Pioneer City: A western-themed amusement park in Broward

Pioneer City was a western-themed amusement park in western Broward County that opened in 1966 and closed less than two years later. Built during the heyday of TV westerns, the park was a built-to-scale Dodge City with a saloon, general store and cowboy actors who staged gunfights at high noon, bar brawls and hangings. The park land later became Long Key Nature Center.

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12/4/1966: Battle Vaughan/Miami Herald Staff -- Rope tricks and show girls are attractions at Pioneer City in Davie.
Published 9/5/1966: Marlin Levison/Miami Herald Staff -- Lined up and waiting for the big shoot-out; gunfighters meet in Pioneer City's dusty main street. Ranging in age from pre-schoolers to 12-year-olds, 50 youngsters from the Carousel Nursery School in Miami spent a day at Pioneer City in Davie.
Published 9/5/1966: Marlin Levison/Miami Herald Staff -- Lined up and waiting for the big shoot-out; gunfighters meet in Pioneer City's dusty main street. Ranging in age from pre-schoolers to 12-year-olds, 50 youngsters from the Carousel Nursery School in Miami spent a day at Pioneer City in Davie.
Published 9/5/1966: Marlin Levison/Miami Herald Staff -- Framed in wagon wheel spokes are Clarissa Goltz and John Harshaw. Ranging in age from pre-schoolers to 12-year-olds, 50 youngsters from the Carousel Nursery School in Miami spent a day at Pioneer City in Davie.
Published 9/5/1966: Marlin Levison/Miami Herald Staff -- Chrissy Miller was a regular Annie Oakley; got the drop on stunt men at tourist attraction. Ranging in age from pre-schoolers to 12-year-olds, 50 youngsters from the Carousel Nursery School in Miami spent a day at Pioneer City in Davie.
Published 9/5/1966: Marlin Levison/Miami Herald Staff -- Chrissy Miller was a regular Annie Oakley; got the drop on stunt men at tourist attraction. Ranging in age from pre-schoolers to 12-year-olds, 50 youngsters from the Carousel Nursery School in Miami spent a day at Pioneer City in Davie.
12/4/1966: Battle Vaughan/Miami Herald Staff -- Rope tricks and show girls are attractions at Pioneer City in Davie.
Published 9/5/1966: Marlin Levison/Miami Herald Staff -- Jamie Nance got powerful hot on trek to Davie. He's watching can-can girls perform in saloon stage show. Ranging in age from pre-schoolers to 12-year-olds, 50 youngsters from the Carousel Nursery School in Miami spent a day at Pioneer City in Davie.
Published 6/7/1966: Tom Mosier/Miami Herald Staff -- "Diamond Jim" Brady pounds out honky-tonk tunes; authentic nickelodeon can also play music by itself. At Pioneer City kids and grownups alike can sashay into the elegant Gold Nugget Saloon, order a frosty mug of beer (or the root variety) or ale (made from ginger) sit back and enjoy the fun.
Published 6/7/1966: Tom Mosier/Miami Herald Staff -- Paree's can-can has arrived in Davie; daring dance-hall girls high-step in the saloon. At Pioneer City kids and grownups alike can sashay into the elegant Gold Nugget Saloon, order a frosty mug of beer (or the root variety) or ale (made from ginger) sit back and enjoy the fun.
Published 5/22/1966: Tom Mosier/Miami Herald Staff -- Gunfights between deputies and badmen are frequent; on the streets of Pioneer City. Pioneer City, a multi-million-dollar Wild West amusement park, opens its swinging doors this week in a bid to become a major South Florida tourist attraction.
Published 5/22/1966: Tom Mosier/Miami Herald Staff -- "Jennie Lynn" is Western town's iron horse; no autos allowed inside park. Pioneer City, a multi-million-dollar Wild West amusement park, opens its swinging doors this week in a bid to become a major South Florida tourist attraction.
Published 5/22/1966: Tom Mosier/Miami Herald Staff -- Pioneer City's rought, tough gunslingers gather at the General Store; taking a break from bank robberies. Pioneer City, a multi-million-dollar Wild West amusement park, opens its swinging doors this week in a bid to become a major South Florida tourist attraction.
Published 3/14/1966: Tom Mosier/Miami Herald Staff -- Newest tourist attraction a frontier fairyland; Davie's Pioneer City opening soon. It's a multi-million-dollar Wild West amusement park.
Published 3/14/1966: Tom Mosier/Miami Herald Staff -- Newest tourist attraction a frontier fairyland; Davie's Pioneer City opening soon. It's a multi-million-dollar Wild West amusement park.
Published 5/22/1966: Tom Mosier/Miami Herald Staff -- Riverboats will ferry 50 visitors a trip into the Old West; paddewheelers are replicas of 19th Century churners. Pioneer City, a multi-million-dollar Wild West amusement park, opens its swinging doors this week in a bid to become a major South Florida tourist attraction.

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