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Six Gun Territory’s legacy lives on
For two decades, Ocala’s Six Gun Territory used to take crowds from across the country back in time to Florida’s version of Gun Smoke. FOX 13’s Russell Rhodes reports.
OCALA, Fla. - Dust off your cowboy boots for a trip back in time as we look at a true "Lost Landmark." The Kirby Family Farm is holding a Wild West Weekend this weekend.
Long before the Magic Kingdom drew millions to Central Florida, there was Six-Gun Territory, a land of fantasy filled with outlaws and the fastest draw in the South.
The backstory:
For two decades, from 1963 to 1984, all you needed was a train ticket to Ocala to travel back to the 1880s. Visitors would ride a train into the woods and emerge into a complete Western town—Florida's living, breathing version of "Gunsmoke."
Former employee Art Botzenmaier, a.k.a. "The Tall Texan," says the park capitalized on the Western craze. "At the time, Westerns were all on TV. Everybody was into the old West, and that’s what Six-Gun was based off of. We were the TV show Cowboys." For young workers like him, it was a dream job: "Many of my friends worked there. You aimed to get a job there because it was fun."
The crowds certainly agreed. Daryl Kirby, who grew up visiting the park, notes that the state once called Six-Gun Territory the number one man-made attraction in Florida in the 60s. He remembers the pure joy: "I remember sitting on the porches with all the other kids during the gunfights—just seeing the happiness and joy. It was a place where you could escape reality."
The town's secret was its authenticity. Botzenmaier stresses the buildings "weren't just replicas or facades. They were buildings that you walked into," like the hotel or Digger's Pawn Shop, stocked with genuine props.
However, the tide began to turn in the 1970s. "You had a mouse building a big mouse house down in Orlando," Kirby explained. "And people were going from Bonanza and Gunsmoke to Star Trek and Star Wars." This shift in pop culture, combined with Disney's massive arrival, crippled a lot of tourist attractions. Ironically, Disney recognized Six-Gun's success, basing their own frontier town on it and even stole a couple of the gunfighters from Six-Gun. Six-Gun Territory closed its gates in 1984, but for many, those memories never died.
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The Six-Gun reunion
The spirit of the old park now lives on, resurrected right down the road in Williston at Kirby Family Farm.
Daryl Kirby and his crew, which includes the original Six-Gun gunfighters, are keeping the Wild West tradition alive. In 2015, they held their first Six-Gun Territory Wild West Weekend Reunion and realized how popular the nostalgia was, with "Folks were finding old friends they hadn’t seen in 40 years."
This year marks the 10th Anniversary of the Wild West Weekend, featuring classic gunfights, blacksmiths, live music, and even a few train robberies for good measure. Kirby believes they're creating "new Six-Gun kids" as people share their stories and physical history with their children and grandchildren.
At the farm, you'll find more than just memories. Kirby Farm now houses original buildings, including the old printing press and the train depot from the real Six-Gun Territory.
"When I look at this building," Kirby marvels, "millions of people walked through this little train station. It blows my mind," Kirby said.
From the golden age of Westerns to the heart of a Florida farm, Six-Gun Territory still draws a crowd, proving that legends never really die; they just reload.
What's next:
Want to see Six-Gun Territory ride again? Kirby Family Farm’s next Wild West Weekend is November 1st and 2nd.
Click here for more information.
The Source: Information for this story was gathered by FOX 13's Corey Beckman.