Culture and Entertainment- Southfork Ranch Brings the Dallas TV Show to Life

What is it – From 1978 to 1991, one of the most popular prime time television shows in America was “Dallas”. Every week tens of millions of viewers turned in to CBS to see how the rich, powerful, and beautiful members of the fictional Ewing family battled with business and romantic rivals over the fate of a Texas oil company and a majestic cattle ranch. Actors in the show such as Larry Hagman, who portrayed the scheming and philandering oil tycoon JR Ewing, became huge stars as did the people who played his wife Sue Ellen, his brother Bobby, and his wife Pam. Famous for its cliffhangers, the episode where the show revealed “Who Shot JR” was one of the most watched television programs of all time and was viewed in sixty countries.

While some of the show’s scenes were filmed in Hollywood, the outdoor scenes and some indoor ones were shot at a large private ranch in Parker, Texas known as Southfork. Surrounded by a majestic driveway, fences, groomed ranch land, horses, longhorn cattle and barns, the 5900 square foot southern style mansion quickly became known around the world. Eventually, the publicity and intrusive fans forced the owner to sell the 357-acre property to a new operator who opened it for public tours, special events, and private parties. In addition, a revival Dallas TV series which ran from 2012 to 2014 and followed the lives of the next generation of Ewings was filmed at Southfork Ranch.

Southfork now entertains more than 400,000 visitors annually and hosts a wide variety of social events and conventions at its grounds which include a 63,000 square foot conference and event center. It is best to book a specific tour on the Southfork website and plan for spending 90 minutes to two hours there.

What You Will See - There is plenty to see on a tour of Southfork and you can have some fun there even if you did not follow the show closely or never saw it at all. Arriving tour guests park at the gift shop where there are souvenirs, restrooms, and beverages available. After you check in, you will be directed to the adjoining museum to view exhibits, pictures, and videos. The displays explain the history of the show, the background of the story, and the many interesting personalities who starred on the show. Dallas was one of the first shows to present a soap opera style story on prime-time television and well-known actors frequently played guest roles.

After visiting the museum, the tour group is driven on a tram through a portion of the property containing outbuildings used for various scenes, a mock family graveyard, and a rodeo arena. At the mansion, a guide brings you through the various rooms of the house and explains events that were filmed there, stories about the cast, and the background of the ranch. Guests are then free to walk around the interior and exterior of the house and the grounds to explore the surroundings and take pictures or videos.

Some of the more interesting things you will see are the following: (1) the backyard swimming pool and outdoor breakfast table where the Ewing family often gathered for key scenes or confrontations; (2) a memorial to the deceased Larry Hagman and memorabilia from his escapades on the show; (3) Jock Ewing’s Lincoln Continental and his portrait which hangs in the family living room;(4) the shower where Patrick Duffy who played Bobby turned up one morning after his wife Pam had a season long nightmare that he had died and she had remarried; and (5) views of the Southfork sign at the entrance to the ranch and the front of the mansion.

Interesting Fact - For a princely fee, a couple or small group of guests can arrange to stay overnight at the mansion with access to the entire house and the pool. Someone would presumably have to be a superfan or into cosplay to enjoy this experience.

Location – Southfork is located about 30 minutes from Dallas in Parker, Texas. It can be reached by driving north on US Highway 75 to the Parker Road exit. From the west it may be more convenient to take the George Bush tollway highway 190 to US Highway 75 north.

When to Go – This venue is open year-round except on Mondays, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day. The guided tram and walking tour of the ranch is available six times daily starting at 10:15.

Cost – Tour tickets are $16 for adults, $14 for senior citizens, and $9 for children.