Take the family on a daytrip to the Wild West and come face to face with gunslingers. Experience stunt shows, movie set tours and family rides. Old Tucson Studios is a working movie set that’s also been turned into a Western theme park.
The studio started life as a replica of 1860s Tucson for the 1939 movie Arizona. Since then, some of Hollywood’s most famous television Westerns such as Bonanza and High Chaparral were filmed here, as were movies including Gunfight at the OK Corral and Rio Bravo with John Wayne and Dean Martin. Among the other famous actors who once walked these dusty streets are Clint Eastwood, Elizabeth Taylor and Leonardo DiCaprio.
Walk through this movie town and in and out of homes, stores, saloons and the bank where many stars of the big screen have delivered lines. Discover how movie stunts are performed by watching demonstrations at the Grand Palace Saloon. Enjoy the spectacles of a live gunfight and stunt show on the town’s streets. The mock battle is based on the 1995 movie, The Quick and the Dead, filmed at Old Tucson. Go to Rosa’s Cantina for a video tribute to John Wayne that features stories about the four films he made here.
For a few dollars more than the general admission price you can climb on a horse for a trail ride around the 40-acre (16-hectare) property. Let your young children enjoy rides including a carousel, pony rides and the Iron Door Mine Adventure, a mini-coaster.
This re-creation of the old American West is 14 miles (23 kilometres) from downtown Tucson, close to interstate highways. On-site car parking is free. There is no public transportation access near the attraction.
You can easily spend a day watching the shows and films and touring the sites. Old Tucson Studios has several snack bars and restaurants serving fast food, ice cream, Old West treats and pizzas. Opening hours vary by season for details visit the theme park’s website.
