162:. Winding corridors and exhibit halls with painted monster footprints on the floors eventually lead to the "Thing", a mummified, likely female "Mother" of possibly Chinese or Native American descent who died in the 1880s to early 1900s, and a mummified "Child" age and descent unknown but implied to be the son or daughter of the "Mother". They are presented in separate but closely linked displays, coffin, and small coffin, bedding, and scratched plexiglass covering. One story as to the origin of the "Thing" is that the "Mother" and "Child" were illegal border crossers who were found and slaughtered by unknown cowboy bandits during a shootout and found decades later as mummified bodies by a rancher in the area who sold them to the owner/originator of the "Thing". But in this story, the harshness of the truth will never be uncovered, and the "Thing" will remain a mystery.
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The step-great-great-grandson of Homer Tate and the curator of the
Arizona Historical Society-Pioneer Museum in Flagstaff has said that this was created by Homer Tate. Tate was famous for producing sideshow gaffes. Based out of Phoenix, Tate produced a variety of curiosities like faux shrunken heads.
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In August 2018, the Bowlin Travel
Centers unveiled a new, modern museum building and other updates to house, in some order or theme, most of the items formerly stored in the three sheds. The new owners have also added a new alien and dinosaur theme that visitors first encounter upon entering the
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The origin of The Thing was established by syndicated columnist Stan
Delaplane, who interviewed Janet Prince in 1956. Prince told him, " man came through here about six years ago. He had three of he got somewhere. He was selling them for $ 50." Today, the attraction is operated by an
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The Thing was purchased by former lawyer Thomas
Binkley Prince in the mid-twentieth century, who quickly based a tourist attraction on the strange object. Although Prince died in 1969, the attraction was run by his wife Janet for many years. Today, the site is under the ownership of
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to the east and somewhere on I-10 between
Phoenix and Tucson to the west." RoadsideAmerica.com claims that over 247 billboards, spread out over a span of 200 miles, advertise the attraction. Due to The Thing's popularity, it has appeared in many books, such as Doug Kirby's
198:, a site that he had become "enchanted" with. A heart condition and several strokes led to Prince's death in 1969 at the age of 56. Janet ran the attraction for several years, but eventually relocated to Baltimore.
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brought about the loss of the building, and in 1965 the Prince family packed up The Thing and moved to the current location in
Arizona. Prince chose the location to be near
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Despite its remoteness, the attraction has been popular; it has appeared in several tourist guides, and has been the subject of several news stories and reports.
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on
Highway 91 and opened their first Thing roadside attraction and curio shop, between Barstow and Baker. However, the expansion of the road into an
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and her band as they tour the backwater towns of the
American southwest. The Thing is also prominently featured in a scene from the film
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collector, framed 1880s to early 1900s lithographs, historic engraved saddles, guns and rifles of historic
Western significance, a
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The roadside area was the creation of attorney Thomas
Binkley Prince, who was born in Texas in 1913. Prince attended
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just off I-10 at exit 322 on a hilltop between Benson and Willcox, near Texas Canyon, at 2631 North Johnson Road,
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museum. In addition to the upgrades, the cost of admission has increased to $ 5 per person or $ 10 per family.
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The Thing ahead sixty miles, do not miss / Not for the squeamish or depressed, not for the unbelievers
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206:-based company, Bowlins, Inc., which owns several roadside trading posts throughout the Southwest.
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that dot the interstate. A popular, albeit untrue, legend states that the billboards stretch from
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Weird Arizona: Your Travel Guide to Arizona's Local Legends and Best Kept Secrets
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of tortured souls by woodcarver Ralph Gallagher, the "Wooden Fantasy" of painted
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An article written about The Thing? in the Explorer Newspaper
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355:"Arizona's weirdest roadside attraction just got stranger"
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Inside the exhibit are a variety of items, including odd
251:. The Thing is featured in the 2009 documentary film
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Tribute to Homer Tate, alleged creator of The Thing?
182:and became a lawyer, practicing law for a time in
409:"Pilgrimage to 'The Thing' in the Arizona Desert"
563:Buildings and structures completed in the 1950s
485:"Men The - Church Of Logic Sin And Love Lyrics"
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383:"Mummified African Pygmies? In Holbrook?"
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154:mentions that it may have been used by
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45:extensively advertised by signs along
433:Delaplane, Stan (September 7, 1970).
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353:Craven, Scott (September 19, 2018).
255:that traces the creative journey of
214:The Thing is heavily advertised via
588:People whose existence is disputed
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327:Walker, Dave (January 27, 1993).
30:"The Thing?" Roadside Attraction
578:1950s establishments in Arizona
558:Roadside attractions in Arizona
513:Amy Cook: The Spaces in Between
435:"Postcard: They Call Her Susie"
253:Amy Cook: The Spaces in Between
463:"The Thing?, Dragoon, Arizona"
407:Gutel, Gene (March 10, 2005).
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381:Kor, Linda (April 11, 2012).
533:Roadside America: The Thing?
210:Advertisement and popularity
297:Sterling Publishing Company
67:Bowlin Travel Centers, Inc.
16:Arizona roadside attraction
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329:"Shrine to a Road Scholar"
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180:Arizona State University
77:The Thing is located at
583:Unidentified decedents
291:Treat, Wesley (2007).
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360:The Arizona Republic
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19:For other uses, see
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43:roadside attraction
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259:singer-songwriter
192:interstate highway
136:purchased from an
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443:. p. 8
241:Jane Pauley
224:Los Angeles
220:New Orleans
204:Albuquerque
152:Rolls-Royce
116:The exhibit
99: /
552:Categories
273:References
216:billboards
59:Homer Tate
494:April 30,
469:March 21,
447:March 20,
338:March 20,
147:Oklahoma!
134:driftwood
124:The Thing
35:The Thing
269:(1999).
261:Amy Cook
87:110°03′W
73:Location
49:between
37:(a.k.a.
573:Mummies
418:July 6,
392:July 6,
366:May 28,
249:The Men
228:El Paso
170:Origins
84:32°05′N
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257:Austin
53:, and
144:from
21:Thing
518:IMDb
496:2015
471:2015
449:2015
420:2013
394:2013
368:2022
340:2015
301:ISBN
516:at
245:NBC
222:to
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