John Wayne's Alamo - ABANDONED - Movie Set & Village
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 มิ.ย. 2024
- www.AdamTheWoo - PLEASE SUBSCRIBE - In the desert of Texas sits a wonderful place full of movie history. Closed since 2010. I was given access to the property and escorted thru the acres of amazing history by the caretaker. The property is currently up for sale and is still rented out occasionally for film shoots and commercials. Hopefully it remains around forever and eventually re-opened for tours. Amazing experience and place. Enjoy
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My Dad and I wandered through the set a couple of years after the movie was shot. The land owner showed us around before it was turned into road side attraction. Great memory.
How sad. We visited and stayed there in the early 70s. Stayed in the hotel and room where John Wayne slept while filming. We rode the mail stage coach out to Alamo set. Wonderful memories with our parents and grandparents.
Thank you for sharing
Thank you for this. I just watched the Alamo movie when I was in Austin last month. Visited the Alamo with several Army officers and we talked about the history of Texas. We need to preserve our past and learn from it.
I’m from England, I’d love to visit this site one day, god bless the Duke
It was great to see this place in 1969...they had stage coach rides and for a kid it was amazing running around all that old west scenery!
Shortly after I returned home to Texas after retiring from the U.S. Navy in Sept.1997, I went on a road trip, drove all over Texas. Alamo Village was one of my stops, it was quiet even then, few tourists but the people there were really friendly and hospitable. I walked the grounds with a retired stunt man who had worked on John Wayne's THE ALAMO and shared his memories of the Duke, the other actors and the making of the film. So many other films have been made there, among them the classic LONESOME DOVE.
Sad it's all been shut down. Thanks Adam for sharing this, brought back a lot of memories.
You retired a few months before I was born!
Time flows like a river
Brian Bois Gilbert. And fruit flies like a banana.
Yeah, guess I was making an obvious point but it wasn't meant to be snarky
Brian Bois Gilbert I was just making a joke.
A friend and I came upon Alamo Village by accident while living in Texas in the late 1980's - one of my favorite memories! While working at a resort north of San Antonio, when guests asked about seeing the Alamo in San Antonio, I would HIGHLY suggest they also make the trip a couple hours further south to Bracketville and see what it likely looked like back in its' day!
#1)THANK YOU FOR FILMING,AND SHARING THIS SPOT WITH US!!!And #2)Just knowing The Duke HIMSELF walked that land makes this fanatic(me) love it...LONG LIVE *THE DUKE*
"FILM", OR VIDEO????
Great little video! I visited Alamo Village back in the mid '70's when it was a fully functioning tourist attraction. It was a neat experience and it's sad to see that it has been abandoned.
I went there a few times when I was younger when it was open. I loved being on that set. I really felt as if I had travelled back in time to the real Alamo. The Cantina was open as a restaurant and I saw the back corner where John Wayne's Crockett and Laurence Harvey's Travis had their talk. I and truly sad that it's closed. I would love to go back again.
A visit can be arranged. You'd have to contact Rich Curilla.
Does Mr. Curilla live in Bracketville? My brother and his wife from Wyoming will be visiting us here in north central Texas in October and he is a number one John Wayne/Alamo fan. We'd love to make the drive down if we could find someone to show us around...
Yes, he does. Rich conducts occasional tours for individuals or small groups, provided he gets ample notice and is available. There would be a fee.
Tim, if you can figure out a way to contact me, I can put you in touch with him. He's a friend of mine.
Are you on Facebook? I'll send you a friend request.
You could go to the real alamo too 🙀
Wow the original Alamo movie set still stands somewhere in the desert? I had assumed it was all made of wood & was torn down after the movie. They should preserve it as a part of movie history.
It's in Bracketville.
The set was a theme park for a lot of years afterward and used again in Young Guns (1988) and Lonesome Dove (1989).
That is for sure totally agree
It's still there I road out there to see it but it's abandoned now, gates closed and locked up grass is all grown up, there's a old faded sign you can barely read, its went threw several owners sense the film was made
This set was owned by the late Happy Shahan, The country singer Johnny Rodriguez played Ortho in some of the skits and also sang some there. Happy was Johnny's manager after Johnny got a record deal. I remember when this place was jumping. Sad to see this now.
My brother worked for Happy in 1977 when I was a senior in high school. He played Ortho in the skits for the paying public. Got to see many behind-the-scenes stuff back then. Sad to see it thisaway.
