Tucumcari Route 66 Murals
Route 66 Blvd
Tucumcari, NM
Wall after wall of hand-painted murals turn a Route 66 town into a free open-air gallery, from vintage neon to open-range scenes to dinosaurs.
Tucumcari calls itself the mural capital of Route 66, and one slow pass down the old highway shows why. Nearly a hundred hand-painted murals cover the walls of the town, splashed across shops, motels, and public buildings, so that the main street becomes a free open-air gallery. The subjects run from vintage neon and classic cars to cowboys and cattle drives, trains, local history, and even the dinosaurs the town is known for.
The murals are the work of local artists, above all Doug and Sharon Quarles, who over the years painted dozens of large and larger-than-life scenes around town, with other artists adding smaller works of their own. It began quietly in the late 1990s and simply kept growing, one wall at a time, until Tucumcari had turned itself into a place where the art is everywhere and free for anyone driving through to enjoy.
What Guests Love
- A free, self-guided tour you can walk or drive at your own pace, day or night
- Close to a hundred murals in one town, from vintage Route 66 scenes to cowboys, trains, and dinosaurs
- Big, bold work by local artists painted right on the walls of shops, motels, and public buildings
- How the murals pair with Tucumcari's classic neon signs for a full old-highway experience
Worth Knowing
- The murals are outdoor public art, free to see any time, though most are painted on private buildings, so admire and photograph from public sidewalks and streets
- The visitor center offers a mural map that makes it easy to find the best ones without missing any
- Many are along the boulevard, so a slow drive with a few walking stops works well, especially in cooler morning or evening light
- There is no ticket and no set route, so give yourself an unhurried hour or two to wander
Details
Tucumcari, NM
Learn about Tucumcari Route 66 Murals
A town that painted itself
The mural story here started small, in the late 1990s, and grew into something that now defines the town. Local artists Doug and Sharon Quarles led the way, painting more than thirty large murals around Tucumcari and the surrounding county, many of them life-size or bigger. Over time other artists joined in, adding their own scenes and even tiny works tucked into unexpected corners, until the count climbed toward a hundred.
What makes it feel special is that this was not a single commissioned project dropped onto the town. It grew wall by wall, painted by people who live here, on the buildings they pass every day. The result is a genuine, home-grown open-air gallery rather than a tourist installation, and it gives a plainspoken Route 66 town a burst of color and pride you can see from the road.
What the murals show
The subjects are a rolling portrait of the region and the road. Many celebrate Route 66 itself, with vintage cars, gas pumps, neon signs, and roadside scenes from the highway's heyday. Others turn to the land and its history, painting cowboys and cattle on the open range, steam trains, and moments from the town's past. There is even a nod to the dinosaurs that made the local museum famous.
One of the largest is devoted entirely to Route 66, a sweeping tribute to the mother road, and a colorful postcard-style mural spells out the town's name in scenes of its landscape and culture. Because the murals sit alongside Tucumcari's famous old motel neon, a mural tour and a neon-at-dusk tour naturally fold into one, giving you the full flavor of a classic highway town.
Finding them yourself
There is no ticket and no fixed route, which is part of the fun. Most of the murals line Tucumcari Boulevard, the old Route 66 through town, with more clustered on the side streets near the post office and among the vintage motels. The town's visitor center hands out a mural map that points you to the highlights and helps you catch ones you would otherwise drive past.
A good plan is to drive the boulevard slowly, then park and walk a block or two where the murals cluster, so you can take in the detail and get your photographs. Early morning and the golden hour before sunset give the best light and the least glare. Since it is all free and outdoors, you can shape the visit to whatever time you have, whether that is a quick pass or a leisurely afternoon of hunting down every last wall.
Closest Boutels
The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is an independently owned, editorially selected place to stay.
Things to Do Near Tucumcari
Mesalands Dinosaur Museum
In town
A Tucumcari college museum with the world's largest collection of life-size bronze dinosaur skeletons, cast in its own foundry.
Ute Lake State Park
About 25 miles
A long reservoir near Logan with some of the best walleye fishing in New Mexico, plus boating, swimming, and camping.
Conchas Lake State Park
About 35 miles
A big canyon-rimmed lake behind a 1930s dam northwest of town, good for boating, fishing, and quiet desert views.
Santa Rosa Blue Hole
About 60 miles
A famously clear, cold artesian spring pool west along Route 66 that draws scuba divers from across the country.