The Site Of Bonnie And Clyde's Last Meal Is Worth A Road Trip
Few fugitives have captured the fascination of the American people like Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow, the young, Depression-era lovers who swept the country in a wave of robbery, kidnapping, and murder. For roughly two years, they evaded police and drew the fury of many, while simultaneously becoming folk heroes to a lot of struggling people who'd been devastated by the stock market crash of 1929. And they helped sell a heck of a lot of newspapers. Nearly 100 years after their deaths, America is still captivated by Bonnie and Clyde.
Every detail of their chaotic final years is of interest to fans, with their last moments being particularly compelling. If these pop culture icons pique your interest, you won't want to miss a journey to Gibsland, Louisiana where you can visit the place where they unwittingly ate their last meal, minutes before police finally caught up with them and sent them to a very early grave. The tiny Bonnie & Clyde Ambush Museum is located in the building where Ma Canfield's Café sat on May 23, 1934, the day Bonnie and Clyde died. Sometimes called Rosa Canfield's Café, the law-breaking couple reportedly ate coffee and donuts in the morning there before ordering sandwiches to go.
The museum itself is not big and will cost guests only a few dollars to enter, but once inside, you'll find a world of newspaper clippings, replicas, mementos, and tchotchkes dedicated to the duo. In addition, there's a revived café in the back of the museum named Bonnie and Clyde Last Stop Café and, yes, you can order what they did.
But what did Bonnie and Clyde eat on that fateful day?
Like any good road trip destination, the Bonnie & Clyde Ambush Museum offers a taste of Americana, pop culture, true crime, history, some fake gore and, of course, a place to have lunch. After you've seen a replica of the couple's bullet-riddled, stolen "death car" (a nickname for the V-8 Ford they were killed in), Bonnie's actual fur coat and sweaters, Clyde's hat and shoes, and vintage firearms, step up to the counter at the Last Stop Café for sandwiches, cold drinks, and ice cream. The tale is that Bonnie and Clyde opted for fried bologna and BLT sandwiches before they hit the road, two items you'll find on the menu. If you can't decide, consider the "Ambush Special," which includes both bologna and bacon.
In front of the Ambush Museum is a sign that reads, "This is the location of Ma Canfield's Café where Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow stopped at 9am on May 23, 1934, picked up sandwiches and drove off to their deaths 7 miles away" (via The Historical Marker Database). Naturally, the site of their last moments survives as well, marked by a stone monument that has been regularly defaced over the years. The couple were, after all, responsible for several deaths, and many believe nothing about them should be celebrated. But, for those interested in the macabre or the casual road tripper, both sites offer an undeniably compelling look at history.