Bonnie & Clyde Ambush Site Monument

Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow are memorialized in film, books and museums. An off the beaten path memorial stands at the site of the ambush that finally ended their crime spree.

As a long time fan of Bonnie & Clyde, the 1967 movie starring Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty, I was familiar with the dramatization of the murderous couple's final minutes. It never occurred to me that someone would actually place a monument at the location of their ambush.

Several years ago, I owned Tod Benoit's "Where Are They Buried (and How Did They Die?)". I was traveling extensively throughout the United States at the time for my job and thought it would be an interesting reference if any of my journeys brought me near the burial places of the famous and infamous. In reading the index, I discovered a few sites in Louisiana and Mississippi, including the marker at Bonnie & Clyde's ambush site.

Gibsland, Louisiana is located about one mile south of Interstate 20 at exit 61, halfway between Monroe and Shreveport, LA. I followed Highway 154 south from Gibsland and slowed down when my odometer reached eight miles, the distance Benoit mentions in his book. It was actually a little more than two miles further when I saw the monument with a sufficient parking area at the side of the road.

It was a gray day with a light drizzle, probably appropriate for the monument we were visiting. The graffiti-covered, weathered and chipped monument stands in what is actually a very peaceful, low-traffic wooded area. I took a few moments to walk a short distance down the road.

My familiarity with Bonnie & Clyde's ambush was limited to the film. I've searched extensively and can find no proof that the ambush scene was filmed anywhere near the true site. However, the representation of the lonely road is very accurate in the Hollywood version.

After a few pictures, we turned around and headed back through Gibsland. On the west side of Main Street (Highway 154) is the Bonnie & Clyde Ambush Museum. We were in the area on the one day of the week the museum is closed, but were perfectly ready to pay $7 each for a tour. The Bonnie & Clyde Ambush Museum is housed in the building that was formerly Ma Canfield's Café, which was reported to be where Bonnie & Clyde got their lunch just prior to the ambush. The spokesman for the museum is L. J. "Boots" Hinton, whose father was Deputy Ted Hinton, a participant in the ambush.

Gibsland also hosts the annual Bonnie & Clyde Festival every year on the weekend closest to the ambush. The dates for the 2010 Festival are May 21 and 22 and Friday evening will include a reenactment at the ambush site.

Sources: Debez.com
Bonnie & Clyde Ambush Museum
Where Are They Buried?