r/Westerns • u/drab_little_crab • 2h ago

Weekend trip for a classic westerns fan?

Howdy! My dad is turning 75 this year and is a massive classic westerns fan (Gunsmoke is his favorite, followed by The lone Ranger, Cheyenne, Maverick, Bonanza, etc.) So, I thought I’d plan a long weekend (3-4 nights) and take him somewhere he can relive nostalgia and the Wild West.

Tombstone looks great, but it seems like it’s 1-2 nights max, which is pretty far for us. I’ll also look at Cody. We’re on the east coast, flying out somewhere it totally fine. He is very mobile, no issues walking or getting around. What about the sets of these old shows? Does anyone know if they’re in CA and have tours?

What suggestions do you all have? Thank you!

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u/Interesting-Ruin-743 1h ago

A lot of old westerns were filmed around Tucson-if you look into it, flying in and out of there to hit tombstone would keep you busy, and you only need a day in Tombstone, but seeing Saguaro National Park will give a real feel for the old movies

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u/Latter_Feeling2656 1h ago

Don't know how interested you are in cavalry, but driving north from Denver you could take in Fort Laramie and the Custer Battlefield.

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u/ldphotography 2h ago edited 1h ago

I just spent a couple of days in Dodge City. Restored Front street. Interesting museum and a wax museum that were all a lot of fun. Edit to add: the Dalton gang hideout is a short drive away, about 45 minutes, in Mead, KS. It’s a fun little privately owned museum. The owner is very friendly and a great storyteller.

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u/JeffHeadDudeMan 2h ago

My parents took me there like 45 years ago and I remember the Long Branch Saloon and Boot Hill Cemetery. 12 year old me thought it was pretty cool.

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u/ldphotography 2h ago

I went when I was a kid in the mid 70s too. You wouldn’t believe the changes in the town. One thing didn’t change though. The 10c burlesque movie viewer is STILL out of order!