▁for ▁$ 5 0 ." ▁Today , ▁the ▁att raction ▁is ▁operated ▁by ▁an ▁Al bu quer que - based ▁company , ▁Bowl ins , ▁Inc ., ▁which ▁own s ▁several ▁road side ▁trad ing ▁posts ▁throughout ▁the ▁South west . ▁ ▁Ad vert is ement ▁and ▁popular ity ▁The ▁Th ing ▁is ▁heavily ▁advert ised ▁via ▁bill boards ▁that ▁dot ▁the ▁inter state . ▁A ▁popular , ▁al beit ▁un true , ▁legend ▁states ▁that ▁the ▁bill boards ▁stretch ▁from ▁New ▁Orleans ▁to ▁Los ▁Angeles . ▁Mike ▁Bow lin , ▁the ▁owner ▁of ▁the ▁site ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 3 , ▁noted ▁that ▁the ▁bill boards ▁real ist ically ▁" start ▁around ▁El ▁Pas o ▁to ▁the ▁east ▁and ▁somewhere ▁on ▁I - 1 0 ▁between ▁Phoenix ▁and ▁T uc son ▁to ▁the ▁west ." ▁ ▁Road side America . com ▁claims ▁that ▁over ▁ 2 4 7 ▁bill boards , ▁spread ▁out ▁over ▁a ▁span ▁of ▁ 2 0 0 ▁miles , ▁advert ise ▁the ▁att raction . ▁Due ▁to ▁The ▁Th ing ' s ▁popular ity , ▁it ▁has ▁appeared ▁in ▁many ▁books , ▁such ▁as ▁Doug ▁Kir by ' s ▁New ▁Road side ▁America ▁( 1 9 9 2 ), ▁We ird ▁Arizona ▁( 2 0 0 7 ) ▁and ▁it ▁once ▁was ▁featured ▁in ▁a ▁Jane ▁P au ley ▁television ▁special ▁on ▁N BC . ▁It ▁is ▁also ▁referenced ▁in ▁the ▁song ▁" The ▁Church ▁of ▁Log ic ▁Sin ▁and ▁Love " ▁ ▁( 1 9 9