When I was child in the 1980s, I used to visit my Grandmother in Ocala, Florida. An hour or so north of Orlando and it’s multitude of tourist attractions and themeparks, Ocala was fairly sleepy. Beautiful rolling horse land was the main attraction for a visitor. But that doesn’t mean there weren’t some vestiges of the old Florida tourist trade. Silver Springs and its natural wonder was of course the main draw for visitors, but I will never forget my visits to Six Gun Territory. I just recently stumbled across this collection of promotional photos at an estate sale and I wanted to share. It took me right back. Read on, and click the images for higher resolution.
A street scene of spectators watching outlaws and cowboys performers. Stunt shows were a big part of the Six Guns Territory experience.
La Cantina De Mejico. Looks like the tequila was a bit too much for some of the patrons to handle.
Ah, lovely can can dancers at the saloon! A little something for the dads perhaps?
Another stunt gun fight in front of the bank of Six Gun Territory.
An old west recreation wouldn’t be complete without a trip on an authentic steam train.
More bodies in the streets as the Six Gun stunt performers entertain.
A traditional(?) Native American folk dance? It looks good anyway, and adds to the Old West ambiance.
For more information on Six Gun Territory, check out these links:
Lost Parks – A nice recreation of the park.
Smithfilmproductions – Youtube link showing old home movies of the park.
Six Gun Territory Historical Society – A tribute organization made up of folks who worked at and remember the park.
Rockefeller Center in 1939 Tourist Booklet