Long Branch Variety Show 🇺🇸

Step into Western history at the Long Branch Variety Show, a seasonal saloon performance staged inside the Long Branch Saloon at Boot Hill Museum in Dodge City, Kansas. Originating in 1958, this long-running attraction is presented seven nights a week during the summer months. The saloon building features an exterior modeled after pre-1885 photographs and a TV-inspired interior furnished with an 1881 bar topped by two Golden Eagles once owned by saloon founder Chalkley Beeson.

You should visit to experience iconic frontier-style entertainment popularized by the television series Gunsmoke. Before stepping inside, you can catch a nightly gunfight performance staged right outside the saloon by a trained act in period costuming. Once inside, watch live performers bring historical figures to life, including Chalkley Beeson and Miss Kitty, the "Queen of Dodge City." The production showcases energetic variety acts, a dance troupe performing the Can-Can, and classic original theme songs like "The Long Branch Saloon in Dodge City" for the opening and "Down at the Long Branch Saloon" as the finale.

It offers an engaging, authentic look back at 19th-century saloon entertainment.

What to see at Long Branch Variety Show

• Historic 1881 bar adorned with Chalkley Beeson's original Golden Eagles
• Live character portrayals of Miss Kitty and Chalkley Beeson
• Nightly outdoor stunt gunfights featuring authentic period costuming
• Variety entertainment including Can-Can dancing and original theme songs

Visiting tips

Arrive outside the saloon early to catch the nightly pre-show gunfight performed by trained stunt fighters.

How long: 1-2 hours · Best time: Summer evenings

How to get there & what’s nearby

Long Branch Variety Show is easy to reach on Dodge City’s public transport, and pairs naturally with Sacred Heart Cathedral and Boot Hill Museum. For where to stay, the weather and full itineraries, see our Dodge City travel guide.