My family and I volunteered for a Children's Hospital heart event at SF. They had a great layout for the kids and families. The kids had a blast, the weather was fantastic and the Southfork staff was friendly and helpful. Great setup for this event. read more

How can anyone come to Dallas without a visit to Southfork Ranch? We brought out out-of-town guests for a touristy day. The house is much smaller than what we had imagined. The museum was interesting and the property itself was beautiful. As for the house, I felt it was very shabby and not maintained as well as it should be. There are lots of photo ops in this place inside the house and on the grounds. Wear comfortable shoes. read more

(Sigh) Whenever I can't find a place that I have been to on Yelp I should just Google the address. Life gets sooooo much easier that way! (sigh) The Southfork Ranch I did not know was an actual tourist attraction until my prime time TV soap junky friend from Germany came to Dallas whom I rendezvoused with. He had to go to the house where much of Dynasty took place and the housing area where Knots Landing was filmed. None of those were catered to the tourists like the Southfork Ranch here. You can go to the actual mansion and look at the rooms where many of the episodes were filmed. The house is beautiful and I suppose technically it could be called a 'mansion' but kind of a dwarf compared to the ones that are built nowadays. There was a great deal of trick photography going on the tv show. They made the mansion much bigger than it actually is and that long stretch of road that made it's way to the mansion is actually much shorter than you may think. There is another building on the grounds where it shows segments from the tv show as well as the very long and complicated family tree of the Ewings. Much of the Ewing's familial friction towards one another parallels that of my father's family. There was the 'wheeler dealer', the occasionally tragic Sue Ellen character and family members who were believed 'dead' and suddenly came back to life. Yeah... my cousin is writing a book about all of that. Seriously! He already published his first book and the long and troubled history of my paternal family is up next! Whenever I try to describe to people just how bad family fighting can get and without making an hours long conversation to them about my own family's conflict I just sum it up as it being like Dallas but more violent. Not quite Sam Peckinpah violent but close. Dallas and my paternal family are prime examples of when the American Dream starts cannibalizing itself and when the family. An institution that is generally regarded as a safe heaven becomes your worst enemies more than you could possibly imagine. read more

Nice place to take visitors from out of town - they get the Dallas Experience that they have seen on TV! read more

Southfork Ranch - Tour... - Ranches Near Me - Parker, Texas

"What's there to see in the area?" This is a popular question I get when relatives visit us here. There are a couple places I take visitors that I consider must-see, and Southfork Ranch is one of them. Most people have heard of the Dallas TV show, so it's a great spot to take out-of-towners. I think the biggest surprise for me was that hardly any filming was ever done in the interior of the house. The next biggest surprise is that the gigantic swimming pool seen on TV is actually a really small pool. The house itself was built in the 70's, and you can tell by the decor. Especially the master bedroom. It looks like you could shoot a porno flick in there with the dark blue paint and all the mirrors. read more

I loved the Southfork Ranch!! My family and I are such huge fans of the show that for spring break we decided to come to Texas. Although it doesn't look like the house does on the show on the inside, the outside does and it's amazing! After the guided tour we were allowed to just walk around the grounds on our own! It was so nice. I felt like I was at home! If you're a fan of Dallas you must visit Southfork! read more

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Would give 10 stars if possible! Southfork went above and beyond to accommodate myself and my family. Entire staff is tremendous and the venue is beautiful! Definitely check it out if you have the opportunity! read more

Knock a item off my bucket list - I've been to Southfork! The staff was great - so friendly, knowledgable, funny, and willing to share the "secrets of Southfork." To walk the areas of the show was surreal and we had a wonderful time. I loved seeing the breakfast patio by the pool, the lawn where the annual BBQ was held, and the famous gazebo. JR's death scene room brought a tear to my eye for the character and Larry Hagman. The gift shop has something for everyone and is reasonably priced. Loving my coffee mug, t-shirt, and "Ewing 1" keychain! :-) read more

Overrated. Came here for a work function in which we ate in the mansion and could self tour the premises and building. The original Dallas was a little before my time so a remake of this show didn't really catch my interest. The lady there to talk about the mansion made me feel pretty awful that I hadn't watched the show. At one point she even asked me if I had ever watched tv, she seemed so disgusted that I didn't watch Dallas. She was confusing us over and over again by saying they did film there to changing to saying they didn't film there, back and forth a few times. Last, play something other than the Dallas theme song on repeat. It felt like the "It's A Small World" ride at Disney (If you've been you KNOW what I'm talking about!) read more

