Out in the wide, windy expanse of the Texas Panhandle, past the last chain restaurant and beyond the predictable pit stops, there’s something strange poking out of the earth.
And no, it’s not Cadillac Ranch…it’s something even cooler.
From a distance, it looks like a weird sculpture garden or a row of giant metal beasts.
You might think you’re seeing things. You’re not.
Welcome to Combine City
Located just south of Amarillo along Claude Highway, Combine City is a true sight to be seen.
It all started when local farmer Orville Ladehoff faced a dilemma: what to do with a broken-down combine harvester.
His wife jokingly suggested, “Why don’t you just bury it?”
Rather than scrap the huge machine, Orville took her suggestion one step further.
He planted it. Nose-first, blade-up, like a steel monument to the agricultural backbone of the Texas Panhandle.
And he didn’t stop with just one.
Over time, he added 13 more, transforming his two-acre plot into a fascinating display that rivals Cadillac Ranch.
Why This Place Is So Cool
Cadillac Ranch is a monument to American car culture and so Combine City is its rural counterpart.
It celebrates the unsung workhorses of the field.
Painted in now-faded shades of John Deere green, Case red, and Koyoti orange, these towering combines stand in a row, retired but not forgotten.
Unlike its flashier cousin, Combine City is hands-off and you can’t paint them yourself.
A barbed wire fence surrounds the installation to stop people damaging it.
There’s no spray paint, no selfies on top of tractors, just quiet admiration from the roadside.
A Legacy
There seems to be an unspoken theme in the Texas Panhandle: things lean.
From the leaning tower in Groom to the Bug Ranch in Conway, locals have a thing for tipping the ordinary on its side—literally.
Combine City fits right in.
It’s not just art, it’s a statement.
How to Find It
Combine City sits along FM 1151, also known as Claude Highway:
- Take I-27 south from Amarillo to Exit 116 (Loop 335).
- Drive 5 miles east to Osage Road, turn south.
- Go 2 miles to FM 1151, turn left.
- Combine City is 3 miles down on the north side of the road.
Pro tip: If you’re cruising westbound on I-40, set your GPS to Lake Tanglewood and you’ll glide right past this hidden gem.
Why It’s Worth the Stop
Sure, you can’t tag it or walk among the rows, but that’s part of Combine City’s quiet charm.
It’s a roadside ode to the machinery that powered a region, a farmer’s tongue-in-cheek answer to his wife’s joke, and a scene that’ll make you slow down, pull over, and smile.
So skip the crowds at Cadillac Ranch for a minute, and take the detour.
Trust me, Combine City is worth it.
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