The Thing?, Roadside attraction in Dragoon, Arizona
The Thing is a roadside museum in Dragoon in southern Arizona with roughly 12,000 square feet of exhibition space filled with curious objects and display cases. The collection ranges from mummified bodies and antique weapons to dinosaur models and extraterrestrial figures in absurd scenes.
Attorney Thomas Binkley Prince moved The Thing from California to this Arizona hilltop near Texas Canyon in 1965. After his death in 1969, his wife Janet ran the attraction for years before relocating to Baltimore. Bowlin Travel Centers later took over and opened a new museum building in August 2018.
This roadside stop connects desert highway culture with conspiracy theories through display cases showing extraterrestrials and prehistoric creatures. Travelers experience a classic American road-trip attraction that has drawn curious drivers for decades with mysterious marketing and absurd staging.
The entrance sits directly off Interstate 10 at Exit 322 near Dragoon and opens daily from seven in the morning until seven in the evening. Parking is available right in front of the building, and the entire walkthrough takes about half an hour.
Dozens of yellow billboards along Interstate 10 advertise the museum for hundreds of miles with cryptic questions. Among the exhibits is an extraterrestrial creature sitting on a velociraptor while holding a pistol.
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