Roadside Attractions in Canyon

Ozymandias on the Plains

Canyon, Texas

Rising out of the flat expanses of the Texas Panhandle, this colossal 40-foot-tall concrete head is a whimsical and slightly eerie tribute to Percy Bysshe Shelley's famous poem about the inevitable decay of empire. Sculpted by artist Lightnin' McDermett in the late 1990s, the giant visage features a crumbling crown, a weathered sneer, and empty eyes gazing out at passing traffic on Interstate 27. It is a delightfully bizarre roadside surprise that rewards curious travelers willing to pull off the highway for a quick brush with poetic philosophy.