“Before he became a man he was The Kid in Black”
Ray Cash brought his family to Dyess in 1935 when President Roosevelt's administration created Dyess Colony in Mississippi County, an experiment in American socialism. With no money down, the Cash family was given 20 acres of fertile bottomland and a five-room house in which to live. The house was seen in the motion picture "I Walk the Line." Now owned by Arkansas State University, the house is being restored and is scheduled to reopen April 2014.
One day I hope they'll have more to do here, but it's still well worth the detour to see this wonderfully restored home. You're out in the country a bit so you'll hit some gravel and dirt, so keep that in mind. Who can pass up a chance to get a picture at the Man in Black's house?
There is a tour that starts in the town of Dyess that I wish I had known about. The tour operates from 9-3. Starts with a movie at the visitors center then a bus ride to Johnny Cash's home. We arrived at 3:30 so only saw the outside of the house. Would also recommend looking at the visitors center website and following their directions instead of the route we were sent on through Road Trippers.
This was neat. Can't do anything the but take a photo but you can say you been to Johnny Cash's home. Then we drove down the gravel road (the same one he use to walk) to Dyress. And saw his town he grew up in and the river he fished in. Very cool!
Talk about off the beaten path!!! Holy Cow. This place is out there. Unfortunately, there isn't much to do there. There is a giant fence surrounding the property so the only think you can do is snap a photo (like the one you see here). I had more fun getting there than the actual stop itself.
My husband is a fan of the Man in Black so we had to make the stop. Unfortunately the visitor center is closed on Sunday so we decided to do a drive by the house instead. The house is located 5 minutes off the highway on a dirt and gravel road. A little adventure driving down the road. The house is restored by the Arkansas State University. They did a great job. Great stop!
Be the first to add a review to the Johnny Cash Boyhood Home.
Hours
Problem with this listing? Let us know.
-
Parking
-
Pets Allowed
-
Restrooms
-
Wifi
-
Wheelchair Accessible
-
Credit Cards Accepted
Parking
Nearby Hotels
Related Trip Guides
The top things to do on an I-40 road trip
- 35 Places
- 49:44
- 2,851 mi
A road trip along the Great River Road
- 35 Places
- 37:29
- 1,907 mi