Brilliant to see...I worked here in the Indian Store in 1984...wonderful memories..thank you
Thank you for sharing, Adam. As a young boy, in the early and mid-60's, I visited this place many times. I took stagecoach rides here, you could take horseback rides, and there were lots of visitors during that period. Back then, the saloon was still open for business, including live bands and dancing girls. The first times I visited there, there were separate water fountains and bathrooms for Negroes. That was the first time I remember seeing black people when I was a young boy. Later visits there, all the people used the same bathrooms and water fountains. I have so many childhood memories from this amazing place. Happy Shahan owned and built it. He was quite a colorful character himself. Again, thank you for sharing.
I remember going to see this movie when I was in the 2nd grade. The whole class went.. ( Gotta remember I'm in Texas)
Back when they still taught real AMERICAN HISTORY! Instead of this PC GARBAGE COMMON CORE! I wish my kids could’ve gotten the same history lessons I got in the 80’s n 90’s! Now they barely have to know all 50 states!
Was there in 65 as a 10 yr old. I’ll be 65 this yr. It was cool!
I watched a couple of videos and they were goofy and I couldn't figure out why you had so many subscribers. But I came back and watched a few more. I've watched a couple of dozen in the past week and read the comments and I think I finally understand. You are digging up memories for people. Personal moments from their past, in movies or amusement parks or old stores. They love it and they love you for taking them along on your journeys. It didn't take long, and now I am hooked, too.
Was a pretty big financial anchor for Wayne and the studio. John Wayne put I think around 250K of his own money to make this movie.
thanks for this video. i showed my dad and it brought back great memories for him. my parents stopped there on a cross country road trip back when they first got married in the 80's.
This video was the very first ATW video I had ever watched. It still holds up after all of these years. 1,364,633 views cannot be wrong. Well done, Adam.
THANK YOU SO MUCH for sharing this. I was just today talking with some of my out of state friends about this site and how glad I was that I went before it closed. I went in an off season so other than a couple staff members I had the place to myself. This film maker is right -- the feeling you get of "being there" (and I mean the battle - not the movie) is just something EERIE. Very powerful and moving to anyone from Texas or with an appreciation of its history.
Just watching this gave me goosebumps. Thanx for sharing this piece of history. Totally agree that Texas should be stepping i and maintain this beautiful place!!
Frank Gravel fake Alamo. Real Alamo is in San Antonio
Thank you for sharing! The government of Texas should acquire and maintain this landmark.
Been there when i was a kid
+Luis Gonzalez Sure a waste of money for another historic sight no one will visit let the desert reclaim it.
+max Payne YOUR an idoit . Its part of history now
Ok idiot
Maybe moron would fit you better
Nice that there is no graffiti.The place looks cool.
j.d. thompson
Yea and I really hope no one ever defiles it.
It helps being out in the middle of nowhere.
I visited this set in 1998. What was fascinating, was that you got a sense of what the Alamo would have looked like in 1836. The original site is now within the metropolis of bustling San Antonio. It was very quiet and I had the place to myself. I lunched in the village cafeteria. I'm so sorry it has become derelict. I hope someone will restore it to its former glory. It is a wonderful asset.
I took my sons there when I was stationed in Texas. Being in west Texas it is a good spot for a movie set with sunshine most of the year. Although it is not as large as the original Alamo, you get a good sense of how the battle unfolded. You have to use your imagination and read a lot of history to do that in San Antonio.
As far as the condition, the desert climate helps, but it is still a movie set. It was built to look good on film and withstand people's weight for the film. It was never intended to be a long term structure. It is mostly wood framing and stucco. John Wayne did a fair amount of research and the set is a reasonably accurate recreation of the 1836 Alamo. As I recall, the place is not that accessible and the public interest started to wane. It takes money to maintain something like this to keep it safe and interesting to visit. Without tourists to visit and rentals for films, the money isn't there to keep it up.
It's amazing how most of the stuff there hasn't been stolen.
I was so sorry to see this torn down. John Wayne stayed at the Adolphus Hotel on the way to the set and I played with his daughter. We would go to Bracketville on vacation and visit the set and Alamo Village in the 60's and I have it on our old home movies. In 2005 I went to the Alamo thinking I had been there but it was actually this set I remembered.
Thanks so much, I born , raised in Houston. My family went there on vacation about 5 years after movie was made, thanks again. I am 67.
Great job on this one Adam, thank you for helping to preserve a piece of movie history before the desert and time take it away from us!
That last battle scene is the best in movie history, bar none. The cinematography is incredible
Try the film Waterloo 1970 for battle scenes
Try the film 🎥 Waterloo 1970 for battle scenes
Interesting to see it after all these years, I was the Art Director on "Alamo the Price of Freedom"
A great deal of the Set had to be rebuilt in 1985 only the Facade, Main Gate and long barracks
were still standing... The facade Yabara designed had the upper windows, the profile was incorrect for 1836. We totally rebuilt the interior (the Cross as you caledl it ) good to see it had held up including the gun ramp.
