Wild West City – Stanhope NJ

Howdy, y’all! Cowgirl Betty is here to tell you about a rootin-tootin place to step back into multiple eras, Wild West City in Stanhope! And technically we are out west - about an hour west of New York City that is.

Opened in 1957, this family friendly “Western Heritage Theme Park” harkens back to what life is imagined to have been like in the “boom town” of Dodge City, Kansas in the 1880s. And of course this is seen through the lens of the 1950s, when cowboys galloped their way across the TV screens of America.

Today every day at Wild West City is filled with continuous live action shows from open to close. Watching safely from behind the hitching posts, a parade of good guys and bad guys on horseback will entertain, with old fashioned narration about what life was like on the frontier.

You can also shop at the mercantile for kitschy souvenirs, put a crabby kid in a jail cell, even grab a bite and a drink while watching live music - or can-can girls -at the saloon! Pan for gold, watch a blacksmith, ride the stagecoach or old fashioned miniature train that winds its way through the forest. Kids can take pony rides and everyone will want to leave wearing a cowboy hat.

With the passing of its longtime owner in 2019 there was a scare when the park suddenly closed temporarily, so get to Wild West City as soon as you can, pardners.

Open daily, weather permitting mid-June to Labor Day, then weekends

Wear closed-toed shoes and casual clothes - the old west was dusty!

Picnic lunching is allowed