The 1993 modern Western hit Tombstone follows the true story of the infamous Gunfight at the O.K. Corral and the Earp Vendetta Ride that took place in Arizona in the 1880s. Like most media based on real events, people, and places, the filming location is one of the most important parts of maintaining historical accuracy and viewer immersion. Tombstone involves a star-studded ensemble cast, including leads Kurt Russell as famous gunslinger Wyatt Earp, Val Kilmer as Doc Holliday, Michael Biehn as Johnny Ringo, and Sam Elliot as Wyatt’s brother, Virgil.
The film depicts the real-life conflict between Wyatt’s crew and a group of heavies known as The Cowboys. While not everything in the movie is perfectly accurate to what really happened, it expertly blends fact and fiction among several historical events during that time period. But the major factor of believability comes from its Arizona filming locations, which establish the narrative’s overall realism. Here is every place that Tombstone was shot, all of which fans can visit while passing through the no-longer wild West.
Release Date
December 25, 1993
Runtime
130 minutes
Director
George P. Cosmatos, Kevin Jarre
Mescal Movie Set
Hollywood Pictures
Even though Tombstone is an actual town in Arizona, the majority of Tombstone was filmed at the Mescal movie set in Benson, Arizona — around 45 miles east of Tucson and just north of the actual Tombstone. The iconic Western film location was established back in 1950 with the intention of making it appear like a real town from the Old West. Since then, it’s become a home to over 80 movies and TV shows, with some of its most notable works including Sam Raimi’s cult classic The Quick and the Dead, Clint Eastwood’s American Civil War flick The Outlaw Josey Wales, and, of course, Tombstone.
In the 1990s, when the film was shot, Tombstone had become too modernized and touristy, so its location managers decided Mescal would be a better fit, especially since they would be able to build and rebuild within it to accurately recreate the 1880s boomtown. According to Old West, the crew created and updated over 80 buildings in Mescal before shooting started to make everything look like it was straight out of the past. Since Tombstone was an up-and-coming town in 1881 when the film takes place, there are plenty of half-framed buildings, tents, and other temporary construction happening in the background of several town scenes.
Additionally, some of Tombstone’s most recognizable buildings, like The Oriental Saloon, Can Can Restaurant, C.S. Fly’s Boarding House and Photography Studio, and the Grand Hotel, were rebuilt. With the Earps’ arrival in town being a crucial aspect of the movie’s authenticity, these efforts truly paid off.
For any fans looking to visit Mescal, which is an active film set even today, its staff offers seasonal events as well as regular Historical Film Tours between productions, usually scheduled on Fridays and Saturdays.
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Babacomari Ranch
Hollywood Pictures
Next up, we have the Babacomari Ranch, which is located in Elgin, Arizona. The 28,000-acre area has a lot of outdoor space that aids in truly capturing the wildness often attributed to the Old West time period. The ranch was mainly used to film the final shootout between Doc Holliday and Johnny Ringo, as well as a backdrop for Henry Hooker’s ranch house scenes. However, Old West says the location was uniquely perfect for Cowboy extras (referred to as “buckaroos”) to really get into character, using the land to camp out during production.
Currently, Babacomari Ranch is owned by the Brophy family, who run a vacation rental spot on the property and is also open to hosting private events. So, if you want to plan a trip back to experience the Old West, Babacomari is the perfect spot to go.
Coronado National Forest
Hollywood Pictures
More of Tombstone’s outdoor scenes were shot in Coronado National Forest, specifically at Sabino Canyon, which is northeast of Tucson. A climactic riverside gunfight between Earp and The Cowboys was filmed here, but, due to the production’s schedule, many of its scenes were shot during different times of the year. This caused concern about continuity issues, as sometimes the water was dry and other times it was heavy after rainfall. Therefore, crew members had to work hard to make sure they could either alter or conceal the dynamic scenery, so audiences wouldn’t notice and ruin their story immersion.
The Coronado National Forest has plenty of hiking and tour options available for visitors. For Sabino Canyon, there are audio tours, monsoon season night hikes (a local favorite), and day passes that can be bought at the canyon’s visitor center.
Old Tuscon Studios
Hollywood Pictures
When Tombstone was filmed, Mescal’s owners also ran another long-established movie set called Old Tuscon studios, making for simple use of both locations. Old Tuscon Studios is a specialist studio created to cater to especially difficult parts in the film, like the Mexican wedding massacre, which demonstrated The Cowboys’ brutal nature, and the train station scene that shows the Earps arriving in Tuscon. Despite only 1,000 or so feet of track available for the latter shoot, the production crew was still able to make it look astonishingly realistic.
Additionally, a soundstage in Old Tuscon was used to create the Bird Cage Theater and the Denver Theater, even including a snowy scene outside them that was actually filmed during the summer. For anyone who isn’t familiar with Arizona’s heat, such a feat is hard to accomplish. And there was also the famous line from Doc Holliday, “I’m your Huckleberry,” that was shot on the studio’s Kansas Street.
Unfortunately, two years after Tombstone’s release, a 1995 fire destroyed a lot of Old Tuscon’s property and memorabilia. However, it’s since been restored, and visitors can stop in for historical or ghost tours, summer and holiday events, as well as entertaining stunt shows.
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Mount Lemmon
Hollywood Pictures
While the gunfights, horse riding, and wild conflicts Westerns are notorious for are an exciting part of the genre, there isn’t much of a story without character development and the occasional romantic interest as a motivator. In Tombstone’s case, Mount Lemmon, a serene desert area, is the site that contrasts action with storytelling, hosting an essential scene between Wyatt Earp and his leading lady Josephine Marcus (Dana Delany). According to Old West, the location, just north of Tuscon, is perfect for the lighter scenes because it reveals Arizona’s “range of geographical features that make it so appealing to humans and animals alike.” So, while the land may not be as historically significant as others used during filming, it serves a necessary purpose in allowing the characters and the audience to take a breath.
As a tourist destination, Mount Lemmon is great for hiking trips and horseback riding in the summer and skiing in the winter. Also, the drive to get up the mountain, known as Mt. Lemmon Scenic Byway is considered one of the most beautiful drives in the entire Southwest.
Douglas Dry Lake
Hollywood Pictures
Lastly, Tombstone includes Douglas Dry Lake, which is actually located in eastern Tennessee near the Great Smoky Mountains. It only appears briefly in the opening romp following the montage of Old West footage that introduces the film. Despite Arizona being home to the story the movie is based on, the production team didn’t limit themselves to the state, finding this Tennessee spot to perfectly demonstrate The Cowboys’ loose, outlaw operation and add to the project’s overall believability.
Douglas Dry Lake is a popular place for tourists and locals alike, providing ample opportunities for fun like boating, fishing, swimming, and plenty of nearby attractions. So, just because it wasn’t a major feature in Tombstone doesn’t mean fans shouldn’t add it to their list of vacation spots.
Tombstone is available for rent now on Prime Video.
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