is unclear who - if anyone - owns the Ranch. The nearest structure, formerly a shop of some sort, has been abandoned for years. It all may be on the property of Conway Inn & Restaurant (which is in any case the nearest landmark, and a good destination to feed your GPS in order to find the site since the Ranch itself has no specific address).

Parking is not plentiful, but since the bugs don’t have nearly the notoriety or draw of the Caddies, your car is likely to be the only one there that isn’t part of the attraction itself.

Know Before You Go

There is no signage for the ranch and it has no specific street address. It is south of a bend in the frontage road on the Eastbound side of I-40 at Exit 96, in the shadow of an old motel sign.There are really two parts to the Ranch: the buggys, as well as the three abandoned buildings, are worth exploring. Be extremely cautious about entering the cars. They are a favorite nesting spot of rattlesnakes.