Texas

In 1974 an artist collective named Ant Farm installed Cadillac Ranch: an art installation along the historic Route 66 (this stretch in Texas is now known as Route 40) which inspired the Bruce Springsteen song of the same name. The roadside attraction features 10 brightly colored classic Cadillacs buried face-first in a row. Fans of Pixar’s Cars franchise may recognize a similar sight as the filmmakers paid very appropriate homage to the Ranch in the mountains surrounding Radiator Springs, named Cadillac Range. Parks buffs will notice that this same mountain range is also incorporated into the theming of the high-speed Radiator Springs Racers attraction. Address: 13651 I-40 Frontage Rd, Amarillo, TX 79124 Visitor Information: Atlas Obscura

House of Blues is a concert venue and restaurant featuring southern cuisine, juke joint decor, and a world-famous Sunday “gospel brunch”. House of Blues currently operates one Disney location in Disney Springs. Address: 2200 N Lamar St, Dallas, TX 75202 Visitor Information: House of Blues

House of Blues is a concert venue and restaurant featuring southern cuisine, juke joint decor, and a world-famous Sunday “gospel brunch”. House of Blues currently operates one Disney location in Disney Springs. Address: 1204 Caroline St, Houston, TX 77002 Visitor Information: House of Blues

First opened in 1928, this cafe and gift shop is located midway on historic Route 66, approximately 1,139 miles from each end. In 2001, a team from Pixar visited the cafe during a research trip along Route 66 while developing Cars. There, they met owner Fran Houser who inspired them to create the character of Flo and base Flo’s V8 Cafe on the Midpoint Cafe (though the film version’s physical design is that of a Ford V-8 engine). Though Flo’s in the movie, you can also visit Flo’s V8 Cafe as a quick-service dining location at Disney California Adventure. Address: 305 W Historic Rte 66, Adrian, TX 79001 Visitor Information: Facebook: Midpoint Cafe

Rainforest Cafe is a chain of rainforest themed restaurants owned by Landry’s, Inc., the same company that operates T-Rex Cafe and Yak & Yeti. Rainforest Cafe is synonymous with Disney as you can find four restaurants at Disney Resorts around the world: one just outside Disney’s Animal Kingdom, one in Disneyland Village, one in Tokyo Disney’s Ikspiari, and one in Disney Springs. Address: 5310 Seawall Blvd, Galveston, TX 77551 Visitor Information: Rainforest Cafe

Rainforest Cafe is a chain of rainforest themed restaurants owned by Landry’s, Inc., the same company that operates T-Rex Cafe and Yak & Yeti. Rainforest Cafe is synonymous with Disney as you can find four restaurants at Disney Resorts around the world: one just outside Disney’s Animal Kingdom, one in Disneyland Village, one in Tokyo Disney’s Ikspiari, and one in Disney Springs. Address: 3000 Grapevine Mills Pkwy, Grapevine, TX 76051 Visitor Information: Rainforest Cafe

Rainforest Cafe is a chain of rainforest themed restaurants owned by Landry’s, Inc., the same company that operates T-Rex Cafe and Yak & Yeti. Rainforest Cafe is synonymous with Disney as you can find four restaurants at Disney Resorts around the world: one just outside Disney’s Animal Kingdom, one in Disneyland Village, one in Tokyo Disney’s Ikspiari, and one in Disney Springs. Address: 5000 Katy Mills Cir, Katy, TX 77494 Visitor Information: Rainforest Cafe

Rainforest Cafe is a chain of rainforest themed restaurants owned by Landry’s, Inc., the same company that operates T-Rex Cafe and Yak & Yeti. Rainforest Cafe is synonymous with Disney as you can find four restaurants at Disney Resorts around the world: one just outside Disney’s Animal Kingdom, one in Disneyland Village, one in Tokyo Disney’s Ikspiari, and one in Disney Springs. Address: 110 E Crockett St, San Antonio, TX 78205 Visitor Information: Rainforest Cafe

Shula’s Steak House is a chain of restaurants named after the legendary Miami Dolphins‘ head coach, Don Shula. The company operates a number of concept restaurants across the US with the Steak House being the original, flagship one. The company operates one Disney location which is inside the Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel. Address: 1200 Louisiana St, Houston, TX 77002 Visitor Information: Shula’s Steak House

Once a cafe and gas station, this building on historic Route 66 is now a visitors center. The unique design and architecture were referenced during the design of Ramone’s House of Body Art in Radiator Springs, as seen in the Pixar’s Cars series of films. Much like in the film, the advent of interstate highways caused areas of Route 66 to fall into disrepair. Luckily, the city of Shamrock completed a restoration of the building in 2003, complete with beautiful green neon along the facade. Besides visiting the real-life version in Texas, you can also visit the Cars version in Disney California Adventure as well as see a scale version in the indoor scene during Radiator Springs Racers. Address: 111 Rte 66, Shamrock, TX 79079 Visitor Information: National Park Service