Pioneertown

Pioneertown is a 40-minute drive north of Palm Springs. It’s free to visit, and open 356 days a year.  There’s shopping, two restaurants, a bowling alley, small film museum, and lodging.

Pioneertown was established in 1946 as a filming location, depicting an 1880’s western town, and hundreds of famous westerns were filmed here.  The consortium of investors was led by actor Dick Curtis, and acquired 32,000 acres of land.

Over the years, Pioneertown became a fully functioning township, and plots of land were made available for permanent residents.  There was a grocery story, saloon, restaurant, café, ice-cream shop, beauty shop, barber shop, bowling alley, shooting gallery, open air dance floor, newspaper, church, post office and sheriff’s office.

Over the 1940s and 50s, roughly 200 productions were filmed in Pioneertown.  However, the lack of available water and the reduced interest in Western movies, led to less interest in the township.  Today Pioneertown is mostly used for independent movies and music video shoots.

5 best things to do at Pioneertown

1. Start at the Film Museum.

Watch a short video at the free Film Museum, explaining the history of Pioneertown. Many famous films and tv shows were shot here, including Gene Autry films, the Cisco Kid series, The Range Rider, Annie Oakley, and Cody of the Pony Express.

2. Shop along Mane Street.

Shop at the General Mercantile, Soukie Modern Outpost, Mazamar Pottery, Soaps Goat Shop, Pioneertown General Store, and Xeba Bottanica. Other points of interest include the post office, sheriff’s office, chapel, gazette, and bank.

Mazamar Pottery.

Soukie Modern Outpost.

Pioneertown General Store.

General Mercantile.

Xeba Bottanica.

Bank at Pioneertown.

Pioneertown Chapel.

3. Visit two pubs in Pioneertown, with live music and food.

There are two fun pubs in Pioneertown, both established in 1946. Visit Pappy and Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace for BBQ, or the fun Red Dog Saloon for tex-mex, also once a popular watering hole for film crews.

4. Go bowling at historic Pioneer Bowl established in 1946.

5. Stay at the Pioneertown Motel just near Mane Street. 

The Pioneertown Motel is just off Mane Street, and also offer a red cabin on Mane Street for rent.  The Rimrock Ranch is a 5-minute drive up the road, and a popular wedding venue with vacation rentals, cabins, and an airstream.