There’s No Attraction In The World Quite Like This One In Arizona
Driving along Interstate 10 in southern Arizona, you see the signs begin to appear more frequently the closer you get to Dragoon. The big, bright yellow billboards stand out against the blue sky spot the highway between Phoenix and El Paso. A simple two-word interrogative advertising message simultaneously provokes curiosity, hunger, and even a slight hesitation to stop at what just might be a dying tourist trap.
For decades these signs have lured in hundreds of thousands of visitors to an otherwise sparse and sleepy area of the state, enticing weary travelers with an air of mystery. So, what is it?
"The Thing?" is a roadside attraction that may also be one of the weirdest in the country. Sitting near Dragoon, it is the epitome of a tourist trap where not only the big yellow signs lure in travelers but also the promise of snacks, drinks, and restrooms. Seeing the oddball attraction is icing on the cake.
Admission costs a mere $1 for adults and $0.75 for children 6 to 18. Yellow footsteps lead you away from the convenience store and deeper into the attraction where you’ll see some pretty weird things.
You'll quickly find that this is a home for the strange and unusual, someplace where a young Tim Burton must have visited to find inspiration for his early films.
When it comes down to it, the exhibits you'll find around here are a hodgepodge mix of statues, dioramas, and old things that probably didn't have any other place to call home. For example, there's this collection of antlers, saddles, and tables.
Then there’s "The Thing?" itself, sitting alone in a wooden box. Some visitors suspect it might be a dinosaur, a humanoid specimen, or some other strange artifact. Some wonder if it truly is real or if it's just a strange piece of art.
I’m not going to tell you what it is because it’s the mystery of the desert and all but, depending on what your budget looks like, you might just question whether the $1 fee and wandering through the buildings was worth all the hype. That is for you to decide.
Homer Tate, pictured above with his papier-mâché shrunken head, is widely considered to be the artist responsible for items in the attraction, including "The Thing." He lived in the area and made a living selling some pretty macabre artwork for roadside attractions and carnival sideshows to fool visitors into thinking these oddities were real. Examples include mermaid specimens, faux mummies, and shrunken heads that looked just odd enough to send a chill up your spine.
The Thing is located at 2361 North Johnson Road in Dragoon (Exit 233 from Interstate 10) and is open daily from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Monica is a Diné (Navajo) freelance writer and photographer based in the Southwest. Born in Gallup and raised in Phoenix, she is Tódich'ii'nii (Bitter Water People) and Tsi'naajinii (Black Streak Wood People). Monica is a staff writer for Only In Your State, photo editor for The Mesa Legend, and previously a staff writer for The Navajo Post. You can reach her at monica.d.spencer@gmail.com.
