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Harkers museum and movie set

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Harkers museum and movie set

Rick and Penny's is a 3/4 scale western town of the1890's it is a great location for photos and video projects.

10/03/2026

A Little History of Cowboy Spurs 🤠

Spurs have been used by horseback riders for centuries, but the spurs we associate with the American West owe much of their development to Spanish and Mexican horsemanship. Spanish riding traditions came to the Americas with horses, and Mexican vaqueros developed distinctive riding equipment and techniques that later had a major influence on the American cowboy. National Cowboy Museum

By the 1800s, spurs were an important part of a working cowboy’s gear. The small rotating wheel at the back is called the rowel, and spurs were used as a riding aid to give the horse subtle leg cues—not simply to make a horse go faster.

Spurs also became a form of Western craftsmanship. Makers decorated them with engraving, silver inlay and other ornamentation, turning a practical ranch tool into something that could show a cowboy’s personal style, region and pride. That tradition of handcrafted bit and spur making continues today. - National Cowboy Museum

And there’s a reason we associate cowboys with that unmistakable jingle of spurs. An 1897 newspaper account even reminisced about the old-fashioned cowboy whose spurs could be heard “a block away.”

From the vaquero to the American cowboy, spurs became one of the most recognizable symbols of life in the saddle and the Old West. 🐎

10/01/2026

OLD WEST FUN FACT 🐴
Believe it or not, you could once order a BURRO from the Sears catalog! 😲
Sears sold live donkeys, ponies, and other livestock and animals through its mail-order catalogs across multiple decades, spanning from the late 1890s/early 1900s into the mid-20th century, with specific live pets and farm animals (like burros and ponies) appearing in catalogs actively issued between 1956 and 1964 before changing animal welfare and shipping laws ended the practice.

Forget Amazon Prime… Sears was delivering asses long ago. 😂

09/30/2026

Do you ever wonder when did the first camera come out and how long to snap a photo?

The first permanent photograph using a camera was captured in 1826 by French inventor Joseph Nicéphore Niépce, and it required an 8-hour exposure time to snap the image.

The First Photo and Camera

• The Inventor: Joseph Nicéphore Niépce.

• The First Image: View from the Window at Le Gras (the oldest surviving permanent photograph).

• How Long It Took: About 8 hours.

Because the light sensitivity of his pewter plate coated with bitumen was so low, the sun moved across the sky during the exposure, lighting up both sides of the buildings in the yard.

• First Commercial Camera: In 1839, Louis Daguerre and Alphonse Giroux introduced the Daguerreotype, the first publicly available and commercially manufactured photographic camera. Early daguerreotypes still required exposure times ranging from 5 to 40 minutes, meaning subjects had to sit completely still for a long time

09/26/2026

Congratulations to all of Wild Bunch Film Festival 2026 Award Nominees!! The list is now on our website! Link in bio!

09/19/2026

🤠 OLD WEST FUN FACT — THE LIVERY STABLE 🐴

Before parking lots and gas stations, there was the livery stable.

In an Old West town, travelers could leave their horses to be fed and cared for, rent a horse or wagon, and arrange transportation. For many cowboys and travelers, the livery was one of the first stops when they rode into town.

🐎 Think of it as the Old West version of a parking garage, rental-car counter, and service station—all rolled into one!

Here at Harker’s Western Museum & Film Set, details like our livery, wagons, tack and period props help bring the everyday world of the Old West back to life.

🎬 Harker’s Western Museum & Film Set
📍 Tucson, Arizona
Keeping the Old West alive—one building at a time.

09/10/2026

🤠 OLD WEST FUN FACT:
In the 1800s, cowboys sometimes used their saddles as pillows when sleeping out on the range. They’d lay their saddle down near their head and use a rolled-up coat, blanket, or saddle blanket for a little extra comfort.

And there was a practical reason to keep that saddle close—a cowboy’s saddle was one of his most valuable possessions, and he wanted it nearby while he slept. 🐎🌵

Life on the trail wasn’t fancy… but a cowboy knew how to make camp wherever the herd stopped.

09/07/2026

Happy Labor Day!! Do you know the history?

Labor Day is a U.S. federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September. It honors the contributions of American workers and the labor movement.

Origins of Labor Day

Labor Day developed during the late 19th century, when industrialization was rapidly transforming the United States. Many factory and industrial workers faced long hours, low wages, unsafe workplaces, and few legal protections. Labor unions grew as workers organized for better pay, shorter working days, and safer conditions.

The first widely recognized Labor Day celebration took place in New York City on September 5, 1882. Organized by the Central Labor Union, it included a workers’ parade followed by speeches, picnics, and festivities.

Becoming a National Holiday

During the 1880s and early 1890s, labor organizations promoted the idea of an annual workers’ holiday, and several states formally recognized Labor Day.

In 1894, President Grover Cleveland signed legislation making the first Monday in September a federal holiday. The legislation came during a period of intense conflict between organized labor and industry, including the Pullman Strike of 1894, which was violently suppressed after the federal government intervened.

Who created Labor Day?

There is some historical uncertainty about who first proposed the holiday. Peter J. McGuire, a prominent labor leader and co-founder of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters, was traditionally credited with proposing a workers’ holiday in 1882. Historical evidence also supports Matthew Maguire, a machinist and labor organizer, as a possible originator of the idea.

Labor Day today

Over time, Labor Day evolved from a strongly labor-focused celebration into both a commemoration of workers and an unofficial marker of the end of summer. Parades, community events, family gatherings, travel, and sales have become common parts of the holiday.

Its original purpose, however, remains significant: recognizing the role workers and the labor movement have played in the economic and social development of the United States.

I Hope you enjoy your day relaxing 🤠

09/06/2026

In the 1800s, cowboys didn’t usually wear those giant ten-gallon hats we picture today. Many working cowboys wore smaller, practical hats—sometimes even bowler hats—because they stayed on better while riding in the wind.

The big, dramatic cowboy hat became much more associated with the West later through Wild West shows and Hollywood. 🎬🐎

The real Old West didn’t always look like the movies! 🌵

09/02/2026

🌵 Old West Fun Fact!

Tumbleweeds weren’t always part of the American West!
Russian thistle arrived in the United States during the 1800s…likely hidden in imported flaxseed and quickly spread across the plains.
That iconic Western tumbleweed was actually an invasive newcomer!

Sure looks cool in movies 🎥 🤠

08/30/2026

A corner of the Old West brought to life at Harker’s Western Museum & Film Set in Tucson, Arizona. “The Copper Penny Mine”

Mining in the 1800s was a dangerous, labor-intensive industry defined by hand tools, steam-powered equipment, and harsh underground conditions

Address

6031 S. Fontana, Avenue
Tucson, AZ
85706

Opening Hours

10am - 2pm

Website

facebook.com

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