It was great to see the place where Dallas was found. Our tour guide was named Wilson and he did a superb job of not only pointing out the fascinating points of the house, but sharing his own personal experiences of watching Dallas with his five brothers and mom read more

Enjoyed the visit. Makes me want to watch the show over again to remember who everybody is. In the meantime, I will have to settle for the new series. Anyway, this museum us must-see if you watched Dallas and are in the area. read more

We booked our wedding at Southfork in January of 2019 for our wedding which was supposed to happen in March of 2020. Planning the wedding with Sherry was always fun and she made everything feel so easy and calm in a season where nothing else really was. The week before the wedding we had to cancel the entire event of 800 guests because of COVID-19. This was the moment I was the most grateful that I had booked Southfork for our wedding. Sherry and the staff were the most understanding about a pandemic going on and the unforeseen circumstances. They were so kind in working with us, trying to let us have the day of our dreams but also giving us the option to just completely cancel the event. None of my other vendors besides by photographer were that gracious. Southfork went above and beyond for us all throughout that season and I am forever grateful for them! read more

Wow, they should give an IQ test before people can post reviews. I can't believe the reviews on this page. Obviously, if you're going to see the Southfork Ranch, you're a fan of the Dallas TV show. If not, why would you go? There's no way you can appreciate the place and the historical significance without being a Dallas fan. It would be like visiting Wrigley Field when you're not a baseball fan or Cubs fan and saying "wow, this place is old and needs updating, and doesn't look anything like it does on TV". Anyway, if you ARE a Dallas fan, visiting Southfork is a must. Is there anyone who doesn't know that the inside shots were done on a Hollywood set? The ranch does not have the same interior as on the TV show. So consider it 2 tours, one to see the outside of the house and grounds, which are fascinating if you are a Dallas fan, and consider the inside of the house a 2nd tour, just to see it. AND to stand on J.R.'s balcony, which you can also get to from a staircase outside. I was amazed by the place. Sure it seems smaller than on TV, but I wasn't surprised. Have you been to Graceland? Same thing, it's much smaller than you think (and smaller than Southfork), and the same with the White House in D.C. - much smaller than you think. But are any of them so small that they are disappointing? No way. When the tour group I was in was long gone, and my family too, I was still wandering around the pool area, driveway, stables, etc. just amazed that I was standing where hundreds of shots were filmed for so many episodes of the show. When the tour is over, you can spend as much time as you want wandering around. Walk down the long driveway if you want to! You can even see Jock's silver Lincoln, which is parking in the gift shop. And seeing the other Dallas memorabilia was great too. In summary, if you are a Dallas fan, you will not regret visiting Southfork. And don't forget your camera. Well, back to dreaming about winning the lottery and having a replica of the Southfork Ranch built for myself.... read more

Drive past it to get FREE picture. Sincerely, if you are going there to get a picture of the house as you remember from the show DALLAS then drive right past the gate on the same road and go to the very first street you come to on across from Southfork. You will get a perfect view of the front. Luckily my wife was willing to do this. We saved enough money to eat more Dallas BBQ. Okay, so I like my BBQ. She still was allowed to go into the gift shop and get her JR Ewing fix. read more

This truly is a place for those that know the show, if you don't your probably going to be confused and scratching your head as to why people go here. For those that know it, it might look small, most standard houses in Texas are about the size of Ewing Mansion. Great place to walk around, relax and get to know one of the greatest Tv Shows of all time. read more

