Henry's Rabbit Ranch In Illinois Just Might Be The Strangest Roadside Attraction Yet
By Melissa Mahoney|Published August 08, 2021
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Melissa Mahoney
Author
I'm an east coast girl living in a west coast world. I grew up in New England before moving to SoCal for several years. I then lived in NYC or a year before moving to AZ in 2009. I worked in the entertainment industry for many years of my adult life and have a deep love for photography, writing, and traveling around the U.S. as well as to far-flung locations around the world. Travel is my life and writing about it is a dream!
Stopping at a quirky roadside attraction is just part of the fun on a road trip. When you live in or travel to a state that has a stretch of the old Route 66 running through, you are guaranteed to find some one-of-a-kind attractions you won’t find anywhere else. As you travel along Illinois’ Historic Route 66 in Staunton, you won’t be able to help but notice the sign for Henry’s Rabbit Ranch. So, do yourself a favor, satisfy your curiosity, and hop on over to visit this strange roadside attraction.
It all started back in 1993 when Rich Henry took a road trip to California via the old Route 66 and noticed that there weren't too many souvenir shops or visitors centers along the way. When he returned, he decided to build his own visitors center in his hometown of Staunton.
How the rabbits came to be, well, that's another story. Rich's daughter had a pair of rabbits who then had many babies. Since she didn't have enough room in her apartment, Rich took them and added a rabbit ranch to his visitors center. It soon became a true Route 66 roadside attraction!
Aside from the bunnies, there are plenty of other things to see at this ranch. The Visitor's Center itself was built as a replica old-fashioned gas station with vintage gas pumps, although there is no gas available at this stop.
Unfortunately, bunnies don't live forever, so there is a small gravesite called the "Tale of Ears" memorial park garden in remembrance of all the past "Rabbit Ranch Friends."
In 2003, the Illinois Route 66 Heritage Project and Route 66 Caravan stopped by to bestow a Roadside Attraction sign upon Henry's Rabbit Ranch. It's quite an honor and lets Route 66 travelers know that this is a worthwhile stop to make!
What are your favorite stops along Route 66? Have you hopped over to Henry’s Rabbit Ranch yet? Tell us all about your visit in the comments. For more information, visit the Henry’s Rabbit Ranch website and Facebook page.
If you’re looking for another one-of-a-kind stop along Route 66, consider a visit to Ambler’s Texaco Gas Station in Dwight.
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