What is “The Thing” in Benson, Arizona?
Disclaimer: We are not paid to promote any restaurant, hotel, activity, product, or attraction. All opinions are subjective and based on our personal experience. Your experience may be different.
The best thing about road trips is that we get to see so much more of the country. As opposed to a quick flight, there are endless opportunities to explore obscure sights. This is especially the case while driving out West, where weird attractions are commonplace. On these long desolate drives, you will find many detours and quicky attractions to pass the time.
Living in various states out West including Arizona, Idaho, California, and Nevada over the years, I have become a fan of seeking out the unusual. One popular roadside attraction in Benson, Arizona is “The Thing.” If you have ever driven on I-10 between El Paso and Tucson, you have likely seen the dramatic yellow billboards enticing you to visit “The Mystery of the Desert.” Read on to discover how you can find out what “The Thing” really is.
The Mystery of “The Thing”
You will see endless bright yellow billboard tempting you to pull over and find out what all the fuss is about. You really cannot miss this attraction as there is just so much advertising. From El Paso, Texas, to Tucson, Arizona, there are literally hundreds of billboards. A
fter a while, you will probably decide to just pull over and see what all the drama is about. It’s impossible not to at least peak your curiosity a little bit especially following hours upon hours of boring driving in the desert. I won’t give away “the secret” and I recommend not looking it up online. Give yourself something to look forward to on your drive!
The history behind it all
This attraction is now owned by Bowlin Travel Centers, despite originally being owned by lawyer Thomas Binkley Prince. It first opened in the 50’s and then moved to a new building the 60’s. When Prince died in 1969, Bowlin Travel took over. At one point in time, 3 sheds housed strange curiosities plus the attraction.
In 2018, Bowlin remodeled the museum and expanded the space. There is a large souvenir shop selling unique trinkets and Native American art pieces. Conspiracy theorists will love all the alien memorabilia and weird new exhibit connecting dinosaurs and aliens. We had a fun time looking at all the goofy stuff. If anything, we enjoyed the opportunity to stretch our legs.
Learn more about the history of this mysterious attraction
Is it worth the stop?
As it is located along a very desolate stretch of I-10, it is worth a stop just to stretch your legs, use the restroom, and maybe grab a treat for the road. Conveniently, there is a Dairy Queen next door. Plus, you can browse all the unique displays to give yourself a longer break before hitting the road again.
It’s just too tempting to not stop especially after being flooded with eye catching advertising for miles on end. While the ending mystery is a bit of a disappointment and a bit odd to be honest, it’s all part of the fun. Really, what roadside attraction is not weird? That’s the point, right?
If you are into conspiracies, you will love all the weird alien stuff they have on display. While the space has been remodeled, I sort of miss the old retro, junkier layout which included cheesy yellow footprints which you followed to explore all the unique artifacts and eventually led to the mysterious thing. It was super cheesy, but again that was part of the experience.
Where is it and how much does it cost?
The Thing Museum is located just off I-10 at exit 322 in Benson, Arizona. You can put the address: 2631 Johnson Road, Benson in your GPS. At one point, it only cost a buck to see what the mystery was all about. Due to recent remodels, admission is now priced at 5 bucks. Hours are 7am-7pm. The gas station is open 24/7.
What to do nearby?
There are some fun places to explore in southern Arizona. Mike and I visited some cool old towns while living in Tucson. From Benson, you can easily get to Bisbee (a 30 min drive) and Tombstone (an hour drive).
Bisbee is an old mining town, known today for its’ quirky Main Street and mining tours. You can check out my guide for details on some cool things to do. Also, Tombstone is a really cool one day stop for history buffs. I love the old-time Main Street, the gunfight reenactments and the stagecoach tours. I wrote a Tombstone visitor guide detailing some of the shows, restaurants, and attractions you can enjoy.
More oddball attractions around the US
I love exploring weird places anytime I travel. If you are at all into the weird and eccentric, check out my full guide to the strange and unusual: Part 1 and Part 2. Visiting a quirky attraction really helps to break up a long monotonous drive. It also gives you a chance to stretch your legs, move a bit and get your circulation going, use the restroom, and grab a snack. We take a lot of long drives so we are always looking for interesting things to see. One of the prime benefits of taking a road trip as opposed to flying is you get to see so many interesting places.