Larry Hagman has passed on, and so shall J.R. Ewing. The most iconic TV character will officially be laid to rest this March on the stupid reboot of Dallas. Will I watch? Yes, as they are reportedly bringing back numerous actors that have not taken part in the hideous embarrassing subpar mess of a reboot. (The current cast, I couldn't care less about, but of course they'll be there too.) I really enjoy many of the actors that starred on Dallas in its day. Sadly, a lot of them are no longer walking the earth but some are still around. I was fortunate enough to see some of them in person some years ago. Larry too. A true gentleman with a wicked sense of humor and real love for his fans. Larry's death is the end of an era for me. I have hardly any memories of a time when I didn't watch Dallas. Got started early, and was largely shaped by it. When it discontinued production and only reruns were on, I watched those. When those stopped being shown, I had my archived collection. (Remember that, recording from TV with a VCR??!). Now I have the DVD collection as well. J.R. is the most enduring, singularly vital character, without whom, none of the others would matter. My mom used to know if I was around or not by whether she heard J.R.'s voice. A dear friend has also suggested I sketch a portrait of J.R. and I surely will. While J.R. was fictional, Larry based his performance on a real-life Texas oilman relative. If a more entertaining, evil, endearing, darkly humorous portrayal of the sordid side of capitalism exists, I'm not aware of it. It takes a very special talent to behave as nefariously as J.R. did but still make people care about him. He was above everyone, yet mysteriously relatable in a way that made people tune in. J.R. was the man people "loved to hate" before that concept was on the map. J.R. influenced me in many ways related to business, not only for what he did but what he didn't do. He was very successful, but he made mistakes too, lots of 'em. It's the recovery from them, or lack thereof, that matters. Some of the biggest lessons I learned from the show, but also had to experience myself for them to really sink in: *Contracts were made to be broken. Don't paint yourself into a corner; what's your exit strategy (or several)? Know all the emergency exits before you settle in. * Don't collateralize your home or its contents in a speculative business deal. Your home is your home, period. The Asian oil wells came in, but what if they hadn't? There would never be another Southfork. It's up to the owner to know the emotional value of retaining their home and other possessions; the lender only sees dollar signs (or whatever currency). * Watch your "friends" closely, 'cause your enemies will take care of themselves. Once you reach a certain level, it's very difficult to have real friends. The worst bait-and-switch, embezzling, and betrayals that have happened to me were from alleged friends. * When times are tough, buy, don't sell. J.R. could see what others couldn't, such as refineries being a better buy during lean times and therefore a better deal. He didn't always handle them well. But, the company benefited in the long term.The point is, chronic losers have a knee-jerk response of selling everything as soon as cash flow is tight and so they never establish themselves. The rich know how to be broke without breaking. My picks for quintessential J.R. lines: "Every business is just alike. There's a shark in every pool of water." "It takes brains to know when to be scared." "Never tell the truth when a good lie will do." "Market values change every day." "I have meetings all day with people who don't know what a shark I am". "Don't you know rich folks are always happy?" "Never pass up a good chance to shut up." "The people you'll be dealing with won't have your little integrity problem." "Win some; lose one or two." "Where there's a way, there's a will." "It's just as easy to put you in that straitjacket as it was for you to put me in one." By the way, those who berate Larry in death for having had a liver transplant -- WTF?! Like he deserved it any less than anyone else, or that if his liver was ruined by drinking, he didn't "deserve" a transplant? So when it's a wealthy, well-known person, it's bad behavior instead of the disease of alcoholism? Like he would more rightfully deserve the procedure if his liver was defective for another reason? Livers can be destroyed by Tylenol, too. Sheesh. Please. Either alcohol abuse is a disease, and therefore not the person's fault, or it isn't. Changing the rules based on perception of the recipient's net worth only makes for stupid talk. Very much like people waiting to express sympathy or disgust for a person dying of AIDS until after they've learned whether the virus was obtained through a transfusion or sex. I'd hoped that humanity had evolved since 1985. Thanks for everything, Larry...and J.R.! Southfork will never be the sam read more

First time in Texas--toured Southfork Ranch on November 23rd then heard the next day about Larry Hagman's passing on the 23rd. RIP LH. Tour was great read more

I didn't go inside but it was still fun to see Southfork Ranch from the outside. There's a few entrances and it's a bit confusing which one to go into. There's no gateman or anything. It's on a gravel road and you park toward the back/side. Like I said, I didn't go inside so I just pulled into one of the middle gates and took pictures. There were cows and bulls just hanging out in the front yard which was fun. You can tell this home used to be in the middle of nowhere because everything around it is new. It's in a decent size town now though and takes about 30 minutes to get to from downtown Dallas. I accidentally took a tollroad here but I'm sure there are other ways to get to it if you are familiar with the area. Dallas is one of my mom's favorite TV shows and it was always on in the house when I was growing up. I enjoyed looking at the house and thinking of childhood memories. It's worth a visit. read more

Southfork Ranch - Ranches Near Me - Parker, Texas

I grew up in a family that worshiped the Dallas family as it was their own. So needless to say when I went to Texas for the first time, I made sure I trekked to this famous ranch to see it in person. The ranch was easy to find but just as easy to "miss" if you aren't sure of which entrance to go in. There are several, which you'll find out are picture opportunities of the grounds. Once you make it in the main one, there is ample parking in the lots. The corral is the main area where you can relive memories in the museum, purchase tickets for the tours, and shop til you drop on western wear and other memorabilia. There's even a little coffee shop area on the side of the corral. The people who worked there were very friendly and nice and willing to help wherever they were needed. read more

