Welcome to the wild and wonderfully weird world of West Texas, where the spirit of adventure meets the unexpected at every turn. As you journey through this desert landscape, you’ll encounter more than just wide-open spaces and endless skies.
Prepare for the quirky surprises that dot the highways and byways of this unique region. From towering sculptures to oddball museums, West Texas is a treasure trove of odd wonders waiting to be explored. So buckle up and get ready for a roadside adventure like no other!
Quirky Roadside Attractions In West Texas:
Cadillac Ranch
One of Amarillo’s greatest icons is a ranch. Now that doesn’t sound too quirky, but this isn’t a ranch of cattle or horses or a farm covered in crops ready for harvest. This ranch is a roundup of old Cadillac cars half buried in the dirt and decorated with generations of graffiti. Now that sounds quirky!
Cadillac Ranch has become an icon of Amarillo and is a stop you will not want to miss. Be sure to bring a couple cans of spray paint to add your work of art to these historical automobiles.
Location: 13651 I-40 Frontage Rd, Amarillo, TX 79124
Ally Oop Park and Fantasyland
Back in 1930, the caveman Ally Oop and his dinosaur Dinny were the were beloved comic strip characters. Today in the tiny, middle of nowhere town of Iraan, these characters are still standing. I mean literally there is a giant dinosaur with a step stool next to his neck waiting for someone to jump on.
This roadside West Texas gem is a small park with multiple photo ops as you interact with scenes and characters of this timeless comic.
Location:
San Angelo Sheep
San Angelo is being taken over by sheep! All over town are beautifully painted sheep and ram statues. There are over a hundred of these painted sheep, so good luck finding them all. I am 37 in and I feel like a new one pops up each month. You can’t miss them driving through town though, they are everywhere!
Locations: check out the San Angelo website for the map, or click here.
Paintbrush Alley
One of my favorite things to do in San Angelo, Texas is also one of the quirkiest things there is to do in all of West Texas! San Angelo is a town covered in art. There are multiple art museums, tons of murals, painted sheep, an art walk, and an entire alley full of interactive art.
This alley located in between several old buildings, has murals painted all over. While that is fun and quirky enough; these aren’t just paintings to look at, these are painting to play with. Many of the murals have photo ops included and even have props to make those photos more interactive. This free outdoor art museum is such a fun thing to do in San Angelo, Texas.
Location: 33 W Twohig Ave, San Angelo, TX 76903
Giant Jack Rabbits
Jumping jackrabbits, Odessa is covered in giant rabbits!! There isn’t much that will catch your eye in this town, except for giant colorfully painted Jackrabbits randomly placed throughout town! Each and every rabbit around town is painted to represent some form of Odessa, Texas.
Locations: For a map to each of the Odessa Jackrabbits, click here.
World’s Largest Road Runner
Rattlesnakes, coyotes, horny toads, rabbits, armadillos, and roadrunners make up the wildlife of West Texas. So it makes sense that they are the mascots and inspiration for a lot of the art work in the area. To honor these animals, Fort Stockton has built the world’s largest Road Runner! Pasiano Pete is this giant bird that welcomes you into town!
Location: East Dickinson Boulevard & North Main Street, Fort Stockton, TX 79735
National Mule Memorial
Every town has monuments, but I guarantee you have never been to a monument like this one. This monument is in honor of the mules everywhere. Makes sense that Muleshoe would be honoring mules right.
Location: 198 E American Blvd, Muleshoe, TX 79347
Slug Bug Ranch
Everybody knows about Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo. The half buried Cadillacs covered in graffiti have become quite the thing in this panhandle town. What if I were to tell you they are not the only half-buried, graffitied automobiles in town? On the east outskirts of town you will find half-buried Volkswagen Slug Bugs!
The experience of visiting these slug bugs is very similar to that of the Cadillacs. You can walk through and admire these quirky cars as well as add your graffiti works of art to them!
Location: 1415 Sunrise Dr, Amarillo, TX 79104
Pecos Boot Trail
Pecos is home to the cowboy. This is where to wild west rodeos began. So it makes sense that throughout town you will find giant painted boots. If you stop by the Pecos Chamber of Commerce and pick up a boot passport book, it will direct to where each of these beautiful boots are located.
At each boot, stop into the company that sponsors them for a stamp in your passport book. Stamps are cool and all, but the real fun part is turning in your passport full of stamps for a prize!
Location: for the location of each of the boots, click here.
Odessa Stonehenge
Why travel all the way across the world to see Stonehenge when you can find it right here in West Texas!? That’s right, Odessa has rebuilt a replica of Stonehenge. You can walk through the giant rocks and admire the pass of these structures, all right here in little ol’ Odessa.
Location: Preston Smith Rd, Odessa, TX 79762
2nd Amendment Cowboy
I feel West Texas has to have a giant cowboy somewhere. It just kinda seems fitting. Located in Amarillo at the Cadillac Ranch RV Park, stands the 2nd Amendment Cowboy. He is surrounded by large guns and of course American Cadillacs. Such a quirky place to stop and enjoy the photo ops available.
Location: 2601 Hope Rd, Amarillo, TX 79124
Rattlesnake Bomber Base
West Texas in general kinda feels like a ghost town. It is old and full of broken down buildings in almost every town. One of those towns is Pyote, Texas. You probably won’t even realize you have driven through the town it is so small.
It may not be a ghost town, but it has a ghost bomber base! During World War 2 this base was used as a training facility for the armies bombers. What once was bombing with army activity stands still and forlorn now. While you can’t actually walk through the base, you can stop at the historic marker for a view of it.
Location:
Art In Uncommon Places Museum
I already mentioned San Angelo’s Art Alley, but that is not the quirkiest thing to do in San Angelo. One of the most quirky roadside attractions in West Texas is the Art In Uncommon Places Museum! This abandoned building has become an art museum.
The walls have been painted with unique artworks, there are several interactive photo op art installations, and even painted floors. Several times that we have visited, even the trees have been painted! This art museum is free and actually is where the town hosts many of its markets.
Location: 701 S Irving St, San Angelo, TX 76903
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