Back in March, we informed you that the gas station used in Tobe Hooper’s classic 1974 film The Texas Chain Saw Massacre would be becoming a horror BBQ resort. We are happy to report that, thanks to a recent post on its Facebook page, the property will be open for business on October 8th of this year. The date holds significance to owner Roy Rose, whose father’s birthday falls on the same day.
Simply titled The Gas Station (formerly the Last Chance Gas Station), the landmark occupies one acre of land in Bastrop, TX (a minuscule 40 minutes from downtown Austin, TX). The property was in danger of being torn down but was saved by Ohio businessman and entrepreneur Roy Rose, who snatched up the property last year after initially being turned down by the gas station’s original owners. He brought in actor Ari Lehman, the original Jason in Friday the 13th, as an investor in order to open up what he called a horror BBQ resort.
This isn’t the first time a location from Hooper’s film has become a tourist attraction. The infamous Sawyer house was relocated to Kingsland, TX and currently operates as a cafe. The Grand Central Cafe has been open for business for several years and has a pretty amazing menu, so fans driving down can stop by on their way to The Gas Station.
Updates are coming in slowly at the moment, but you can keep checking on the status of The Gas Station via its Facebook page linked to above and its website. I’m sure there will be tons of content available in the weeks leading up to the grand opening, but until then this small amount of content will have to suffice.
Lucky for me, I live exactly 51 minutes away from the landmark, which means as soon as it opens I will be booking a room to report on all the juicy details. In the meantime, check out this video from local Austin station KXAN, as well as an image gallery below. Mark your calendars for October 8th! The battle to reserve a room is going to be a bloodbath!
