What is that thing? A road side attraction. Photo by Nicole Ethier
The Thing is not living (though it may have been at one time). The Thing is old. It’s musty and dusty, and it resides in a coffin encased by cinder block and glass. It’s located in a tin storage shed that serves as an exhibit hall at a travel center located off of Interstate 10 in southern Arizona.
The Thing may or may not be real, and its exact origin hasn’t been determined.
“We think it’s real, but we don’t know that for sure,” says Kit Johnson, the director of operations at Bowlin Travel Centers, Inc.
Johnson says The Thing was acquired from a family who had purchased it from a traveling circus, and it has intrigued interstate travelers for the last 60 years at exit 322.
It’s hard to miss and hard to resist. Miles and miles of bright yellow billboards with large blue lettering entice drivers to find out, “What is it?”
Pathway to the Thing. Photo by Nicole Ethier.
And that’s the thing about The Thing — its allure is in its mystery.
Although The Thing is the focal point at exit 322, there are many other “things” for visitors to view.
For a dollar, the ambiguity can be laid to rest and visitors can see a variety of other items at the external museum including figurines, dioramas and antiques believed to date back to the 1600s in one of the three main exhibit halls.
The roadside attraction is operated by Bowlin Travel Centers, Inc. ,which began as a trading post between the Bowlin family and Native Americans in the Southwest.
The company has since expanded into almost a dozen travel centers across Arizona and New Mexico. It keeps true to its roots with gift shops featuring Native American handicrafts, jewelry, moccasins, as well as figurines, mugs, shot glass, ponchos and other gifts made symbols of the West.
“Each one of our stores offers a unique flavor to it,” Johnson says.
He says The Thing attracts around 50,000 visitors every year. He says most come to satisfy their curiosity, however Johnson encourages them to help them solve “the mystery of the desert.”
“It’s a site that’s been there for a long time, and it’s there for the traveling public and we enjoy them stopping and helping us figure out if it’s real or not.”
Contact the reporter at Nicole.ethier@asu.edu
Loading ...