Slug Bug Ranch to open in Amarillo in June: Here's what we know.
Amarillo will soon have its second car ranch, matching the iconic Cadillac Ranch on the west side, with the relocation of the Slug Bug Ranch to the east side of the city.
Over six months after announcing a move to a new location, the Slug Bug Ranch is being reconstructed just across from the Starlight Ranch Event Center off I-40 in Amarillo. It will feature a more tourist-friendly atmosphere, sidewalks, and more vehicles to decorate outside of the original five Volkswagen bugs. In addition, there will be 10 more VW bugs and seven of the Big Texans' former limousines buried in the ground, with two others to decorate.
The original attraction was built in Conroy, about 30 minutes from Amarillo, to draw visitors to the Longhorn Trading Post. While the Slug Bug Ranch did gain some attention and visitors a year later, the business closed. So, for years, the location has been an unofficial Route 66 stop but has been landscaped with abandoned buildings still on site.
With its location closed in October and a failed proposal to move to a new 10-acre location, former owner Ettie Crutchfield contacted Starlight Ranch co-owner Bobby Lee to ask if he would be interested in the vehicles from the bug ranch since he had been a huge supporter over the years.
“I did not hesitate because I would love to have this in Amarillo,” Lee said. “This was an iconic landmark, so to me, this was big, especially with all the interest in Route 66. So many people knew about this attraction. I think this will complement the famous Cadillac Ranch but will also be a unique enough entity. This is the start of many new projects on the city's east side.”
Lee feels that a new attraction in Amarillo will enhance tourists' stays and give them more to explore in the city.
“This will allow people to stop and get an interactive experience with the Volkswagens and the other attractions nearby,” Lee said. “It will be a great project for us and the city. It is one of those things that will be a catalyst project for many years to come. I know bringing this here will positively affect tourism and get people to stay in town longer. So many people over the years have asked about the bug ranch, and I would have hated to see something like that go away. We have had people coming in since November asking about when it will open, and we just got started.”
The Slug Bug Ranch will be run by a non-profit board with an emphasis on stimulating tourism and local business. The original slug bugs will be prominently featured at the entrance of the attraction, with shaded areas, unlike the sparsely landscaped former location, which was almost as famous for rattlesnakes as its vehicles. Lee will use old farm equipment as agrisculpture to decorate the attraction.
Lee stressed that it was important to get buy-in from Route 66 organizations from across Texas and plans for the location to be open prior to this year’s Route 66 festival and the upcoming centennial festival in 2026. With a lot of room space expected to be added at area hotels, Lee feels that this new attraction could have a tremendous impact on spotlighting the community with information available about other things to see in the city.
“I think, without experience working with customers over our long history in the city, we have a good idea of what people want to see,” Lee said. “We have a lot of additions going on at the Starlight to accommodate more lodgers and are adding a fishing area, so this attraction should be a win for everybody in one of the most visible sections of I-40. I think this and some other recent projects will spur more business creation on the east side. People from all over the world come to see the Big Texan, and this new attraction will draw even more people to what some people see in the real west."
Lee says that due to city requirements, the cost to recreate the Slug Bug Ranch is over $219,000, and he is hoping to get some type of cost-sharing from the city since this is a non-profit attraction that will stimulate tourism. He will discuss options with the Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone board during its meeting Thursday.
“This will be a great part of the expansion of the east side of the city and should grow the number of visitors to the city each year that will hopefully stay another night to see all that we have to offer,” Lee said. “This is another way to keep more money in the community by having people stay longer, and I hope this will inspire more growth in the city.”
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Starlight Ranch owner plans to open newly relocated Slug Bug Ranch
