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Every Memorial Day weekend, Bienville Parish becomes the backdrop for a unique and haunting celebration. The Bonnie and Clyde Festival in Gibsland, Louisiana, honors one of history’s most infamous outlaw couples while drawing thousands of visitors curious about their story. The festival aligns with the anniversary of the ambush that ended Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow’s lives on May 23, 1934, and it features re-enactments, live music, and storytelling.
Year-round, the story lives on inside the Bonnie and Clyde Ambush Museum, where visitors can walk through exhibits that preserve the chilling details of their demise. I toured the museum with owner Perry Carver, who has dedicated his life to curating the artifacts and memories tied to this crime story that refuses to fade.
A Museum Dedicated to the Lawmen, Not Just the Criminals
When I walked into the museum, Perry greeted me inside what was once a small sandwich shop.
“You are in Gibsland, Louisiana. This is where Bonnie and Clyde bought their last meal. They were shot and killed ten minutes after they left here that morning.” – Perry Carver
Contrary to what many believe, the museum is not simply about Bonnie and Clyde.
“This museum is not dedicated to Bonnie and Clyde. It is dedicated to Sheriff Henderson Jordan, who brought them down. This incident changed his life.” – Perry Carver
A Childhood Fascination Turned Lifelong Mission
Perry’s journey to becoming the museum’s caretaker started in childhood. His grandparents knew the man who once owned the stolen, bullet-riddled Ford V-8 that Bonnie and Clyde died in.
“Mr. Toddy let me play in the car and started giving me things from the car through the years. He gave me things like glass, pieces of the front seat, and a door handle. The last thing he gave me was the hood ornament.” – Perry Carver
That early fascination grew into a lifelong passion, and eventually, Perry took over the museum to preserve the history of both the criminals and the lawmen who stopped them.
Inside Bonnie and Clyde Ambush Museum: Artifacts of Crime & Infamy
On May 23, 1934, Bonnie and Clyde stopped at this location, then a deli, to buy sandwiches before heading out of town. Only minutes later, a posse of Bienville Parish lawmen ambushed them. Inside the museum today, a replica of the Bonnie and Clyde death car sits on display, riddled with bullet holes and stained with recreated blood.
When I asked Perry how accurate the car was, he explained:
“This car is very accurate. Some of the bullet holes are a little off. These are exit holes. They used high-powered rifles that came right through the car.” – Perry Carver
The aftermath was as sensational as the ambush itself.
“Twenty thousand people showed up in Arcadia to see their bodies that day. A thousand people showed up at the ambush site before they ever moved them. They sat there for three hours in the car.” – Perry Carver
Recreated Scenes and Chilling Exhibits
A painting next to the car depicts the lawmen, including Sheriff Henderson Jordan and Deputy Prentiss Oakley, who fired the shots that ended the couple’s spree. Nearby, Perry has recreated the morgue scene where Bonnie and Clyde’s bodies were examined.
“This was Dr. Wade’s examining table. He had Clyde laid out on this table. In this picture, I am looking at a dead Bonnie and Clyde. They are embalming. They are trying to embalm him.” – Perry Carver
The museum uses bloodied mannequins and hyper-realistic recreations to give visitors a sense of what happened after the ambush. It is gruesome and arresting, a reminder that their violent lives ended just as violently.
Artifacts of a Violent Era
Over the years, Perry has amassed a vast collection of photos, artifacts, and memorabilia. Visitors can view clothing, guns, and personal belongings of Bonnie and Clyde, as well as items salvaged from the original car and others purchased through auctions.
“Some of the stuff came out of the death car and other stuff came from auctions.” – Perry Carver
The exhibits also expand beyond Bonnie and Clyde, chronicling the 1930s gangster era. Known as the “Fab Five,” John Dillinger, Baby Face Nelson, Pretty Boy Floyd, and the Barker gang are all featured for their bank-robbing exploits.
“A lot of these boys were very young. They saw the banks come in and take everything their families had. A lot of them just wanted to strike revenge.” – Perry Carver
The Bank They Never Robbed
During my tour, I stopped at an abandoned building in Arcadia, a place that locals say was once on Bonnie and Clyde’s radar. During their crime spree in the early to mid-1930s, the couple often sought refuge in and around Bienville Parish with local criminals and family.
On the day they were killed, townspeople claim they intended to rob this very bank. The structure still stands today as little more than a shell, but the original vault remains — the very safe, Bonnie and Clyde were reportedly planning to target.
Paying Respects and Buying Souvenirs
Back at the museum, visitors can stop at a small graveyard exhibit featuring replicas of Bonnie and Clyde’s tombstones, standing side by side. When I asked Perry where they were actually buried, he explained:
“They are buried in Dallas. He is in Western Heights, and she is in Crown Hill. Her niece is in the process of moving her and putting her next to Clyde.” – Perry Carver
The museum’s gift shop adds another layer to the experience. Here you can purchase bricks from the couple’s hideouts and other Northwest Louisiana sites tied to their downfall. Next door, Ma Canfield’s Café, named after the original sandwich shop, serves fried bologna and BLT sandwiches, said to be Bonnie and Clyde’s last meal.
The Ambush Site Today
Out on Highway 154, a roadside marker identifies the spot where law enforcement emerged from the trees and fired on the outlaws. Today it serves as a shrine where visitors leave bullet casings and mementos. Perry noted that a bronze plaque once commemorated the site, but it was stolen.
Over the years, some have said that Bienville Parish suffers from the “Bonnie and Clyde curse.” I asked Perry if he believed it.
“Well, this parish does not grow a whole lot. But it did give the parish a claim to fame.” – Perry Carver
His final reflection summed up the museum’s mission.
“I want them to enjoy this history and know that crime does not pay.” – Perry Carver
Visiting the Bonnie & Clyde Ambush Museum
- 📍 Location: Gibsland, Louisiana
- 🕒 Open year-round
- 🎟️ Admission includes all exhibits and memorabilia
- 🍴 Stop at Ma Canfield’s Café for Bonnie and Clyde’s last meal
For an even more immersive experience, plan your visit during Memorial Day weekend when the Bonnie and Clyde Festival brings re-enactments, music, and storytelling to Bienville Parish.
Why the Bonnie & Clyde Story Still Matters Today
The Bonnie and Clyde Ambush Museum is more than a collection of artifacts. It is a deeply personal preservation of Louisiana history, where the line between legend and reality blurs. Whether you come out of fascination with America’s most infamous criminal couple or a desire to honor the lawmen who brought them down, the museum ensures that this story, rooted in tragedy and spectacle, is never forgotten.
“I want them to enjoy this history and know that crime does not pay.” – Perry Carver
Take a closer look at Bonnie and Clyde’s legacy:
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