You’ve likely heard the phrases, “Remember the Alamo” or “Remember Goliad” and relate those to Texas. Have you ever heard of a beer-drinking goat? How about an art display located 10 miles from the nearest town? Or what about a replica of a Parisian sculpture that has been westernized?
I give you my top 10 weird Texas wonders, and there are some real doozies.
10. Giant Marfa near Marfa, Texas
Big Bend is one of my favorite places in Texas to visit. I love the mountains. I love the long, lonely roads. I especially love the strange sightings you find just by driving. That brings me to my first wonder on the list – Giant Marfa. This installation is not to be confused with Prada Marfa, the art installation that looks like a fake storefront located west of Valentine, Texas, not Marfa. That’s a story for another day.
In 2018, artist John Cerney created Giant Marfa. It pays tribute to the movie of the same name that was shot in the area in the 50’s. The painted, 15-foot plywood display features Rock Hudson in a yellow convertible, James Dean holding a rifle, and Elizabeth Taylor sitting on a horse. There’s a tiny replica of the house in the movie that includes the director. A solar-powered sound system is hidden behind fake boulders, playing country music on a continuous loop by Michael Nesmith from The Monkees.
9. Cadillac Ranch and Slug Bug Ranch in Amarillo, Texas
If you’re traveling on I-40 through Amarillo, you’ll want to stop for the self-expression experience of a lifetime. You have your pick of places to do some creative car tagging before entering the city. And they’re not just any old cars. Cadillac Ranch, the original spray paint experience, is on the west side of town. Cadillacs are half buried in the ground, and you can take your spray paint and spray to your heart’s content.
If Cadillacs aren’t too your liking, you can stop at the eastern entrance of Amarillo and spray paint Volkswagens (slug bugs) or stretch limousines. Make sure you buy spray paint before you arrive. If you forget, you might get lucky and find some cans on the ground with paint still in them. So much fun!
8. Stonehenge – Odessa and Ingram, Texas
The first time I visited Stonehenge in Odessa, I thought it was both strange. Why is there a to-scale replica of the mysterious stones on the UT Permian Basin campus? Turns out they built it to provide public art for the community. Who would have thunk it?
If that’s not weird enough for you, a few years later I learned Texas has a second Stonehenge in the tiny town of Ingram, down the road from Kerrville. It’s located at the Hill Country Arts Foundation. While this one took some artistic license and looks literally nothing like the Stonehenge in Wiltshire, England, it’s still something to behold. My favorite thing about this location is it also has a replica Easter Island statue (dum-dum want gum-gum) standing on guard nearby. You can’t make this stuff up.
7. Tex in Conlen, Texas
When I drove the perimeter of Texas in June of 2020 with Debra and Morgan, this big guy stopped us in our tracks. Tex is located along Hwy. 54 in front of one of the few buildings we saw in the panhandle town of Conlen.
We didn’t know the story then, but I’ve learned since that Conlen wasn’t his original home. Tex once stood in front of a restaurant in Dalhart, west of his current location. To enter the establishment, you had to walk through his legs. If you ever find yourself near the town of under 100 people, stop and say howdy to Tex.
6. Jesus in Cowboy Boots in Paris, Texas
If you want to have visitors after you pass, you might consider doing something like the late Willet Babcock. A furniture and casket maker, he commissioned the statue prior to his death.
As you look at the statue, you can see a cowboy boot peeking out under the robes of Jesus. You can find it among 40,000 other graves at the Evergreen Cemetery in Paris.
5. World’s Littlest Skyscraper in Wichita Falls, Texas
The World’s Littlest Skyscraper is a quirky landmark in Wichita Falls, built in 1919 after a con man convinced local investors to fund what they thought would be a towering high-rise.
Thanks to fine print on the blueprints, showing inches instead of feet, the finished building turned out to be only 40 feet tall. Despite its tiny size, the “skyscraper” stands as a funny reminder of the city’s oil boom era.
4. Bridle Bit Bull near Throckmorton, Texas
West central Texas is primarily made up of large fields of cotton, wheat, sorghum, and other grains. You’ll spot the occasional tree, wind turbines, and oil derricks.
On the north side of US 380, 10 miles west of Throckmorton, you’ll see something large on the side of the road, a few miles before you actually get to it. Bridle Bit Bull, a 22-foot steel structure, was created by Joe Barrington, a renowned sculptor based in Throckmorton. The bull was created for local rancher Ross McKnight for McKnight Ranch. There’s actually a spot where you can pull over to see the sculpture up close. Don’t cross the fence line, though. That’s private property, and you wouldn’t want Bridle Bit Bull to come after you. It could happen.
3. Mayor Clay Henry in Lajitas, Texas
During election season in Texas, it’s nice to find someone you feel comfortable enough to treat to a beer. The Mayor of Lajitas in far west Texas knows how to put one away like no other. Mayor Clay Henry isn’t the original beer-drinking goat. He’s number four. The first won in 1986 in a mock election against an actual human, a wooden Indian, and a dog. The rest, as they say, is history.
You can pay your respects to the original down the road in Terlingua at the Starlight Theatre Restaurant and Saloon. He’s taxidermied and on full display. If you eat while you’re there, make sure to order a cup of chili. Terlingua is known for its chili festivals. Afterwards, enjoy a Lone Star Beer on the porch with the locals in honor of the goat mayors.
2. Everything in Luckenbach, Texas
Located a few miles from the wine country of Fredericksburg, Luckenbach has a big reputation for a community of only three people. Thanks to songwriters, Bobby Emmons and Chips Moman and the voice of Waylon Jennings bringing the town to life back in the seventies, Luckenbach became a household name.
You never know what you’ll see when you’re there. It’s fun to go at night for a show, but during the day you may catch a musician picking a guitar while stray cats and roosters roam around the premises.
1. The Eiffel Tower in Paris, Texas
Paris made the list twice. Known for its special “Bonjour, Y’all” greeting, Paris, Texas, definitely stands out. The Eiffel Tower, accented with a big, red cowboy hat to add some Texas flair, is 65 feet tall. Definitely a great stop and photo op when you’re visiting the area.
If you’re into weird things to see in the Lone Star State, I’ve got you covered with this list. Let me know what else I need to see in the future.
Until next time from Texas … safe travels!
