A couple of cowboys pace on the town’s Main Street. They spin their pistols as though they were itching for a fight.
A train’s whistle mingles with the sound of boots hitting the ground and the clang of spurs.
“Here we are,” we hear one of the cowboys say.
“Hey Killer Miller,” taunts another.
It looks and sounds like there might be the gunfight they were angling for.
Instead, they gather together, each still spinning their pistols on their fingers, chatting up passersby.
A slight rumble of thunder rolls through town, warning of an impending monsoon storm.
This isn’t a scene from a western movie. It’s a typical Friday night at Trail Dust Town, an Old West attraction on Tucson’s east side that houses the Pinnacle Peak Steakhouse — billed as a family tradition for more than 50 years — Wild West stunt shows, amusement rides, gift shops and the Museum of the Horse Soldier.
“Trail Dust Town is a great destination for a family night because there’s a little something for everyone,” said David Ragland, the town’s public relations director and event coordinator. “And it’s all family-friendly and affordable.”
Trail Dust Town was developed in 1960, with Pinnacle Peak opening in 1962. In recent years, it has been repositioning itself to be on the forefront of local family and community destinations with the addition of the Heirloom Farmers Market, a partnership with The Loft Cinema, Paws & Pints events and community partner nights.
Heirloom began holding its weekly Friday farmers market in the center of the town in January. A family day is held on the first Friday of the month, where rides and some shops are open during market hours.
The town began sponsoring The Loft Cinema’s annual Kids Fest in 2013 and the Loft’s year-round Loft Jr. program in 2014. Both programs show family-friendly films for free.
New this year, Trail Dust Town began hosting Loft Jr. Under the Stars, where families can watch a film outside at Trail Dust Town. The program has been so successful that it was extended into September, rather than ending in August, as originally planned.
“Their support has really helped us bolster our family-friendly programming here at The Loft, and allowed us to offer some great children’s films without charging admission, which families have told us they really appreciate,” said Jeff Yanc, The Loft Cinema’s program director.
“We’ve also helped to host events at Trail Dust Town and it’s really a perfect location for family fun,” Yanc said. “The vibe is very much like a theme park, which is great for a family friendly event, but it’s also right in the middle of the city, so there’s no long, uncomfortable road tip necessary to get there. It’s a win-win.”
I recently brought my family — my husband, Clint, son, Noah, and mother-in-law, Judy — to Trail Dust Town to check out the scene and spend a couple hours together. Here’s how the evening unfolded for us.
Night in the Old West
Ding, ding, ding. Toot! Toot!
We were first welcomed by the railroad-crossing bells and the whistle of the C.P. Huntington Train, which is named after the historic steam locomotive of the same name that was purchased by the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1863. Trail Dust Town didn’t name the train, however. Its name was given to it by the manufacturer, Chance Rides.
Walking into Trail Dust Town was like being in a different time. Old West facades adorn the buildings and shops. Wood walkways serve as sidewalks and the “street” is brick.
There’s plenty look at. And plenty to do.
A family favorite is The Magic Shop, which is run by Emory Williams Jr., who, with his father, owned and ran Williams Magic on East 22nd Street before it closed a couple of years ago. (He rus a mobile magic shop in Vail and sells online at williamsmagic.com)
At any given time, you’ll see Williams entertaining customers who come into the shop with one of his magic tricks. If you buy a trick, he’ll show you how to perform it — in private, of course. If you’re lucky, parting words will be one of many silly jokes Williams has up his sleeve.
On a previous visit Williams showed us several tricks.
“Whoa! How do you do that?” Noah, 8, was impressed when Williams made a ball in a vase disappear and reappear.
We ended up buying the Ball & Vase trick for about $6.
Williams made us turn our backs so he could show Noah how it works. It’s cool enough to trick people, yet simple enough for an 8-year-old to pull off.
“Don’t tell anyone the secret,” Williams says.
“I won’t,” Noah says, eyes lit with mischief.
“Hey mom, dad wanna see a magic trick?” Noah asks the second we leave the shop. (That went on multiple times every day for about a week.)