The Stewart House was never seen in Wayne's 1960 version, we included it in the rebuild.
Hard to believe it's been 37 years.
Happy & Virginia are both gone. Thank you for the video, brought back good times.
I have often wondered how the place looks today. I was there as a kid in 1961 before it became a big attraction, I think. Your tour was excellent but almost seemed like touring a graveyard. One of the original 1960 Alamo movie actors I met back in the 70's, John Hamilton,lives near me in Cuero, TX and I hope to meet him again some day. He and John Wayne were good friends and hunted together many times on Hamilton's ranch.
We were out there about 10 years ago. Just a wonderful walk down memory lane. There was a guy working out there near the cantina that had the entire scene where John Wayne was talking about praying to the north star. Even showed us the exact spot where he stood. It really is heartbreaking to see a cinematic icon fall into disrepair. I really hope the businessman from Corpus Christi buys it and restores it....Oh, and thank you for sharing this video. Really enjoyed the memories!
This video brought back a lot of memories for me. It's so sad to see it rundown and deserted. Just going there was like stepping back in time. Loved it and the people who ran and took care of the town. Too bad it had to be abandoned.
Certainly gives a great feel of a real old western town/village. The stark reality of how tough times were back then hits home. Remarkable. Thanks.
My Veteran mother went to visit after the making of the movie. She had the Album. Marty Robbins song. His museum a must see. Great memories living in SA. Thank you
Your respect and reverence say a lot!
Even though its sad that no one takes care about the site anymore I am at least happy it hasnt been vandalized or sprayed full of graffiti
@Ricky Carey It's also too far off the highway to make tagging worthwhile.
@@azmike3572 You mean, there are places that actually make tagging worthwhile?
@@bradsmack1 I'd think it would be worthwhile to taggers (even if it's wrong) when bare walls, etc., are within walking distance, and in a more urban location.
@@azmike3572 It's a shame Hollywood producers, in this case, had to fail so miserably in making vandalism so inconvenient for potential hoods. Oh, well.
@@bradsmack1 Still a nice place. I visited it many times before it closed. Was able to meet "Happy" Shahan and his wife. In the 80s you could carefully walk up and be on top of the chapel. Everyone who worked there were in the "town".
John Wayne is my favorite actor, always watched his movies with my dad growing up, sad to see even his movie history sets fall to ruins, I would have enjoyed this when it was a road side attraction
I remember when the movie premiered in San Antonio. I was around 10 or so, it was at the Woodlawn theater not too far from where I lived. On premiere night my Dad took me down, got to see the stars arrive to see the movie in person. I managed to get in to see it myself about a week later. Loooong movie for a 10 year old to sit through!
Such a beautiful place! I remember going there a few times and watching bands while we talked with the owner. All the Longhorn walking free and us drinking while sitting in the Cantina. Love to buy it myself as I live pretty close to B-Ville..
TIME TO TEXIT......the ALAMO is on the SJW's hit list....as wellas everything TEXAS......
Very interesting! I'm a huge John Wayne fan, loved the movie. Thanks for the update on the location.
Pretty amazing that a stage prop held up that well.
thanks a lot for these beautiful pictures. the Duke remembrance ...
That's amazing. What's crazy is that the saloon is still intact with even the napkin dispensers from 4 years ago.
Fantastic video Adam. Really enjoyed this one. Shame it is shut down. Nice to see though that no one has vandalized the place as so often happens with abandoned places.
I'm glad you podcasted this. You now have a record for the world, of this place and if it gets torn down, we will still be able to go back and see it. It feels sad to look at. Lonely. But it's so awesome that it is still there.
Used to go to Alamo Village quite often when I was a kid. My family owns land not too far from there and since I loved visiting the Alamo in San Antonio we had to go to Alamo Village. Gunfights in the streets, bank robberies...it was heaven for a kid who loved John Wayne.
VERY COOL...One of your best videos thus far...Love it, THANK YOU!
"The Alamo" was the First Live Action Movie I ever saw in a Cinema! .... I was just about 8 years old!
I was there in the early 90's. They allowed me to go anywhere I wanted and climb the walls. Went into the town of Bejar and had a ball. In the cantina, everything was still there. In the back room where Crockett and Travis talked, there was pottery on shelves still from the movie. They let me have one which I still have today. In a building, there were a couple of cannons used in the movie. It was so cool to see. Even that big cannon, parts of it was there also.
