Shady Dell RV Park
Bisbee, AZ Photo courtesy Tony Craig
The Shady Dell RV Park located in the picturesque Arizona town of Bisbee is a throwback in time to the mid-century complete with 50's memorabilia, aluminum trailers, a yacht, and a throwback diner. The Shady Dell started up in 1927 as a place for weary travelers along Highway 80 to stop and grab some rest.
Standin' on the Corner Park
Winslow, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
The Standin’ on the Corner Park has been a Route 66 must-see since 1999, thanks to the Eagles singing about “standin’ on a corner in Winslow, Arizona” in their 1972 hit Take It Easy. A bronze traveler, guitar case, colorful mural, and red flatbed Ford bring the famous lyric to life. 11-20
These photos show the park after an October 2004 fire destroyed the building behind the mural. The brick facade was saved, while the burned interior was cleared away and
A view of the corner
Winslow, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.combecame an open-air extension of the park. Artist John Pugh later painted a new version of the mural.
A statue honoring Glenn Frey joined the original figure in 2016, followed by a Jackson Browne statue in 2022. Both men helped write the song that put this particular corner on the map.
Stop by the gift shop across the street and listen for Take It Easy drifting from passing cars. Yes, some drivers really do play the song as they cruise slowly past the corner.
UPDATE: Standin’ on the Corner Park remains open and continues drawing Route 66 travelers from around the world. The mural, statues, flatbed Ford, and salvaged brick wall are all still waiting for the next photo. 09-26
Word's Smallest Museum
Superior, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
The World’s Smallest Museum sits beside the Buckboard City Cafe along Highway 60 in Superior. At just 134 square feet, the entire museum could probably fit inside the lobby of a larger museum, but somehow there is still plenty to see. 06-23
Cafe owners Dan Wight and Jake Reaney created the tiny attraction during the mid-1990s as a way to coax passing motorists off the highway. The museum later received recognition from the World Record Academy, proving that sometimes thinking small can attract plenty of attention.
The building itself is a modified storage shed, but take a look at the roof. Its homemade shingles were created from approximately 1,000 flattened beer cans. That must have required quite a few refreshments during construction.
Word's Smallest Museum
Superior, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Inside, glass cases display what the museum calls “Artifacts of Ordinary Life.” The collection includes a 1984 Compaq computer, a Beatles concert poster, and a 1960 letter from President-elect John F. Kennedy addressed to Reaney. There is even a giant piece of obsidian billed as the World’s Largest Apache Tear. The smallest museum apparently had room for one very large rock.
Outside, the roadside fun continues with homemade fountains and folk-art displays assembled from mining equipment, tractor tires, and other recycled pieces.
UPDATE: The World’s Smallest Museum remains open beside the Buckboard City Cafe. Its beer-can roof, unusual artifacts, roadside displays, and wonderfully ambitious name are all still waiting beside Highway 60. 09-26
Word's Smallest Museum
Superior, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Word's Smallest Museum
Superior, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
John Wayne Cowboy Museum (Gone)
Tombstone, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
The John Wayne Cowboy Museum brought a little extra Western flavor to Tombstone with exhibits devoted to the Duke and the Old West. A big cowboy figure stood on top of the roadside sign, making the little museum easy to spot among the town’s many frontier attractions. 07-23
John Wayne had plenty of genuine Arizona connections. He made several movies at Old Tucson Studios, including Rio Bravo, El Dorado, and Rio Lobo. He also owned the 26 Bar Ranch near Springerville, where thousands of cattle once carried his distinctive brand.
John Wayne Cowboy Museum
Tombstone, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Little information has surfaced about the Tombstone museum itself, including exactly when it opened. Photographs show that it was already shuttered by 2004, so this particular tribute to John Wayne appears to have had a fairly short ride.
UPDATE: The John Wayne Cowboy Museum is permanently closed. Its displays were cleared out, and the old sign with the large cowboy figure has been removed. The former storefront has since been repurposed or absorbed into other tourist businesses. 09-26
Standin' on the Corner Park
A view of the corner
Word's Smallest Museum
Word's Smallest Museum
John Wayne Cowboy Museum (Gone)
John Wayne Cowboy Museum