As a big fan of the show I was rather disappointed. I felt the owner could have made a lot more of the location. I guess what you have to remember is, that when the clever film guys get there teeth into something it often bears no relation to reality. Still a fan of the show though. read more

On a warmer day this would be a fun place to ride horses. The tour is reasonable $15.00 per person definitely a must do if you are a fan of the show, Dallas. Impressive little place. read more

Southfork Ranch - Gift shop entrance - Ranches Near Me - Parker, Texas

This was just fun! I was a big fan of the original Dallas TV show and loved this place. We went on the tour and my husband was a little disappointed that more of the show wasn't shot here but the tour guide was very informative and all of the memorabilia was terrific. read more

Really cool place to see a legendary tv show home. Memoribilia from the show and tours are available. A must see if you have the time. read more

Southfork Ranch - A really cool place to see the legendary Ewing Ranch from the tv show. Tours are available. See Memoribilia from the show also. - Ranches Near Me - Parker, Texas

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Really neat! All access for as long as you like. Affordable fun. If you liked the show (old one as well as new one), this is a must see! Knowledgeable staff which was an added bonus. Easy to park. read more

I saw a few episodes of "Dallas" when I was a teen. I wasn't really into it, but I still REALLY enjoyed our partial day here. Granted, we went on a beautiful-weather Tuesday, therefore no crowds, and an amazing day to stroll the grounds. But consider that, go on a day that's nice and even if you aren't a fan, you can have a lovely afternoon! The museum is great with lots of memorabilia. The little coffee shop area with tables in the gift shop is a nice touch for those not wanting to browse the extensive gift shop. There's cutesy things to buy there that have nothing specific to do with the show, which is probably great for shoppers. There's even a nice selection of western-ish clothing for sale. The people who work there were really friendly and smiling - the lady at the register, the kid who gave us the tram ride, the lovely woman who told us about the house who's worked there 18 years - all delightful people! We saw everything, we wandered the grounds, we took selfies with long horns and llamas. We sat on both of the back patios of the house for a while - upstairs taking in the view, and downstairs at the "Ewing" breakfast table. We loved that they let everyone just enjoy the grounds, wander, sit, etc. No being chased off "restricted" areas or being hurried along on a fully guided tour. read more

Visited Southfork Ranch while in Dallas. Thought it would be interesting to see where the Ewing family from a TV soap of my youth "Dallas" looked like up close, even if we didn't really follow watching the show. It was close enough from our host's home. Realized too late that we should have read up more before going to be less disappointed. We would have realized that only the exterior of the ranch was part of the show. All interior shots were done at the studio somewhere else. Oh well! read more

i went on a bucket list trip here i have watched the origanal series atleast 5 times and am a big fan i did the live like a ewing package where i got a guided tour of the grounds and house and got to have a formal steak dinner in the house and hangout poolside afterwards it was total incredable the staff was totaly awsome and since i was the only one there i had plenty of time to soak it in read more

This was such a fun place! Although I was born after Dallas was on TV, I came with two people who grew up watching this show. At the beginning of this tour, you are given facts, trivia, and stories about how the show was filmed. Then you are allowed to walk in all the rooms and all over the ranch grounds at your own pace. You can take all the time you want and can take pictures too. They even have animals on the property. So once you tour the inside of the home, you can then tour the animals on the property. There is a photo op at the gift shop and lots of fun souvenirs. I would definitely come again. And now I need to watch Dallas! read more

Southfork Jazz Festival #1... .TOO LOUD....cannot enjoy jazz that is shaking me literally in my seat. Sound men are little boys that will be completely deaf by the age of 30 yrs. Music is to be HEARD NOT FELT!! I will not attend next year! read more

Part of American history lol. You need to check it out. The 2 ladies that give the tour of the house are incredible. Very informative and probably 2 of the nicest people you will ever meet. I'd go back just to hang and shoot the breeze with them. Thank you. read more

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Blast from the past. Great for fans of Dallas. Your little ones might get a little inpatient but it's worth it. You could see everything in about an hour. Have fun! read more

This was amazing and I totally fangirled out much to the chagrin of my guy lol. This is a MUST see destination for any Dallas fan. Gift shop, tour... I most definitely recommend! read more

After Binge watching Dallas, Bob and I toured South Fork Ranch. We had an amazing tour guide named Gayle Harris Lindsey (Windy). She shared the history of South Fork Ranch and about the scenes in Dallas. We toured with a group throughout the home. We went to the balcony, the pool, and patio where many scenes in the TV show Dallas were shot from 1978 to 1991. We enjoyed the souvenirs in the store before and after our tour. Great Day! read more

