The Long Way
Cochise County
A photo showing alien sculptures inside an exhibit.
Plate I. Alien exhibit, The Thing. From bowlinsthething.com
Vintage car exhibit at The Thing.
Plate II. Vintage car exhibit at The Thing. Photograph by CGP Grey, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Torture chamber exhibit at The Thing.
Plate III. Torture chamber exhibit at The Thing. Photograph by CGP Grey, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Exhibit display case at The Thing.
Plate IV. Exhibit display case at The Thing. Photograph by BowlinTravelCenters, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Wood carving exhibit at The Thing.
Plate V. Wood carving exhibit at The Thing. Photograph by CGP Grey, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Carved wooden figures at The Thing.
Plate VI. Carved wooden figures at The Thing. Photograph by CGP Grey, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Thing

Benson, Cochise County, Arizona. Tourist stop and museum.

Details

Map. Benson, Cochise County, Arizona. Larger map
Where
2631 Johnson Road, Benson, AZ 85602. Directions
When
Monday - Sunday 7:00 am - 7:00pm.
Getting there
The Thing is located in Texas Canyon, a fairly remote stretch of I-10.
Fees
$5 per person, $10 per family.
Access
Located in Texas Canyon, a fairly remote stretch of I-10. A Dairy Queen restaurant and Shell gasoline are also available.
Phone
(520) 586-2581
Managed by
Bowlin Travel Centers.
Established
2018 (new museum building).

The Thing is not only the name of the store, but of the star exhibit of the museum. Originally owned by lawyer Thomas Binkley Prince, The Thing was built as a tourist stop and museum around the strange exhibit and other collected items.

Notable Events

  1. 2018Bowlin Travel Centers doubled the size of the store and constructed a brand new museum to house many of the original curiosities. bowlinsthething.com
  2. Interstate construction displaced the attraction; The Thing was relocated and later changed owners. antiquearchaeology.com
  3. Thomas Binkley Prince purchased The Thing and immediately turned it into a tourist attraction, advertised by billboards for miles around. antiquearchaeology.com

People

  • Myles Erwin, billboard operations.
  • Homer Tate, Curator and creator of oddities of the macabre who made The Thing.
  • Thomas Binkley Prince, Lawyer and original owner who built the tourist stop and museum around the exhibit.

Sources

  1. bowlinsthething.com
  2. antiquearchaeology.com/blogs/two-lanes-blog/homer-s-tate-s-oddities-attraction
  3. abc15.com/entertainment/events/the-thing-museum-arizonas-quirkiest-roadside-attraction
  4. dragoonarizona.com/local-businesses/the-thing-dairy-queen