The Bonnie & Clyde Ambush Museum
In Gibsland, an eclectic collection on the legendary couple’s demise
In her autobiographical poem called “The End of the Line,” Bonnie Carver offered no illusions about her and Clyde Barrow’s dire situation after two years of running from the law:
“They don’t think they’re too smart or desperate.
They know the law always wins.
They’ve been shot at before.
But they do not ignore.
That death is the wages of sin.Someday they’ll go down together, and they’ll bury them side by side.
To a few it’ll be grief—
to the law a relief—
But it’s death for Bonnie and Clyde.”
On a desolate Louisiana back road in May of 1934, the deadly crime spree of the notorious couple ended in a blaze of gunfire. The infamous ambush scene was first graphically portrayed in the Warner Bros. landmark movie Bonnie and Clyde (1967) starring Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway as the outlaws. In March 2019, Netflix released The Highwaymen, starring Kevin Costner, Kathy Bates, and Woody Harrelson. Costner and Harrelson portray the Texas Rangers that tracked down Bonnie and Clyde, and the final scene was shot in the exact spot the ambush had actually occurred, on a stretch of Highway 154 in Bienville Parish.
On that infamous day, when she was pulled from the car, Bonnie was still holding a half-eaten sandwich in her hand. She had purchased it just seven miles back, at a restaurant called Ma Canfield’s.
In the book, Hinton describes the difficulty of partaking in the ambush; he had once been acquainted with a young Bonnie Parker when she worked as a waitress at Marco’s Cafe in Dallas. He’d even had a crush on her, saying he “always treat[ed] Bonnie with respect”.
The History of the Bonnie & Clyde Ambush Museum
In June 2009, under the curation of the late L.J. “Boots” Hinton, Ma Canfield’s was reborn as the official Bonnie and Clyde Ambush Museum. Boots, who was born in 1934, the same year of Bonnie and Clyde’s demise, was the son of Dallas deputy sheriff Ted Hinton, one of the members of the six-man posse who staged the famous killing. Hinton’s memoir, Ambush: The Real Story of Bonnie and Clyde was published posthumously in 1979, and chronicles his experiences hunting down the iconic couple. In the book, Hinton describes the difficulty of partaking in the ambush; he had once been acquainted with a young Bonnie Parker when she worked as a waitress at Marco’s Cafe in Dallas. He’d even had a crush on her, saying he “always treat[ed] Bonnie with respect”.
When “Boots” Hinton retired from curating and managing the museum in 2015 due to health issues, Perry Carver was the obvious man for the job. Hinton and Carver had known each other for over twenty years as close friends with a common passion for all things Bonnie and Clyde. “Boots was worried about what was going to happen to the museum,” recalled Carver. “I bought it basically to ensure the museum’s future and preserve the Bonnie and Clyde story. It was also an opportunity to share my knowledge and collected memorabilia with others.”
“I recall seeing an embedded tooth and pieces of bone in the car,” Carver said “I had no idea who they were then. It was just a shot-up car, but it really intrigued me.”
A Bonnie & Clyde Fanatic
Carver, from Norcross, Georgia, first saw the original Bonnie and Clyde “death car” when he was only eight years old when living in Atlanta. His parents knew the car’s owner, Ted Toddy. Perry described Mr. Toddy as a “showman” who recognized the financial opportunity of exhibiting the infamous car in a traveling circus. Patrons could sit in the car for one dollar. Toddy purchased the car for $14,500 and, after the popularity of the 1967 film Bonnie and Clyde, sold it for $175,000 in 1977. The car is now owned by and displayed at Whiskey Pete’s Casino in Primm, Nevada.
“I recall seeing an embedded tooth and pieces of bone in the car,” Carver said “I had no idea who they were then. It was just a shot-up car, but it really intrigued me.” Only a few weeks later, Carver found a magazine in a corner pharmacy called Guns and Gunfighters, telling the entire story of Bonnie and Clyde. From that moment, he was hooked. “In my house in Atlanta, I had my own personal museum,” he said. “I brought all my stuff here to add to the museum displays.” Included among Carver’s memorabilia are many of Clyde Barrow’s guns and three of his saxophones.
Even before becoming the owner and curator of the museum—a somewhat kitschy, eccentric shrine to the mythical couple’s end—Carver had long been considered a historical authority on Bonnie and Clyde. Decades of research and discussions with authorities and family members of the couple have given him an intricate knowledge of the Depression Era that Bonnie and Clyde evolved from, the places they visited during their two-year crime spree, and the forces that brought about their demise on that sunny May morning in 1934.
Bet You Didn't Know This About Bonnie
Offering some little-known facts about the enigma of Bonnie in particular, Carver started with the irony that—despite her reputation—her friends and relatives consistently say that she hated guns. He also claims that at the time of the ambush, Bonnie was weak with gangrenous infection to a wound in her leg, and already close to death. The injury had occurred a year before in North Texas, when Clyde had been driving so fast that he missed a detour sign warning of a bridge under construction. Their Ford V-8 smashed through a barricade, allegedly traveling seventy miles per hour, and flew through the air before landing in a dry riverbed. During the incident, acid poured out of the damaged car battery and severely burned Bonnie’s right leg. In some places, the acid ate away her flesh right down to the bone. Bonnie walked with a pronounced limp for the remainder of her life. At times she had so much difficulty walking that Clyde had to carry her.
Carver also pointed out that the most famous photograph of Bonnie Parker—an image of her holding a pistol, foot up on the bumper of their V-8, cigar in her mouth—is not a proper reflection of the complicated woman. The photo was part of a collection of comic photographs made for Bonnie and Clyde’s own amusement. They were found on undeveloped film that was abandoned at the gang’s Joplin, Missouri hideout when police raided the house.
Inside the Ambush Museum
At the Bonnie and Clyde Ambush Museum, the tour begins with a seventeen-minute newsreel film featuring footage taken immediately following the actual ambush. The story is then expounded through the museum’s collection of rare photographs and artifacts seized from Bonnie and Clyde’s car in 1934, as well as from the rest of their lives. Also on exhibit are the guns used by the posse to end the lives of the criminal couple.
In addition to Perry’s dedication to updating the museum exhibits—including the recent acquisition of a 4’10” mannequin that realistically resembles Bonnie with historical accuracy—Perry has also restored Ma Canfield’s to a full-service restaurant, located adjacent to the museum. From the museum, visitors can also embark on guided bus tours of the area. Beyond the Bonnie and Clyde Ambush museum, the tiny town of Gibsland also offers fantastic opportunities for antique collectors, as well as photographers looking for unique shots (no pun intended).
Bonnie & Clyde Ambush Museum
2419 Main St, Gibsland, Louisiana 71028
Phone: (318) 843-1934