In The Footsteps of Bonnie & Clyde

During their crime spree in the early 1930s, the law despised Bonnie Elizabeth Parker and Clyde Chestnut Barrow, known as the outlaw gang, Bonnie & Clyde. The couple murdered at least nine police officers and four civilians as they robbed stores and rural gas stations. But their notoriety in the press earned them a fascination by the general public, a curiosity that continues today with numerous songs, TV shows and films.

This weekend marks the anniversary of the ambush of Bonnie & Clyde, where on May 23, 1934, police took the couple by surprise on a rural road near Gibsland, in the northern part of Louisiana, and riddled their car and bodies with bullets.

If you want to see where the infamous couple went down, exit south from Interstate 20 on to La. Hwy. 154. Pass through the town of Gibsland and continue south for 2 1/2 miles but veer right to stay on Hwy. 154 for the road eventually turns into La. Hwy. 517. Travel another 5 miles and the monument marking their ambush will be on the right-hand side.

The Authentic Bonnie & Clyde Festival that occurs every May to mark the outlaws’ demise has been postponed until September because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Visitors might want to visit instead the Bonnie and Clyde Ambush Museum in Gibsland, located inside Ma Canfield’s Café where the couple ate their last meal.

Another Louisiana spot for Bonnie & Clyde enthusiasts is the Opelousas Museum and Interpretive Center, which exhibits the barbershop chair where Clyde Barrow received his last haircut.

Additionally, Louisiana Travel has a list of places that the couple visited in Louisiana and you can take your own Bonnie & Clyde driving spree by visiting here and making a road trip plan.

To read more about America’s most famous criminal couple and their end in the Bayou State, writer Megan Hill describes the story in Louisiana Life magazine. Access the story here.