This place is HUGE! And donation based. Also has two gift shops. Such a nice docent at the front desk and cow bell over the entrance door to be sure she sees you coming. Learned so much about barbed wire BEYOND how it's made and the history. Learned about its application beyond cow fencing to people fencing during wars and at internment camps. There's even a barbed wire brassiere there as a nod to the building's past as a ladies' undergarment factory. Cool stop totally worth the time. And time you do need to plan for cuz it's huge with great write-ups and categories per room. Lots of old farm machinery and how it used knots in rope to open the seed drop mechanism every measured distance, tools the fence line folks used to carry on the horses to maintain the barbed wire, branding irons, dust bowl history WITH a jar of the actual dust, etc. read more

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It's fun, free and interesting. This museum, once a bra factory, houses several different types of barbed wire (or what it is also called, the devil's rope!). Supposedly there are over 2000 patents for it, so depending on how interested you are, the visit time varies. The building also houses the Texas Route 66 Museum, which is small or fairly-sized, but still has plenty of memorabilia to check out. There is also a wall that has the pictures of Texas Route 66 Hall of Fame inductees. If you're traveling on the Mother Road, don't skip out on this museum! One last thing to note: they have a cool gift shop so it is very likely you'll find something you collect here. read more

Closed until Mar 1st 2024. Looked cool from the outside. They should change the hours with yelp and google.

This was actually really really neat! It's tucked away off the main street in McLean. There's a small lot for a few cars, and some giant balls of barbed wire out front. Inside, a friendly little old lady welcomed us, explained the different rooms in the museum, pointed out the restroom, and asked us to sign the guestbook. We were impressed by the wide variety of barbed wire displays, which included an explanation of the different styles of barbed wire (dozens upon dozens) and many barbed wire sculptures. There was also a "sad iron collection" in one of the cases which I thought was hilarious. The building is not air conditioned, so it can be moderately sweltering on hot days, though they've got lots of fans to help keep the air moving. It's absolutely worth a stop if you're traveling nearby! read more

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Great place to see history of the Wild West being tamed with barbed wire! They also have a cool section on Historic Route 66, as McLean is on the route. Best to arrive shortly after opening time. read more

Devil's Rope Museum - Museums Near Me - McLean, Texas

A real hidden gem of a roadside attraction. McLean is the model for Radiator Springs in Pixar's "Cars" (the town is weirdly familiar as you drive through it on historic Route 66). The museum is about 10,000 sq ft of well-curated displays not only of barbed wire, but of everything it has touched in the history of the Texas Panhandle--cowboying, patent medicines, the Dust Bowl--it's all here. A labor of love on the part of all involved, and a great way to break up the tedium of I 40 on a cross country trip. read more

I've been here twice now and it's pretty cool to see all the stuff here. Once with my brother and again with the wife on different road trips. Each time we spent at least an hour inside just wandering around, browsing and reading stuff. Both times, there was no one else in the building other than the curator. First of all, who would have thought barbed wire had such a history? I found out there's even collectors of barbed wire, just like coins and stamps, and barbies. (Hmm, should barbie be capitalized ...Barbie?). Then there's all the archaic tools and machinery to "make" barbed wire and fence posts. Most of the other reviewers already noted a lot of the exhibits and attractions here. There's a lot to see if you are into this sort of mild entertainment. It's no roller coaster or water park, so don't be pulling out your E-tickets just yet. (Our younger generation may not know what an "e-ticket" is, but I'm sure they'll Google it if they care. If you are into geocaching, there's a nice, big geocache outside....but if you're a geocacher, you already know that. :) Anyway, I highly recommend stopping in for a little while if you can spare the time. It's free to get in and there's not much "free" anymore so take advantage of it. I left a small donation the first time, and bought a t-shirt last time. Watch out for that barb! Ouch! read more

So much more than a barbed-wire museum! And who knew there were so many different types and varieties of the stuff in the first place. Mixed with the barbed-wire is a history of Texas and cowboys and an additional area for Route 66. read more

This is a very interesting museum. There is a section on the dust bowl, which includes some pictures. Then there is a larger section on Route 66, which you could probably spend hours in if you looked through the folders of articles. It also includes the first cow statue from the Big Texan Steak Ranch, as well as a 50's diner that you can sit in and take a picture. Then there is the barbed wire section. It's huge! Who knew that there were so many different types of barbed wire? There were also some little things made from barbed wire (like a little wagon). We spent about an hour here and we kind of rushed through. I would recommend allowing yourself a bit more time. The operate on donations only (there is no admission fee), so be sure to bring some cash along to put in the box at the end. read more

This was such a strange, cool impromptu stop on my cross country road trip. I had no idea to expect when I walked in the door! (Who makes a museum for barbed wire?!) I was the only one there, and the most charming little old lady showed me the ropes. There's some really interesting stuff here. I especially liked the Route 66 relics. I also bought some souvenirs which were really cheap compared to other places! Mostly I enjoyed the unexpected adventure of it and the hospitality of the sweet lady. A most memorable stop for sure!... read more

This must be the weirdest museum i've ever been to! But i loved the quirkynes of this place. The lady working here was pretty cool and gave us some info on the museum. The route 66 part of the museum was nicely done too. Worth the stop! read more

Call before you bother stopping by this place to make sure they are open, and don't trust the info on their website! I checked online, it said they were open. I drove over an hour out of my way to visit this place...only to be greeted by a sign on the door with a cutesy Christmas poem informing me that they were closed until spring. Argh! I wish I could give a more thorough review of what was inside, but sadly my visit there was just a huge waste of an afternoon. read more

Informative large museum, greeted warmly upon arrival, and it's free. They accept donations. Be sure and leave on when you stop in!!!

The location is a little different than what the yelp map says, but once you find it, very cool place. Good for kids, lots of history. The lady at the counter is very nice too. It is free, restrooms available and makes a nice little stop to get a little walk. read more

Awesome museum! If you're a Route 66 fanatic like I am you will really enjoy all the information and history. The barbed wire section is amazing and well done. Fascinating is an understatement. The staff are always so welcoming and they have great souvenirs. Admission is free they operate on donations so be generous as you can't find many places like this left anymore. Love it every time I visit!! read more

my daughter and i were making our way from New Mexico to Tenn. this past summer and accidently came across this museum. I have never seen such an interesting, informative,interested museum. Who knew ! (in the middle of nowhere)not really but we were there about 2 hrs.and what a learning experience. You also get to talk with a very pleasant knowledgeable lady at no charge. You will want to donate to keep this museum going for the future. We bought some gifts for ourselves. THANKS FOR SHARING ! Jean-n-Ga. read more

if you should find yourself on a cross-country roadtrip with your beau and have fallen in love with old route 66, this is a must-stop. mclean is a bit of a worn relic from the old portal to the coast, but this little gem will give you some good history of how barbed wire changed how america farms. plus, you gotta see the 66 memorabilia from the heydey, including a mock-up of a 50's diner (complete with creepy mannequins). read more