Discover Benson: History, Westerns and Starry Skies

Benson combines the history of a town, Western culture and unusual excursion destinations with a wide variety of experiences. Those planning a trip can discover historic architecture here, view murals downtown, visit film sets or observe the starry sky. The San Pedro Golf Course also adds its own distinctive touch. This makes it possible to shape your stay according to your interests, whether culturally focused, active or family-oriented.

Experience History in the Townscape

A good starting point is the historic walking tour through Benson. It covers the town’s architecture and people, directing attention not only to individual buildings but also to the development of the town. Benson became a railroad shipping point for Tombstone and Bisbee. This connection is one of the historical topics that help make the town’s character easier to understand.

The Benson Visitor Center is located in the heart of the historic downtown. The building is a replica of a railroad depot and thus takes up a motif that was particularly formative in Benson’s history. The mural tour through downtown is a complementary experience: 42 murals adorn local businesses throughout the downtown area. The motifs address historical aspects of Benson and Cochise County as well as the local desert flora and fauna.

The Benson Historical Museum displays artifacts that originally came from Benson and the surrounding area. The exhibits are spread across indoor and outdoor areas. For visitors who enjoy learning about local history through specific objects and different exhibition locations, the museum complements the downtown walking tour.

Western Movie Sets and Guided Tours

Film history is also brought to life in Benson. The Mescal Movie Set is a film town from the 1880s. It served as a filming location for Tombstone, The Outlaw Josey Wales, The Quick and the Dead and more than 100 other Western productions. Historical film tours are only possible there between film productions. This is an important point to consider when planning your day if the set is to be a major part of your trip.

Another Western movie set is Gammon’s Gulch. The site has 17 fully functional and furnished buildings reconstructed to depict the era of the Wild West. Gammon’s Gulch has already been the setting for more than 65 film productions and welcomes visitors on guided tours through its Western town. Here, the focus is therefore not only on the buildings but also on the perspective offered by a guided visit.

Golf, Telescope and Unusual Museums

The public San Pedro Golf Course is a good option for a more active day of travel. Operated and owned by the City of Benson, the course is an 18-hole championship course. The first nine holes run through mesquite groves along the San Pedro River, while the back nine holes lead through canyons. The two landscapes give the game different spatial impressions.

The Butterfield Observatory is aimed at visitors who would like to make the night sky a focus of their stay. Non-local guests are welcome for a fee of US$5.00; overnight guests at the park receive free admission. The observatory houses a Meade LX-200 GPS 16-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope in an electrically operated dome with a diameter of 15 feet.

The ruins of the Butterfield Overland Mail Station can also be visited on a self-guided tour. In Texas Canyon, The Thing is the central exhibit of a museum established as a tourist stop centered around this unusual display and other collected objects.

The Right Base for Planning Your Trip

When looking for a vacation rental in Benson, it is worth deciding first what focus you want for your trip. Those primarily interested in discovering the town’s history and murals can include the destinations in the historic downtown in their daily plans. For a trip centered on Western movie sets, guided tours and the limited availability of film tours are the main considerations. Golf, the observatory, ruins and the museum in Texas Canyon, in turn, make the case for varied planning with different excursion destinations. When choosing your accommodation, consider which places you actually want to visit during your stay, and arrange your daily destinations according to your own route.

More Places to Compare for Your Trip

If you would like to compare Benson with other destinations, you can find the neighboring pages here: Bisbee, Willcox, Douglas, Sierra Vista and Tombstone.

For the higher-level travel overview: Cochise County.