Abandoned Western Movie Sets

In Hollywood and other film production locations, elaborate sets are created to bring fantastic films to the screen. Once filming is complete, these sets are sometimes packed away and never seen again. However, in some cases, the sets are left behind, abandoned, and are open to the public to explore.

Here are four examples of abandoned movie sets:

• The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966): This classic spaghetti western was filmed in the Tabernas Desert in Spain. The old western town that was used for the film is still standing today, although it is now abandoned. The buildings, signs, and other props from the film can still be found, creating a eerie and atmospheric experience for visitors.

Silver Canyon (1951)

Sometimes sets are built and then reused over and over again. Such is the case of the western town used in the 1951 film Silver Canyon. The movie stars Gene Autry, Gail Davis, and Jim Davis, and is about Union Scouts during the Civil War. The setting is Utah.

The film used legendary Pioneertown as the setting. This same set has been used over 50 times since but because of the decline in the market for Westerns, it is no longer used as a film set. It is currently the home of over 400 residents and is also a massive tourist attraction.

Lone Star (1952)

The original Lone Star film was released in 1952 and was then remade in 1996. 1952’s version stars Clark Gable and Ava Gardener and is a western set in Texas (also known as the ‘lone star state’).

The location for filming was done in the town of Contrabando. Considered a ghost town, the entire site has been abandoned for years. No longer used for filming anymore, the original Casita building still stands upon the deserted land.

Tombstone (1993)

The film history of the Mescal area dates back over 70 years with scenes from Winchester 73 with Jimmy Stewart, The Big Country with Gregory Peck, and Cimarron with Glenn Ford.  The physical set was built as a town in 1968-1969 for Monte Walsh, starring Lee Marvin and Jack Palance. This movie mirrors the current situation with the Mescal Set. An aging cowboy realizes the west he loves will soon be gone, and there is no room for cowboys like him. Released the same year was the Western comedy Dirty Dingus Magee with the legendary Frank Sinatra. Another Hollywood legend graced the set when Elizabeth Taylor filmed Poker Alice.

A succession of movies followed, including The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean starring Paul Newman, The Outlaw Josey Wales with Clint Eastwood, and Tom Horn with Steve McQueen.  The 1990s had major big-budget productions.  Tombstone starred Kurt Russell, Val Kilmer, Sam Elliott, and many other notables such as Charlton Heston, Harry Carey Jr., and narration by Robert Mitchum.  It has become a cult classic and easily the most quoted western of all time.  The Quick and the Dead followed with Hollywood “A-Listers” Sharon Stone, Russell Crowe, Gene Hackman, and a very young Leonardo DiCaprio.

Bonus

• The abandoned western town from The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is now known as Oasys MiniHollywood and is a popular tourist attraction.
• Pioneertown is also a tourist attraction and offers visitors the chance to experience what it was like to live and work on a western movie set.
• The Casita building from Lone Star is now a private residence.
• The Mescal set from Tombstone is in operation. The set was purchased Feb. 2021 by Benson area ranchers J.J. And Jake Kartchner. There is a very dedicated group of volunteers that have been rebuilding and renovating since that day. It is no longer a part of Old Tucson Movie Studio, and Mescal is a very active film set. Since 2021 several full length movies such as Warrant II Breakers Law, Far Haven and Birthright Outlaw have been filmed and released. Many more have filmed and are in post production. They have also done commercials, music videos, documentaries and short movies.