Recycled Roadrunner Sculpture
Sculpture · Las Cruces ·

Recycled Roadrunner Sculpture

Sculpture · Las Cruces ·

Massive roadrunner sculpture made of sneakers, electronics, tires

Recycled Roadrunner Sculpture by null
Recycled Roadrunner Sculpture by Junoandkingston (Atlas Obscura User)
Recycled Roadrunner Sculpture by chasepopt (Atlas Obscura User)
Recycled Roadrunner Sculpture by kensavage (Atlas Obscura User)
Recycled Roadrunner Sculpture by breaingram (Atlas Obscura User)
Recycled Roadrunner Sculpture by Jane Weinhardt Goldberg (Atlas Obscura User)
Recycled Roadrunner Sculpture by Junoandkingston (Atlas Obscura User)
Recycled Roadrunner Sculpture by Xibalba (Atlas Obscura User)
Recycled Roadrunner Sculpture by Spinach (Atlas Obscura User)
Recycled Roadrunner Sculpture by chasepopt (Atlas Obscura User)
Recycled Roadrunner Sculpture by Mitch Lang (Atlas Obscura User)
Recycled Roadrunner Sculpture by null
Recycled Roadrunner Sculpture by null
Recycled Roadrunner Sculpture by null
Recycled Roadrunner Sculpture by null
Recycled Roadrunner Sculpture by null
Recycled Roadrunner Sculpture by null
Recycled Roadrunner Sculpture by null
Recycled Roadrunner Sculpture by null
Recycled Roadrunner Sculpture by null
Recycled Roadrunner Sculpture by null
Recycled Roadrunner Sculpture by null
Recycled Roadrunner Sculpture by null
Recycled Roadrunner Sculpture by null
Recycled Roadrunner Sculpture by null
Recycled Roadrunner Sculpture by null
Recycled Roadrunner Sculpture by null
Recycled Roadrunner Sculpture by null
Recycled Roadrunner Sculpture by null
Recycled Roadrunner Sculpture by null
Recycled Roadrunner Sculpture by null
Recycled Roadrunner Sculpture by null
Recycled Roadrunner Sculpture by null
Recycled Roadrunner Sculpture by null
Recycled Roadrunner Sculpture by null
Recycled Roadrunner Sculpture by null
Recycled Roadrunner Sculpture by null
Recycled Roadrunner Sculpture by null
Recycled Roadrunner Sculpture by null
Recycled Roadrunner Sculpture by null
Recycled Roadrunner Sculpture by null
Recycled Roadrunner Sculpture by null
Recycled Roadrunner Sculpture by null
Recycled Roadrunner Sculpture by null
Recycled Roadrunner Sculpture by null
Recycled Roadrunner Sculpture by null
Recycled Roadrunner Sculpture by null
Recycled Roadrunner Sculpture by null
Recycled Roadrunner Sculpture by null
Recycled Roadrunner Sculpture by null
Recycled Roadrunner Sculpture by null
Recycled Roadrunner Sculpture by null
Recycled Roadrunner Sculpture by null

Information

.282291, -.866343, 32 AL-106, Las Cruces, NM 88005 Get directions

Information

Static Map

.282291, -.866343, 32 AL-106, Las Cruces, NM 88005 Get directions

Features

wheelchair accessible parking lot
wheelchair accessible entrance

Last updated

Dec 4, 2025

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How to Have a Screen-free Road Trip With Kids

"A quirky roadside sculpture constructed from old bric-a-brac that makes for an offbeat, easily spotted stop on I-10 just west of Las Cruces; highlighted as the kind of intriguing little detour that rewards families looking to break up long drives with something unexpected." - Stratton Lawrence Stratton Lawrence Stratton Lawrence is a Charleston-based writer covering hotel openings, buzz-worthy restaurants, and in-demand attractions in the Lowcountry and around the U.S. Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines

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Recycled Roadrunner Sculpture
@atlasobscura
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The Ultimate Guide to Bird Monuments

"This giant avian first stood at the Las Cruces Foothills Landfill to draw attention to our consumption habits, the power of recycling, and how much we toss away into landfills. The massive bird was then relocated to the rest area west of Las Cruces on I-10. The sculpture stands a whopping 20 feet tall and is composed of old shoes, cell phones, bike parts, and other recycled materials." - ATLAS_OBSCURA

https://www.atlasobscura.com/lists/ultimate-guide-to-bird-monuments
Jane Weinhardt Goldberg (Atlas Obscura User)
Recycled Roadrunner Sculpture

Stephanie Glover

Google
It's a full rest area with super clean bathrooms and has a security person onsite every time I've been. This is a sunrise from this beautiful vantage point on the edge of town. The view of the Organ Mountain Range is outstanding! The Recycled Roadrunner is really neat.

Traveling wvcouple

Google
Very cool place. The roadrunner statue is made out of recycled garbage. Stop if you can. It's pretty neat. Plus, you have a beautiful view of Las Cruces. There's also a small area for your dog to go potty.

Irene Estlund

Google
My husband and I loved this Sculpture! So creative! We spent time finding as many items we could find! Definitely stop by & stretch your legs and check it out!

Gail Schwalbach

Google
This is a very nice rest stop with the World's Largest Roadrunner. The Roadrunner is made out of recycled materials like crutches, cd changers, var lights for eyes and lots and lots of tennis shoes. He's so interesting to look at. A great piece of art. Worth a stop to see!

