Western Town Universal

Western Town is located next to the parking lot.  It is an authentic western set that has you believing you stepped back in time into the Old West.  It is truly a part of movie-making history,

Western Town Universal
Travel Editor Joanne Lewis in Western Town’s Main Street.

though.  After Paramount Pictures sold the ranch in 1953, William Hertz bought the south east section.  He built a permanent town in homage to the movie westerns he loved, using Paramount Pictures’ old storage sheds.


The town did not last, as Hertz sold the ranch in 1955 and it became The Paramount Racetrack until this was forced to close in 1957 due to several fatalities.  Film making continued through changes in ownership until 1980 when Paramount Ranch was bought by the National Park Service.  The movie ranch was revitalized and opened to the public for free.

Western Town was rebuilt in 1984.  It features a Sheriff’s Office, a saloon,a blacksmith and livery, a Post Office, and a Wells Fargo, evoking nostalgia for the cowboy movies of old.  Children are sure to enjoy playing on the authentic Main Street sets, and budding film makers’ minds will soar.

By daryl

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