Great token learning about the ranch and the show. Get to tour the house and the property. Nice relaxing day hanging out and having lunch. The staff was is very friendly and gave us great tips on other places to visit while in the area. read more

Couldn't have been happier with our trail ride and the hospitality. I would highly recommended this place if you're looking to ride horses while visiting Dallas. Also, we owe a big thanks to Wilson Wilson for letting us in an hour before it opened, getting us out of the cold, because we got there too early. read more

It's true that the house is not a big deal. The outside is pretty but it's small and nothing like you would imagine. So don't waste your money on a tour. But if you want to buy some cool kitschy souveniers, then you would do well by visiting their gift shop. I always find cool stuff in there. The other excuse to come out here is if you're attending a special event like your company's holiday party. In that case, the tour is free and you won't feel like you've been ripped off since the only cool thing in that house is the cheesy mirrored master bath. Having a special event here is very popular (there were three parties going on when I was there.) We had the Baron's Ballroom which is huge. The catering was your typical spread - cheese and salad, a few hot appetizers, a pasta bar and a meat carving station and desserts. There were some definite winners (the cheesy broccoli quiche-like thing, the banana fosters pie) and some losers (the flavorless sauces for the pasta, just so-so roast beef). The bar was nothing to be excited about - they didn't even have Shiner! And the catering staff were a little too anxious to clear drinks off the table. (We ended up guarding each others drinks any time someone left the table.) But it wasn't a bad time...I guess that had to do with the company. And I've been to worse places for a company holiday party, so no harm, no foul. Overall, this place is just okay. If you don't expect much, you won't be disappointed. read more

If you were (are!) a Dallas fan & are in Dallas, definitely worth a visit. The museum was fun - lots of articles from People magazine throughout the Dallas years. The family tree was kitschy but fun & included marriages, liaisons & children & reminded me off affairs I'd forgotten! The mansion is not such a mansion as a large suburban house on a large plot of land. The pool too is so much smaller than shown on tv. The best part of the mansion tour is learning about the filming tricks that made the home, pool & ranch appear so much larger & about what the original family living at Southfork went through after their home became famous & public. I was prepared for the pushy photographer bc of reading one of yelp's earlier reviews. He greets you right when you enter the museum. Despite my multiple polite declines to his offers to take our photos, he kept pressing. Finally a firm "no" & moving to the next portion of the museum got us out of his reach. read more

This place was kitschy, fun and a total 1980s throwback. Possibly the biggest misnomer of the TV show "Dallas" was exactly that: it's name. It's misleading. As Southfork Ranch is not located in Dallas specifically but rather a suburb located about an hour north of city proper. That said, it's well-worth taking the tour. I was expecting a guided tour but once at the ranch, it's not as big as one would imagine. They tell us the reason for that is the use of wide angle lenses while filming (it was the 80s after all). You find out some nice tidbits and facts about the filming and history of Southfork Ranch while taking the tour but as I said, it's not a guided tour, so there's a lot of down time to take pictures. There's an onsite deli to eat afterwards (we didn't do that) and a gift shop (of course). And inside, there's a studio showing reels of Dallas clips. It's worth going to if you are a fan of this show or any '80s kitsch factor. I'd totally do it again if I were in the area. read more

My kids and I love going to Southfork Ranch every year for Celebrate Freedom, but this year it was SO muddy since it had just rained before the concert. There were wood chips put down in certain areas of the event but I would strongly suggest having wood planks or something along those lines available. It definitely lessens the enjoyment of an event when everyone is walking through mud. Thankfully we were prepared with a bag for our filthy shoes but our legs were covered in splatter and it was just gross. Other than the mud, we give Southfork Ranch a big thumbs up and we will be back for Celebrate Freedom next year. read more

The house is a wee little thing, but I just figured that was to make all the actors seem normal sized. Since actors are, you know, smaller than wee. BUT it turns out that Dallas was filmed in LA, so I'm not sure what is going on with this place. We also had the Oil Baron's Ballroom, which is a humongous airplane hangar with food and beer. And neon, lots of neon. Neon writing like "The Dallas Palace!" etc. It kind of smelled like my Grandma's house, before my dad put her in a home. Come to think of it, it smells like the cafeteria in the home my dad put my Grandma in, too. There was a prom going on next door. All the girls were wearing cheap satin dresses and smelled like..................my Grandma. Why is this place so my Grandma-y? read more