Francisco Leung

Google
This is a large sculpture of a roadrunner that is really well done. It's literally made of junk and recycled parts from vehicles, shoes, computers, etc. If you like art, you'll enjoy walking up to it to see what pieces were used to make it. It's located just off of a rest stop and is a short walk from picnic tables and restrooms.

Max Alexander

Google
Great place to stop, not far out of town!

Martha Schott

Google
I LOVE this concept, art from trash. We first discovered this roadrunner while planning a "return to grad school post COVID quarantine" trip. This time it was a "return home after graduating with a PhD in physics" road trip that brought us down I-10 from Tucson. We had to make a stop. The roadrunner is like a three dimensional I-SPY experience. It's fun for any age. I wish more rest areas across the country did things like this. It's a free display that's a must see. Stop for a restroom break; stay a while for an art appreciation experience.

Linda Dianne Hall

Google
What a beautiful view of the city. Good to see art and recycling where the public can enjoy.
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Vlad V.

Yelp
On a road trip from Houston to Phoenix, we stopped for a night on day two in Las Cruces. Before leaving town the following day, we made a pit stop at the Recycled Roadrunner Sculpture. One of the nice things is that it's a convenient stop. It's right off of I-10 and it's at a rest stop. We parked our car and then made our way to check out this work of art. And boy is it cool! The sculpture is made out of recycled material, no surprises there, like sneakers and tires. It's quite impressive in sign and overlooks the highway with the mountains in the background. Take a few moments, appreciate the art, snap a photo or two, and then you're on your way. A must visit in Las Cruces!
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Dave W.

Yelp
This is an incredible, huge and stunning art work and bold statement in the desert near Las Cruces. Made completely of recycled material, it's amazing from every angle! Sneakers, keyboards and more are the ingredients to this unique sculpture! Thank you Olin Calk and Dan Smith for creating this in 1993! Life is great with unique public art!
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Van D.

Yelp
There's not a lot of signage for this fun sculpture, which is located at a "scenic overlook" that's part of a rest stop, but it's more than worth a quick visit. Situated directly off the parking lot, it takes just a minute or two to walk over and admire this quirky bird for all its worth. And at 40' x 20', there's a lot to take in!
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Alana M.

Yelp
This humongous roadrunner is a must see work of art! It is located at the Scenic Overlook Rest Area, just west of Las Cruces at the rest area between mile markers 134 & 135. You can only access it from the eastbound direction on Interstate 10, but has better visibility from the westbound side if you are driving past it. It's definitely worth a stop here to see the sculpture as well as take in the amazing vista and surrounding mountain range. You can get see Las Cruces and the Organ Mountains from here. This area is also a rest stop with restrooms and picnic shelters with grills. You can also take a little walk on the dirt paths. This sculpture is 40ft long and 20 ft tall. It is comprised of lots of discarded items that have been recycled into the makeup of this roadrunner. It is composed of lots of old shoes, cell phones, bike parts, wires, old toys, golf clubs, and other recycled materials. It has been a Las Cruces landmark since artist Olin Calk built it in 1993. The recycled roadrunner was erected here in 2001. Due to the harsh weather, it was removed by Calk who took it to his farm and refurbished it beginning in 2012. Then in 2014, it was returned and this rendition is what we see today. The reason for its' placement at the Las Cruces Foothills Landfill was to accentuate what and how much of our stuff ends up in the landfill. I'm not sure why it was moved from there to here, but it was! I'm sure it is seen by many more people from its' perch here than at the landfill. The state bird of New Mexico is the Greater Roadrunner. How felicitous it is to have such an enormous roadrunner watching travelers on the busy I-10!! This particular roadrunner is a rara avis (rare bird)! If you find yourself nearby, you should go take a peek at it up close! What items can you spot?
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Roger T.

Yelp
Eh. It's made out of junk. Literally. It's situated right off the10 freeway rest area exit and you can only access it from the east bound direction. The roadrunner is the official bird of New Mexico. My thoughts are that it's in a pretty good location. It's a good touristy selfie pic type of an attraction. Was only there to actually use the bathroom because I just happen to be going east bound on the 10 on the way to El Paso. For all the info in regards to the origins of this sculpture, go to this link. A lot of good info. https://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/14700 Yelp 2023 Review #25 918 overall
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Bruce K.

Yelp
This art installation was originally located at the Las Cruces Foothills Landfill and was intended to bring attention to our consumerism culture and hopefully encourage recycling. It was moved here a couple of years back and now stands with a great view of the city of Las Cruces at this I-10 rest area. The Road Runner (no Wile E. Coyote with an anvil or rocket-powered skates nearby https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aewj-0wcMIo) is 20 feet tall and made up of all sorts of recycled materials. Reduce! Reuse! Recycle! [Review 17477 overall - 87 in New Mexico - 995 of 2022.]
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Albert V.

Yelp
Nice and clean rest area. Stopped by to take a quick stop and noticed this road runner. Also had security there as well

Gabe O.

Yelp
Pretty nice peaceful area that's pretty cool how they made a giant Roadrunner out of recycled stuff
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Rick G.

Yelp
One of the most fascinating sculpture I've ever experienced! This well worth stopping to see work of art stands overlooking the Las Cruces valley region, watching over I-10 as if looking for it's next meal. It's intricately design and composition of recycled items one would never think to see within a bird is incredible. From tennis shoes for the breast, to its tail feathers made of crutches are just a few of the captivating human trash used to create this formidable and unique statue up on the hill! A must see!
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Joanne K.

Yelp
Fun little roadside attraction. Pretty cool! Hubby and I RV through the states. Always fun to see this stuff