By admin 
TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) – Less than four years after Old Tucson Studios was taken over by a new company, Pima County will have to start looking for a new tenant.
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In August 2022, American Heritage Railways, operating as Old Tucson Entertainment, acquired the iconic landmark.
American Heritage Railways had hoped to bring Old Tucson back to its original glory, but it appears it didn’t work out.
Old Tucson Studios closed its doors during the pandemic in 2020, and many had hoped it could again become a destination.
“It’s been a huge part of our history since 1939 when filming started there and then when we opened it as an attraction,” said Diane Frisch, the director of Pima County’s Attractions and Tourism. “It’s located in Tucson Mountain Park, and we own the facility, so the buildings mean a lot, the property means a lot to us – it’s part of our history.”
That’s why the county is hoping to keep the park up and running in some way, though nothing is set in stone yet.
“It could be continuing to work with American Heritage Railways under a different plan; we could have a new leaseholder, or it could be a combination of several things,” said Frisch.
Old Tucson Entertainment signed a five-year lease with the county and was set to pay $60,000 per year for rent and give the county 4% of the annual gross operating revenue.
Origins of Old Tucson, as told by the founder’s wife
The initial lease was slated to end next year, but the company had an option to extend the deal for another decade.
The county said AHR declined to execute the extension and that the current lease ends in April 2027.
“County officials have met with representatives of American Heritage Railways and are actively engaged in discussions about how they can move forward together,” the county said in a release to 13 News.
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Frisch said the tourism industry has been down since the pandemic in 2020, and that could be a reason why AHR does not want to extend the lease.
“They’re doing okay, but I think everybody has been struggling to keep their numbers up and their attendance,” said Frisch.
The county said the Nightfall event and the Yuletide celebration will continue as planned.
“Old Tucson is currently open, and all tours and other events are continuing as normal,” the county said. “Officials are encouraging visitors and residents to continue exploring all Old Tucson has to offer, from Ghost Tours to Summer Night Markets to studio tours and more.”
The county said its staff will try to focus on the broader public interest in preserving and enhancing Old Tucson.
One of the things that made Old Tucson so attractive to tourists was the fact that so many movies were made there beginning in 1939. A fire in 1994 destroyed the old movie sets, filming stopped for the most part, and attendance plummeted.
American Heritage Railways has ties to the movie industry.
The company operates a dozen attractions like Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, Great Smoky Mountains Railroad, the Grand Imperial Hotel, and True West Rodeo
Allen Harper, the CEO and Chairman, said at the time that AHR spent the last quarter-century “with historic railways, theme parks, hotels and other tourist attractions.”
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