Melody Ranch Motion Picture Studio is a working film facility that has been the backbone of Hollywood Western production since the 1950s. The ranch's centerpiece is a fully dressed Western town set — saloons, stables, a jail, a bank — that filmmakers have used for decades to simulate the American frontier. When no production is shooting, the studio offers public tours that take you through the backlot and into the history of the ranch.
Tours typically run on weekends and give visitors a chance to walk the streets of a genuine working film set, not a theme-park recreation. The guides are knowledgeable about the productions that have been shot here; if you are a fan of Deadwood in particular, this is pilgrimage territory. Check the ranch's website for tour dates as they vary with the production schedule.