My father and uncle took my brother and I to that location when it was up and running as a tourist site. There was a band playing in the saloon, and they served soda etc., there was also a gun fight show,(the actors showed us the props too)there was also a gift shop, it was awesome! I still have all the photos we took from that day. It is so sad that it is now falling apart.
Having been to the real Alamo a couple of times, I am pleased to see what it was like before all the urban development that currently surrounds it.
I remember having a one of the best BBQ sandwiches when I visited Alamo Village back in the 1980's.
That's in Bracketville, Texas my dad told me about this place, I'm a San Antonio, Texas native
Jonathan Graham used to visit as a kid and check out the cowboy shoot outs!
Just north. The locals use to have horse races up the main drag. I was born in Del Rio
Sad to see this. I toured the compound with my family in 1967 and the place was bustling with activity - shops, tours, restaurants, businesses, movie scene recreations, stage coach rides... Even some of the actors in the movie would stop in from time to time to give lectures and sign autographs. My wife and toured it again in 2007. I could tell it was dying as we walked around; it was almost deserted. But it was still a hauntingly peaceful place to be.
Thank you for showing us the Alamo set. I never knew it wasn't filmed in California.
Interesting place thanks for sharing with us.
My wife and I were there in 04 it was a grand thing for her to see. John Wayne was her hero. My beloved Carol lost her battel with cancer a few months ago. I am reliving memories.
Amazing how the Movie Set is still intact. I heard John Wayne spent damn near all his money building the set to exact detail and producing the film. Part of Lonesome Dove and countless other movies 🎥 and TV shoes also filmed their. Remember the Alamo!!!
If you are gunna tell the story of John Wayne`s death at the Alamo get it right first time....he did NOT die by a "Bayonet to the chest"...it was a Lance with a wooden shaft, which, when he snapped it off with the torch he was carrying, was left in the door as he moved away to throw the torch into the gunpowder store.
Is this property for sale. I live for old westerns on Direct Tv channel 538, five bucks a months to watch all these great shows without commercials. It's great to show my grandkids how GOOD these movies are without special effects. Thanks for showing this. U said this is in Texas, where ABOUT??
Andy Elwood comment made a year ago said Bracketville, Tx
I'm from Bath in England and went there on a road trip in 1984 with a freind from Fort Worth who had been an extra in the film The Alamo in 1960.
It was still quite up together then.....really great to see it again. Thanks so much for the memories.
Thanks for providing this. It was a day of horror when I found out about Crockett's death. The Alamo has got to be one of the greatest places on earth. Hopefully this site will be maintained. Please continue to share your adventures!
AMAZING! Well done sir. Really cool stuff man. Cant believe its all just sitting out there. Good commentary!
One of the best videos I'm seen yet on TH-cam. thank you for sharing your experience with us. :-)
Funny how we become drawn to the same things..... Huggles from Laura O aka Zolwena
id like to walk down there in my cowboy clothes and make out. id take my dog Charlie Cowboy Pants hes a real wild one
Fascinating. With all the interest on movie memorabilia & the number of artifacts in that location, its amazing that someone hasn't rescued that place.
Fighting till death, I love the movie. Thank you
I do like these videos over your standard, weird fare.
Well done on capturing the experience as much as possible :)
A couple of interesting facts: The set took 2yrs. to build at a cost of 1.5 million dollars.
I'm shocked that people haven't stolen all those movie props.
That is _very_ interesting; I was wondering about that. Thank you for filling everyone in with the information.
It's amazing how places like this have never been stripped by souvenir hunters. Quite honestly, there's a few things I'd like to have, myself.
Nice work juxtaposing the movie stills with the current locale.
I visited this place twice, once as a child and once as an adult.. Thanks for allowing me to revisit this place through watching this video.. Great memories.. Thanks for sharing..
That place got so much more atmosphere than the real Alamo Plaza in San Antonio. Thanks Duke!
What do you expect when a portion of a major landmark is all that is left and surrounded by tall buildings. More so since the texas historians didn't try to preserve the Alamo until much later, like almost the 20th century.
Alamo YTC Germany, have you seen my riddle?
A Germany One?
Figure this and you get a smile on your face.
Right on ! very good job on this video,and a Great ! place too. It's a shame it is being left to decay
Thanks for the video. It brought back many memories of the summers we worked out there, played in the bands, did the gunfights , watched movies get filmed there and just basically did some growing up in that dusty, hot and amazing place. Still have contacts with the friends I made out there. Hats off to you Richard for this too. I guess now we can't put your Blue Ford Fiesta in the wagon room anymore. :)
I've often wanted to visit the Alamo, but I'll probably never make it in my lifetime. Thanks for this armchair trip.
