Pioneertown in California 2024-2025

An elaborate film set built in the 1940s in the desert as a Wild West facade for several Western films

Best time: October–June

Pioneertown was founded by actor Dick Curtis in 1946 as an 1880's Old West filming set. It was supposed to be a place for production companies to stay while also serving as homes in movies. The site was used to film hundreds of Westerns movies and television shows, including The Cisco Kid and Edgar Buchanan's Judge Roy Bean. The place can be accessed via California State Route 62, just four miles northeast of Yucca Valley, California.

"Mane Street" in downtown Pioneertown is open to the public for free year round. On weekends from October 1st through the end of June on the second and fourth Saturday of each month, it hosts the "Mane Street Stampede Wild West Show" with live music and reenactments.

One of the most famous buildings in Pioneertown is Pappy & Harriet's Palace, a longtime local club and landmark, which was constructed within the town's original and only gas station. The dark brick building has hosted stars like Gene Autry and Roy Rogers—the saloon has been in over 50 films. It is now a popular spot for live music with some biker vibes. The club was frequently attended by notable musicians like Eric Burdon, the Arctic Monkeys, Rufus Wainwright, and Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin.