Rawhide Western Town – Chandler AZ
Rawhide at Wild Horse Pass – even its name exudes frontier adventure and conjures up images of the wild, wild west. You can almost smell the tooled leather. An authentic 1880s town located just outside Chandler, Arizona, Rawhide at Wild Horse Pass is your perfect destination for western fun and a taste of the real Arizona west.
How The West Was Won!
Approximately five million people relocated to the American west from east of the Mississippi River during the forty years following the Civil War. Many of those people settled in Arizona in the area around present-day Phoenix, taking advantage of the warm weather, medicinal hot springs, and potential for striking it rich in the mines that dotted the hillsides around the great valley. Rawhide at Wild Horse Pass sits on the Gila River Indian Community in an area once renowned for its ingenious engineering of aqueducts bringing water from the Gila River onto the dry desert and creating an agricultural empire.
The native people of the area, needing trading partners for their rich harvests, welcomed the development of towns like Rawhide which brought craftsmen, saloons, general stores, and the railroad to the area. While many of these towns have come and gone, Rawhide is an authentic 1880s town that has retained its charm and character over the years and for the past four decades has operated as an entertainment and dining destination, bringing a bit of the old west back to life.
Things To See in Rawhide
From the moment you enter the Town, you will be surrounded by stagecoaches, gunslingers, saloon dancers, and the finest chuck wagon offerings available on this side of the gold rush. Some of the attractions to be found in Rawhide include:
Six-Gun Theater and Rawhide Roughriders
A genuine western stunt show that will remind you of why the west was wild.
Arrest-a-Guest
Be wary of the town Sheriff. He just might throw you in jail where you will have to appear before the judge and plead your case.
The Widowmaker
One of the wildest mechanical bulls ever built. If you can ride the Widowmaker, you might consider a professional rodeo career. This is one bull that will give you the ride of your life!
Desert Train Ride
A common method of transportation in the 1880s, you can ride the rails on the outskirts of town and enjoy the atmosphere from the comfort of an old-time western train.
Butterfield Stagecoach
This replica coach will take you across Sonoran Desert trails outside of town for a first-hand look at how travelers made their way to Rawhide in the good old days.
Ways To Wet Your Whistle
Rawhide Steakhouse
The Rawhide Steakhouse is your premier dining destination while at Wild Horse Pass. Offering a full menu of mesquite-grilled steaks, delectable chicken, and savory barbecue baby back ribs, the Rawhide Steakhouse is the perfect place to fill up when visiting. If you are feeling especially adventurous, try the house specials, which include the Rawhide Rattler and Rocky Mountain Oyster, two battered and fried appetizers that will set your taste buds on fire and earn you a special certificate noting your authentic western courage.
Wagon Wheel Café
For a lighter meal, try the Wagon Wheel Café and enjoy scrumptious sandwiches with a full complement of side dishes. Located on Main Street, a stop by the Wagon Wheel is fast, easy and delicious!
Sundown Cookout
Of course, no trip to Rawhide at Wild Horse Pass would be complete without the town’s spectacular dinner under the stars, the Sundown Cookout. Offered every Saturday night, this outdoor adventure begins with a wagon ride into the desert and is complete with live country music, folklore tales around a campfire, a wild west gunfight, roasting marshmallows on the fire, and of course, a delicious steak or pork rib dinner. The Sundown Cookout is that special dining experience you will remember always.
Spend Your Two Bits
If shopping is your idea of a good time you won’t be disappointed at Rawhide. Whether looking for genuine western wear at the Silver Spur Store or artistically forged ironworks at the Blacksmith’s shop, Rawhide is a western shopper’s paradise. Even the kids will find something at Rawhide. Magirk’s Toys is the perfect place to pick up cap guns, stick horses, and other western toys that delight and entertain even the youngest visitors.
Getting To Rawhide at Wild Horse Pass
Just south of Phoenix in nearby Chandler, to get to Rawhide take I-10 East (towards Tucson) to exit #162, Wild Horse Pass Boulevard. Turn right onto Wild Horse Pass Boulevard to 48th Street. Turn left at the light and travel to West North Loop Road. This takes you straight toward Rawhide with the main parking lot located on your left as you approach the end of the street. Operating hours vary but don’t worry about being out too late. They roll up the sidewalks by 10:00 p.m. each night. Rawhide is located near the Wild Horse Pass Casino, Wild Horse Resort and Spa, and the Whirlwind Golf Courses.
For More Information
Rawhide at Wild Horse Pass
5700 West North Loop Road
Chandler, AZ 85226
Phone: 480-502-5600