Written By Kyle
I was familiar with Old Tucson Movie Studios, although I had never visited. Back in the day Old Tucson was an active film ranch with 300 acres of space used for a movie and television productions; over 500 films and shows have been shot there over the years! As a fan of westerns, I was excited to see some of the areas where movies such as El Dorado, Tombstone, Joe Kidd, Rio Bravo, Three Amigos, and many more were filmed.
Unfortunately, there was a large fire in April 1995 and many of the historic western buildings, sets, props, and wardrobe were destroyed. Since then entire new buildings were constructed, and the streets were widened, (unfortunately the movie studio soundstage was not rebuilt). During the pandemic Old Tucson was closed down and sat vacant until they were purchased by American Heritage Railways (Also owners of The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad in Colorado!) and reopened in 2022. Here is a great article about the reopening with tons of historic photos.
The park today features and old W. Main St., including staged gunfights by stunt performers, a small narrow gauge railroad which circles much of the property, and tons of attractions for the kids (We made sure to swing by the petting zoo to pet the goats). There are still exhibits featuring original movie memorabilia and some of the buildings you would have seen in the old westerns, blacksmithing demonstrations, snake oil salesmen, and events for Halloween and Christmas.
It’s an interesting stop, however, I wish I could’ve seen it in its heyday. The studio is currently working with the state of Arizona on tax incentives to try and encourage filming to return, so maybe Old Tucson will be home to some future western classics!
Ramble Around 
My stomping grounds. Old Tucson was really neat in its heyday. I’m glad they are bringing it back to life. Thanks for sharing.
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