Longtime Western attraction and film location Old Tucson announced today it will remain closed indefinitely due to the continued impact of COVID-19. According to an announcement, Pima County, which owns and leases the park to a private operator, will assume responsibility of Old Tucson starting next week, and will begin working on a new plan for the park’s future.
“The decision to close Old Tucson indefinitely due to COVID-19 was made with a heavy heart. We know how important Old Tucson is to our community, guests and employees,” said Terry Verhage, general manager of Old Tucson. “We did everything possible to keep our loyal fans safe when we were open, but the ongoing COVID-19 public health protocols and restrictions limited park attendance to the point where Old Tucson could no longer stay in business.”
Pima County’s Attractions and Tourism Office is seeking ideas from potential operators and lessors about what Old Tucson could be in the future. This is not the first time Old Tucson has “closed indefinitely” however, as the attraction closed for roughly two years following a devastating fire in 1995.
“Old Tucson has provided thousands of jobs and entertained millions of guests over the decades. If not for the COVID-19 pandemic, Old Tucson would still be in business,” Verhage said.
This article appears in Sep 3-9, 2020.
Thanks for my fond memories.
Tony Gavin. UK.
Drove all the way there to see an empty car park, a dream to visit ‘Old Tucson’ for the very first time. It was closed on that very day, I should have checked, I couldn’t stay another day. Now it’s closed down because of a bug.
Kelvin Crumplin. UK.
This flu has destroyed many dreams across the world. Two percent were told they had it. We will never know how accurate these numbers are. Science says masks don’t work.
Where is John Wayne when we need him?
Stats, numbers. Believe what you want:
https://microflush.org/covid
In 1977-78, during a brief break in military service, I worked at Old Tucson as the night security officer. It didn’t pay much but it was a dream job, walking those dirt streets alone with all the ghosts of the western movies haunting the buildings and making the wooden boardwalks creak against a backdrop of clear night skies and the howls of coyotes in the parking lot looking for scraps from the day’s visitors.
On one day, in the summer when it was still light out, I heard someone knocking on the closed front gate. When I opened the gate, I was greeted by an elderly man and his son. They explained they were from Germany and flying home the following morning. They asked if they could just take a couple of photos.
I knew I wasn’t supposed to let anyone on the property, but based on the age of the father, I didn’t know if he would be able to make this trip again. I told them that I would make one round of the town with them, but after that they would have to leave.
We walked the streets slowly for the elderly man, as he and his son took photos of the buildings, especially those from the older part of the town that had been used in some of the classic western movies. They thanked me and left for their journey home.
Of course, I never told my boss, but I never regretted it either.
Are you sure those weren’t the two that lit it on fire? I think they were from Germany.