Our second time around, we peeked in the window, where Williams worked his magic at his counter.
One of the cowboys approaches us.
“Hey y’all should come to the stunt show at 7 and 8 o’clock this evening,” says Travis Jager, with an exaggerated Southern drawl. “It’s gonna be awesome. We’re gonna be blowin’ stuff up. It’s gonna be intense.”
But we have gold panning to do and rides to go on first — there’s a train, Ferris wheel and a carousel.
To go on the rides, pan for gold or to watch a stunt show, you need wooden nickels, the town’s official currency, or an $8 wristband, which is good for all attractions. Each amusement ride costs one wooden nickel. The stunt show is two.
We drop $20 at the Trail Dust Trading Post and come out with a wristband and enough wooden nickels, which are $2 each, for all of us — three adults, plus Noah — to see the stunt show.
“Oh, can I go on the Ferris wheel? Please. Please,” Noah asks, as he’s already running toward Polly Anna Park.
The grassy area with picnic tables can be reserved for birthday parties and other events.
An old fashioned popcorn wagon sits in the corner where you can get drinks, popcorn and wooden nickels. You can only pay with cash, though.
There aren’t many people at 6 p.m. when we arrive, so there are no lines. Noah gets on the covered-wagon Ferris wheel with two other kids.
We watch it go round and round, as the kids chat excitedly.
“I made a new friend. He’s from Pennsylvania. It snows a lot there,” Noah says after getting off the ride.
“This place is fun,” says Nate Feldman, 10. “I like the magician and the restaurant.”
Next stop — panning for gold.
We are greeted by actor Jim Cumberland, aka “Big Jim,” who is dressed as an old-time gold miner.
“How you doin’ there?” Big Jim says. “You having fun tonight?”
Big Jim hands Noah a pan to use and a glass vial to collect gold in.
Several kids and parents are lined up at the trough dipping their pans and hands into the water, pulling out pieces of “gold” and stuffing them into their vials.
One girl finds the jackpot.
“Mom, over here is a good spot.”
It’s almost time to catch the 7 p.m. stunt show, so we get in line with about 50 other people.
“Everybody got their wooden nickels or wrist bands?” an actor yells out to the line.
“Yeah!” The crowd is excited, ready to go in and watch the show.
We file in and take a spot on the bleachers.
Bon Jovi’s “Dead or Alive” plays in the background as one of the cowboy actors interacts with the crowd.
“Anybody from out of town?”
When one guy yells “Texas” the crowd shouts, “Yeah!”
“On the count of three, yell ‘yee-haw,’” the cowboy says. “1, 2, 3.”
“Yeee-haw!”
With that — and a pre-recorded introduction — the show starts.
As the actors brawl and argue over who’s going to catch Killer Miller, the crowd bursts out with laughter. The sound of gunshots ring through the crowd.
“Watch out behind you,” kids yell out as the villain sneaks up behind our intrepid hero.
Boom! A bright, hot burst of fire explodes.
“Yeah!” Noah yells. “I could feel the heat from that on my face.”
Jager looks over at my husband’s spiky hair, and yells “That made this guy’s hair stand up!”
As it starts to rain, umbrellas pop up throughout the bleachers for the remainder of the show.
At the end, actors take a bow to an appreciative crowd.
A family trip to Trail Dust Town wouldn’t be complete without a train ride.
It’s wet out, but the train offers us a dry place to sit.
“All aboard,” the conductor yells.
And, we’re off.
The train takes us through a ghost town, a graveyard, a desert campfire and a mine along the town’s outside perimeter. The conductor narrates the entire trip.
Once we’re back at the train station, we decide an ice cream and chocolates are in order. We head into the Chocolate Depot, conveniently located right where we get off the train.
It’s a tiny shop, filled with nostalgic candies, handmade chocolates and Thrifty Ice Cream. Seven dollars later, we decided to call it a night.
When all was said and done, we spent a total of $27.
The experience and memories created — priceless.
Check out the Trail Dust Town action at tucson.com/video
