Bonnie & Clyde Hideout

In 1933, infamous outlaws Bonnie and Clyde spent 13 days resting and recovering in Joplin from their crime spree. They rented this quaint garage apartment on the city’s south side. What was intended to be a vacation ended with the gang killing County Constable Wes Harryman and Joplin Police Officer Harry McGinnis when law enforcement attempted a raid on what they suspected at the time to be bootleggers.

In their haste to escape, the gang left behind their belongings. Among the items were a camera, two rolls of film, three necklaces, and some jewelry.
The local newspaper, the Joplin Globe, developed the film left behind. The rolls of film contained the now-legendary photos of Bonnie holding Clyde at mock gunpoint and of Bonnie with her foot on a car fender, pistol in her hand, and cigar in her mouth, plus several others. The jewelry is on display at Joplin History & Mineral Museum.

On February 13, 2009, the Missouri Advisory Council on Historic Preservation nominated the apartment at 34th Street and Oak Ridge Drive for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places.

The garage apartment still stands today at 3347 1/2 Oak Ridge Drive.

This is a private residence, so please respect those who call the neighborhood home.