Yes the Alamo village, BEEN THERE, its just as the vid shows it too, Such a shame it as clossed.
Great video and thank you for sharing.
WOW!! time passes so much gets lost!! Very Sad...but good to remember! Enjoyed the visit a lot!! Thank you!!!!
I remembered going here on a field trip, I was amazed by it. Its so sad to see our history rotting away now.
Thanks for sharing.
you do know this is not the REAL Alamo right?
@@trianarodriguez7762 He said that in the video 📹. It's a movie set.
small point of order - Wayne's Crockett was impaled with a lance, not a bayonet. still an impressive place. must be what the original compound looked like for 50 years after the battle.
John Smith THAT'S RIGHT. IT WAS A LANCE THAT'S WHAT I SAID.
In the latest book by Brian Kilmeade, "Sam Houston and the Alamo Avengers" , he describes the scene where the regular Mexican soldiers refuse to kill Crockett and the other survivors out of respect for their bravery but instead Crockett and the other survivors are hacked to death by the Staff Officers of Santa Anna using their swords.
Walter Lord wrote the definitive history in "A Time To Stand". Kilmeade is wrong.
2:35 Also the spot where a wedding and killing took place in "Young guns"
Oh wow. That brings back childhood memories.
Been there, many years ago. Tks for the memory's, that is, what I can remember.
Nice one, man! Really is just as they left it after blowing the crap out of everything in the final reel. Keep up the good work!
In the video nothing was said about the huge amount of buildings that were added over the years, as they shot other Movies and TV Shows after the John Wayne's Alamo. But i believe most of the light Tan adobe looking buildings are the original buildings built for the Alamo Village in 1960!! My first visit there was 1959 as the contractors were putting the finishing touches on the set, prior to the start of filming!!! My last visit was in the 1980's and the attraction had changed a lot over the years. I believe i visited one other time. It is sad that it is not being used and has sat for 7 years decaying in SouthWest texas!!!
Arthur Hohensee
It will be used again.
That green screen technology is so Good now days though that maybe that real look isn’t as good. YEESH!
One of your better videos! thanks for actually giving some background details on this historic abandoned attraction.
I have been to that location near Brackettville. It was when it was still open in the main Saloon where John Wayne had his fight and that amazing bar is still there. They told old western stories and there was an old-fashioned gun shoot out in the street back in the day. I'm glad you got to get into that back room at the hotel or all of the wagons are. Those buildings are filled with old antiques. The only thing I didn't see was the museum where there was actual tools and molds for the Adobe blocks displayed. It is a shame it's gone downhill that much. You did a great job it is a magical place
Only a hand few of actors still left from that cast: Frankie Avalon, Joan O' Brien, Aissa Wayne, Patrick Wayne, and Linda Cristal.
I love Linda, rush still
this place needs to be revisited, great video
I visited this site in 1996 while on a business trip from Bogota, Colombia. Had a drink in the cantina and watched a staged gunfight in the main street. What a great pity it has been left to decay.
Coolest video to watch on today 4th of July. I hope someone preserves those buckboards & wagons. I hope someone preserves ALL OF IT!
There was a sale a couple of years ago at Alamo Village. Most of the old props, tables, wagons, signs etc etc etc all gone now. I know that empty stretch of road all too well. I was in 2 Alamo films: IMAX "Alamo The Price of Freedom" and in "Travis" (aka The Cost Of Freedom). Plus a couple of reenactments and living history events there. Knew Happy before he passed. Great guy! The 2nd time I was there to film he remembered me by name!
Amazing place! I can't believe all that stuff is still there, props, etc. Also, in Bandolero Dean Martin was the one they were trying to hang and Jimmy Stewart rescued him. Fyi.. ; )
Quite right, after the outlaws escaped, Stewart robbed the bank.
Not any more though, after the auction
I would love to visit this place.
Thank you, one of my favorite movies. You brought something to life for me. Needs to be maintained
Thank you for sharing. I was born in Brackettville and have many fond memories of visiting the Alamo Village in the late 60's and 70's.
It's too bad that it's closed, I would love to have gone there and seen it. I live about 20 miles north of San Antonio and have seen the real Alamo several times. This place looks more like what I imagine the Alamo to have looked like back then than the real deal down town.
That place would've been an awesome John Wayne Muesem
As a native Texan, and from San Antonio to book, I think you did this proud. My grandfather worked on the film and I like to think he'd have been touched by the respect you showed. Keep up the good work!
A real part of history. It gives some idea of scale and what things really looked like. The real Alamo is a great monument but when you visit it is hard to get a feel as the city has grown up around it.
Wonderful piece of history. Thank you Adam.