Quemado, New Mexico -
The Lightning Field

I read in a New Mexico book that a man built a large field of lightning rods. The book said people have to book 6 months in advance to go visit this place, and when there is a storm rolling through, it puts on quite a light show. Apparently you get dropped off at a cabin by the field and stay the night there.

The Lightning Field. Permanent land art by artist Walter DeMaria. Limited accommodations available, reservations necessary; scheduled tours April-Oct. (505) 898-3335.......... A rectangular grid in New Mexico measuring one mile by one kilometer and containing 400 stainless-steel lightning rods, it serves as an arena for observing meteorological activity. [Chris, 11/07/2000]

[RA: The Lightning Field was created in 1977; one square mile of 400 stainless steel poles in southwestern New Mexico. Visiting season is May-October, requires advance reservations and will cost at least $85 per person per night.]

It was created in the 70's(?) by artist Walter De Maria and is in New Mexico in some remote basin that has a fairly high incidence of lightning strikes. Intended to be a sort of "living sculpture," it is accessible only by reservation and the participants must spend the night at this remote cabin nearby. The cabin is not in the field, which is laid out in perfect grid (1 km x 1 km) consisting of 10 meter tall steel poles (perfect lightning attractors) spaced something like 50 meters apart. There is no guarantee that you will see a storm or even a strike, but the chance is good. The overnight trip is apparently part of the total experience that the artist designed, and is quite expensive. [Adam Miller, 03/29/1999]