New Mexico’s rugged landscapes have provided the perfect backdrop for countless movies and TV shows. While many filming locations get cleaned up after production wraps, some sets remain behind, slowly weathering in the desert sun.
These forgotten pieces of film history offer a unique glimpse into Hollywood’s presence in the Southwest, standing as dusty monuments to cinematic creativity.
1. The Forgotten Sets of ‘Silverado Valley’
When the 1985 Western classic ‘Silverado’ wrapped production, several outlying set pieces were left standing in a remote valley near Las Cruces. Unlike the main town set (which was dismantled), these isolated structures were deemed too costly to remove from their difficult-to-access location.
A stagecoach way station and small homestead cabin have survived decades of weather, looking increasingly authentic as they age naturally in the harsh desert environment. Desert plants now grow through the wooden porch of the station, while the cabin’s roof has partially collapsed.
Finding these remnants requires serious determination and local knowledge. No official markers exist, and the structures sit on a mix of private and BLM land. Film buffs occasionally make pilgrimages to these forgotten pieces of a beloved Western, guided by hand-drawn maps passed among movie location enthusiasts.
2. Cerrillos Movie Ranch: A Decaying Western Wonderland
Nestled just outside Santa Fe, the Cerrillos Movie Ranch once bustled with actors in cowboy hats and film crews capturing classic Western shootouts. Built in the early 1970s for a string of Spaghetti Westerns, this once-vibrant movie town now sits quietly crumbling beneath the New Mexico sun.
Weathered saloon facades lean precariously, their painted signs faded almost beyond recognition. Tumbleweeds gather in doorways where famous actors once stood. The ranch’s remote location and private ownership have kept it relatively unknown to tourists, though the occasional film history buff makes the journey.
Visible from a nearby dirt road, these wooden structures have survived decades of harsh desert conditions, creating an authentically aged appearance no set designer could replicate.
3. Bonanza Creek Ranch’s Forgotten Backlot
While parts of Bonanza Creek Ranch remain active for productions like ‘Longmire’ and ‘Cowboys & Aliens,’ a hidden section of this famous location holds abandoned set pieces from the 1980s and 90s. Time has transformed these once-pristine structures into authentic-looking ruins.
A partial Spanish mission facade, built for a film that went bankrupt mid-production, stands partially collapsed behind newer sets. Nearby, wooden wagons and stagecoaches slowly sink into the earth. The ranch owners preserve these relics as a silent testament to productions past.
Film history enthusiasts can occasionally arrange special tours to see these forgotten corners, though most visitors never venture beyond the main ranch buildings that regularly appear in modern productions.
4. White Oaks Ghost Town: Where Western Film History Meets Real History
The real ghost town of White Oaks gained new structures in the 1970s when filmmakers built additional buildings for a series of now-forgotten Westerns. Unlike purpose-built sets, these structures were integrated among authentic 1880s buildings, creating a fascinating blend of real and fictional frontier architecture.
Today, the movie additions are nearly indistinguishable from the original ghost town, all weathering together in beautiful decay. Sharp-eyed visitors might notice the slightly different construction techniques used for the film structures.
Located in remote Lincoln County, few tourists make the journey down the unmarked dirt roads to find this hidden gem. Those who do are rewarded with a truly authentic-feeling ghost town experience where Hollywood history and actual frontier history have become permanently intertwined.
5. San Cristobal Ranch’s Mysterious Western Town
Hidden within the vast San Cristobal Ranch near Lamy sits an almost complete Western town, built for a major production in the early 2000s. When filming concluded, the transportation costs to dismantle the set exceeded its value, resulting in this remarkably intact ghost town.
Unlike many abandoned sets, this one features interior details in several buildings. Faux-vintage wallpaper peels from walls inside the saloon, while the marshal’s office still contains a rusted jail cell. Ranch hands occasionally report hearing the wooden structures creaking and settling, creating an eerie atmosphere.
The private ranch location makes this set virtually inaccessible to the public. Only a handful of photographers have ever documented this perfectly preserved piece of film history, usually through special permission from the landowners.
6. Madrid’s Hidden Mining Film Relics
The quirky artist town of Madrid, once a booming mining community, harbors film set pieces from several indie productions shot in the early 2000s. Most visitors exploring Madrid’s colorful main street never realize that just behind the renovated buildings sit abandoned movie props and partial set constructions.
A replica mine entrance, built for a horror film that never saw theatrical release, now sits partially collapsed in an arroyo. Nearby, weathered mining equipment constructed as props has begun to rust convincingly, blending with authentic historical artifacts.
Local residents have incorporated some abandoned set pieces into gardens and art installations, giving them new life. The line between movie magic and local art has blurred beautifully in this creative community, with many tourists unknowingly photographing film props thinking they’re historical mining equipment.
7. Ghost Ranch’s Forgotten Film Facades
The breathtaking landscapes of Ghost Ranch near Abiquiú have attracted filmmakers for decades, with several leaving behind partial sets that have blended into the natural environment. Most famous among these is a cluster of adobe-style structures built for a science fiction film in the 1990s, designed to appear as an alien settlement.
The buildings were constructed using natural materials that have weathered beautifully against the red rock formations. From certain angles, these structures appear to be ancient Native American ruins rather than relatively recent movie props.
While Ghost Ranch itself is a popular tourist destination known for its connection to painter Georgia O’Keeffe, these film remnants sit in a restricted area rarely seen by visitors. Ranch staff occasionally point them out during specialized tours, explaining how the structures were purposely built to eventually return to the earth.
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