If you've driven Interstate 10 in Southeastern Arizona, you've seen the billboards for "The Thing," the roadside attraction 17 miles east of Benson. Maybe you've even stopped to try to answer the question on those billboards: "What Is It?" (We're not exactly sure ourselves.)
Now, the attraction's operators have opened an expanded museum to give motorists more reasons to pull off the road.
Bowlin Travel Centers says the new 30,000-square-foot facility is more than three times as big as the previous museum, which was made up of several buildings. It also is climate-controlled and incorporates the site's Dairy Queen restaurant, an expanded retail space and more, the group says.
The new retail space offers handcrafted Indian jewelry, Southwestern merchandise and museum souvenirs.
"The Thing" dates to the late 1960s, when Thomas Binkley Prince built a tourist stop around his colleciton of oddities and unique items. It's since been the subject of numerous news stories, many of which attempt to identify what "The Thing" is. We won't bother. You'll just have to check it out for yourself.
For more information on "The Thing," visit www.bowlinsthething.com.