Old Tucson Studios facts for kids
Old Tucson is a special place in Tucson, Arizona, where movies are made and visitors can have fun! It's like stepping back in time to the old American West. Built in 1939 for a movie called Arizona, it has been used for many famous western movies and TV shows. Think of movies like Gunfight at the O.K. Corral and Rio Bravo, or the TV series Little House on the Prairie.
Old Tucson opened to the public in 1960. People could take tours, learn about the movies filmed there, and watch exciting live shows with stunts and "shootouts." In September 2020, the land's owner, Pima County, announced that Old Tucson would close for a while.
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Building a Movie Town
Old Tucson was first built in 1939 by Columbia Pictures. They needed a place that looked like Tucson in the 1860s for their movie Arizona. Workers built over 50 buildings in just 40 days! Many of these original buildings are still standing today.
After Arizona was finished, the movie set wasn't used for a few years. Then, other movies started filming there, like The Bells of St. Mary's (1945) with Bing Crosby. Later, famous westerns like Winchester '73 (1950) and Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957) also used the set.
Opening to Visitors
In 1959, a businessman named Robert Shelton rented the property. He started fixing up the old movie set. Old Tucson then reopened in 1960 as both a film studio and a fun theme park!
The park grew bigger with each new movie filmed there. Famous actor John Wayne made four movies at Old Tucson. For example, Rio Bravo (1959) added a saloon and a bank. McLintock! (1963) brought the McLintock Hotel. Later, a soundstage was built in 1968. This made it easier to film movies indoors.
Old Tucson also added fun things for visitors. There were tours, rides, and exciting stunt shows. One popular ride is a narrow gauge train that goes around most of the park.
Many TV shows also filmed at Old Tucson. These include The High Chaparral (1967–1971) and Little House on the Prairie (1970s–1980s). The movie Three Amigos (1986) with Steve Martin also used the church set. Later, movies like Tombstone (1993) and The Quick and the Dead (1995) filmed scenes on the main street.
The Big Fire
On April 24, 1995, a large fire caused a lot of damage at Old Tucson Studios. Many buildings, movie costumes, and special items were lost. The fire also damaged the Reno, a historic steam train on display.
The fire started in a building used as a sign shop. Strong winds quickly spread the flames. Firefighters from all over the Tucson area came to help. They worked for four hours to put out the fire. About 25 buildings were destroyed. Luckily, no one was hurt.
After the fire, Old Tucson was rebuilt. It reopened on January 2, 1997, about 20 months later. The new buildings were different from the old ones, and the streets were made wider. The Reno train was also fixed up.
Old Tucson Today
In 2011, Old Tucson started a project to build new movie sets. They wanted to bring back the feeling of a real old west town. This project added new streets and 12 new buildings, like dressmaker shops and a blacksmith. These new areas also helped tell the story of different cultures, including Hispanic, Chinese, and Native American history. For example, a new exhibit shows a Tohono O'odham village from the 1860s.
On September 8, 2020, Old Tucson announced it was closing for an unknown period. The general manager said that the COVID-19 pandemic made it too hard to keep the park open. Pima County now owns the park and is looking for new ideas for its future.
Movies and TV Shows Filmed Here
Many movies and TV shows have been filmed at Old Tucson Studios. Here are a few examples:
- 1940: Arizona
- 1945: The Bells of St. Mary's
- 1957: Gunfight at the O.K. Corral
- 1959: Rio Bravo
- 1963: McLintock!
- 1966: El Dorado
- 1970: Rio Lobo
- 1972: Joe Kidd
- 1976: The Outlaw Josey Wales
- 1986: Three Amigos
- 1993: Tombstone
- 1995: The Quick and the Dead
Some scenes for video games were also filmed at Old Tucson, like Lethal Enforcers II: Gunfighters from Konami.
Many TV series and TV movies also filmed episodes at Old Tucson, such as:
- 1959–1965: Rawhide
- 1966–1971: The High Chaparral
- 1972–1974: Gunsmoke
- 1977–1983: Little House on the Prairie
- 1988–1991: The Young Riders
See also
In Spanish: Old Tucson Studios para niños
