Miss Texas 1967
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I’ve seen a few of these threads in the past but not recently.
Earlier this year, I finally made the pilgrimage to Southfork Ranch and it was magical—well, at least the exterior was! Overall, I absolutely loved the experience, though I did have a few things I found confusing or disappointing, which I’ll outline here. If there had been a feedback form, I would’ve filled it out, but instead, here are my thoughts!
Driving up the road to the ranch and seeing it in person for the first time was surreal. I was like, OMG, I’m here!—it’s the same iconic drive the characters took in the show. Seeing the house, the driveway, and the surrounding property made the fictional world feel real in a way that was truly special.
The museum was a nice addition, though the family tree raised some questions—why aren’t Gary and Valene’s twins mentioned? It’s odd, especially since Knots Landing characters were referenced in TNT Dallas. That inconsistency felt strange.
Unfortunately, the gift shop was a total letdown. I had been ready to spend money on a nice sweatshirt, mug etc. but the merchandise was generic and boring, all branded with TNT Dallas font. Why weren’t they selling DVDs of the original show or TNT show? Members of my group—some mild fans, some complete newbies—wanted to watch the series but couldn’t stream it easily as non-Americans. DVDs would’ve been perfect. I left empty-handed.
Visiting in the summer, the ranch was quiet, which, as a fan, was amazing. The solitude let me soak in the atmosphere—standing in the field, by the pool, or under the trees. The vibe was immaculate. I can’t imagine they make much revenue from tourism compared to events or ranching, but as a fan, the quiet made it magical.
Seeing Southfork in person gave me a much better understanding of the property’s layout and how the characters spatially moved around. For instance, the long driveway from the main road makes more sense now, and the front of the house (rarely shown except for Gary and Valene’s scene) is easier understood now. I also loved standing by the pool and taking it all in—so iconic.
The house tour itself was interesting but a mixed bag. While I didn’t expect the interior to match the show—I’d seen enough photos to know it didn’t—it was still surprising how odd the layout was. For example:
Some stories shared by the guide were outright questionable/offensive, like Jim Davis dying on set with Charlene Tilton and Steve Kanaly by his side, or that Larry Hagman and Linda Gray struggled with the high bed after drinking. If they didn’t even film inside the house, what was the guide talking about? Or straight up Victoria was fired? I also found it odd that they didn’t mention the Cloyce Box Ranch or refer to the house as Duncan Acres, even though those are significant parts of the history.
The timeline of the house’s ownership and its connection to the show was murky too. It was owned by the Duncan family, then someone else, then bankruptcy happened and they weren't allowed to film anymore? But the show never ceased production. How did that work?
There were a lot of little things that stood out:
After visiting Southfork, we went to Billy Bob’s, the Fort Worth Stockyards, and into Dallas to see some of the real filming locations. It was such a blast exploring these places and connecting them to the show.
Earlier this year, I finally made the pilgrimage to Southfork Ranch and it was magical—well, at least the exterior was! Overall, I absolutely loved the experience, though I did have a few things I found confusing or disappointing, which I’ll outline here. If there had been a feedback form, I would’ve filled it out, but instead, here are my thoughts!
Driving up the road to the ranch and seeing it in person for the first time was surreal. I was like, OMG, I’m here!—it’s the same iconic drive the characters took in the show. Seeing the house, the driveway, and the surrounding property made the fictional world feel real in a way that was truly special.
The museum was a nice addition, though the family tree raised some questions—why aren’t Gary and Valene’s twins mentioned? It’s odd, especially since Knots Landing characters were referenced in TNT Dallas. That inconsistency felt strange.
Unfortunately, the gift shop was a total letdown. I had been ready to spend money on a nice sweatshirt, mug etc. but the merchandise was generic and boring, all branded with TNT Dallas font. Why weren’t they selling DVDs of the original show or TNT show? Members of my group—some mild fans, some complete newbies—wanted to watch the series but couldn’t stream it easily as non-Americans. DVDs would’ve been perfect. I left empty-handed.
Visiting in the summer, the ranch was quiet, which, as a fan, was amazing. The solitude let me soak in the atmosphere—standing in the field, by the pool, or under the trees. The vibe was immaculate. I can’t imagine they make much revenue from tourism compared to events or ranching, but as a fan, the quiet made it magical.
Seeing Southfork in person gave me a much better understanding of the property’s layout and how the characters spatially moved around. For instance, the long driveway from the main road makes more sense now, and the front of the house (rarely shown except for Gary and Valene’s scene) is easier understood now. I also loved standing by the pool and taking it all in—so iconic.
The house tour itself was interesting but a mixed bag. While I didn’t expect the interior to match the show—I’d seen enough photos to know it didn’t—it was still surprising how odd the layout was. For example:
- Why does the dining room have no windows?
- Why is there a random rocking horse in Bobby’s bedroom? We know what the characters’ bedrooms looked like on the show, so it felt strange that the current decor didn’t match. Aligning the interiors more closely with the series would feel more immersive.
Some stories shared by the guide were outright questionable/offensive, like Jim Davis dying on set with Charlene Tilton and Steve Kanaly by his side, or that Larry Hagman and Linda Gray struggled with the high bed after drinking. If they didn’t even film inside the house, what was the guide talking about? Or straight up Victoria was fired? I also found it odd that they didn’t mention the Cloyce Box Ranch or refer to the house as Duncan Acres, even though those are significant parts of the history.
The timeline of the house’s ownership and its connection to the show was murky too. It was owned by the Duncan family, then someone else, then bankruptcy happened and they weren't allowed to film anymore? But the show never ceased production. How did that work?
There were a lot of little things that stood out:
- The garage roofline was surprisingly low— I'm surprised Patrick Duffy didn't look huge standing there!
- I didn’t see the gravestones. Were they there, or did I miss them?
- The balcony was inaccessible. Is that always the case? I’d have loved to go out onto it.
- They should better signpost things like the cars so visitors know to look at them.
- The guide mentioned a n*de bathtub scene with Linda Gray, but I have no memory of Sue Ellen being in a bathtub. Mandy, yes, but Sue Ellen?
After visiting Southfork, we went to Billy Bob’s, the Fort Worth Stockyards, and into Dallas to see some of the real filming locations. It was such a blast exploring these places and connecting them to the show.
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