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Amarillo, Texas: Floating Mesa

Billionaire prankster Stanley Marsh 3 had a white stripe painted around the rim of a mesa, which makes its upper part appear to float in mid-air. It's far from the road; bring a telephoto lens.

Address:
Tascosa Rd, Amarillo, TX
Directions:
Northwest of the city. I-40 exit 57. Drive north on FM 2381 for six miles. The road splits; bear right toward Amarillo. Go straight through the stop sign and merge onto Tascosa Rd. Look to your right and you'll see the Floating Mesa in the distance.
Admission:
Free
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Visitor Tips and News About Floating Mesa

Reports and tips from RoadsideAmerica.com visitors and Roadside America mobile tipsters. Some tips may not be verified. Submit your own tip.

Floating Mesa.

Floating Mesa

GPS will bring you all the way back around. If you are headed westbound it is faster to just turn back around the way you came. Not as cool as I thought it would be. Nice concept though.

[Mellow, 03/23/2022]

Seems tough to time a visit for the perfect sun angle and optimal washed out sky...

Floating Mesa

I was bored and it was 15 minutes away. It doesn't go all the way around. Only worth going to if it is already on your way somewhere.

[Lindsay, 10/11/2020]

Floating mesa.

Floating Mesa

A desert art installation is supposed to make the top of the mesa appear to be floating in the air. Even if the optical illusion intended doesn't always work (you might have to squint on a clear day to see it), the scope of the project is impressive.

[S. Michael Wilson, 03/13/2020]

The illusion works when the sky is the same color as the line around the mesa.

Floating Mesa.

Floating Mesa

Still there! The Floating Mesa is only seen heading west.

[Laura, 07/22/2018]

Floating Mesa.

Floating Mesa

One of several unusual sculptures in the Amarillo area commissioned by Stanley Marsh 3, a local visionary eccentric and bon-vivant. The intended illusion of the top of the mesa "floating" in the air occasionally is effected when the sky behind it is the right shade of white

[Stan Watson, 09/06/2007]

Nearby Offbeat Places

Cadillac RanchCadillac Ranch, Amarillo, TX - 7 mi.
Muffler Man - CowboyMuffler Man - Cowboy, Amarillo, TX - 7 mi.
Cadillac Ranch-esque RV ParkCadillac Ranch-esque RV Park, Amarillo, TX - 7 mi.
In the region:
Beef Burger Barrel, Amarillo, TX - 11 mi.

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