Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Pastel de nata
Portugal • 8 days, 7 nights
Portugal: A Culinary Adventure from Porto to Lisbon
from
Italy • 9 days, 8 nights
Flavors of Italy: Roman Carbonara, Florentine Steak & Venetian Cocktails
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
The wall commemorating 11,908 Jewish victims of the Shoah from Frankfurt.
Börneplatz Memorial
Entrance to the munitions area of the lower part of the bunker
Simserhof
Carlos Calderón Yruegas calls the villa his personal playground.
Villa Tabaiba
Apples and pears, Spitalfields Market.
Brick Lane Roundels
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The sign declares this the number-one gumbo shop in town.
Gumbo Hut Shioya
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
L’Escamoteur
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
The exterior of the Hall of Records.
Atlas Obscura Mailbag: Urban Exploration, Illegal Carvings, and Repeat Vacations
1 day ago
Biosphere 2 campus (2016)
Biosphere 2: How Volunteers Survived for 2 Years in an Airtight Habitat
2 days ago
Places like Forest Grove linger on the edge of wilderness and civilization.
Listening for Echoes of the Forest Grove Sound
2 days ago
Longwood House, where Napoleon Bonaparte spent his final years.
The Longwood House: Napoleon Bonaparte’s Beautiful Prison
3 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States North Carolina Wild Bill's Western Town
AO Edited

Wild Bill's Western Town

The replica western town of Shadowhawk was built by a former Hollywood actor in Smithfield, North Carolina.

Smithfield, North Carolina

Added By
Mark Howard
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Shadowhawk Western Town entrance   talk2markhoward / Atlas Obscura User
Shadowhawk Western Town entrance   talk2markhoward / Atlas Obscura User
Wild Bill’s Saloon interior detail   talk2markhoward / Atlas Obscura User
Wild west saloon doors!   talk2markhoward / Atlas Obscura User
Wild Bill’s Western Saloon   talk2markhoward / Atlas Obscura User
Shadowhawk bank   talk2markhoward / Atlas Obscura User
  Anna Minster / Atlas Obscura User
  Anna Minster / Atlas Obscura User
  Anna Minster / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

This little western town is not well known. Shadowhawk is a real-life replica of a western town from old Hollywood films. It was built in 1996 by former actor William Drake in Smithfield, North Carolina. The attention to detail is amazing, from the woodwork down to the antique pianos.

Drake, known to many as "Wild Bill," was a character actor who appeared in episodes of Bonanza and Gunsmoke, as well as several Western films in the 1970s. After several decades in Hollywood, Drake retired and returned to his home in North Carolina, where he spent several years building his dream western town on his property. Shadowhawk has a general store, two saloons, a blacksmith, a jail, a kitchen, a hotel, a bank, a post office, a barbershop, a billiard room, an assayer, an undertaker, and a church. It has been the location for several films.

For many years, if you visited Shadowhawk you might find Drake walking around the town he built with a sheriff's star pinned to his chest. He did most of the building himself and was a regular fixture in town. But in 2017, Shadowhawk lost its sheriff when Drake died. His legacy lives on in the town, which is still welcoming visitors.

Related Tags

Old West Replicas Film Locations

Know Before You Go

Typically open Monday through Saturday from 12-5 p.m.

There is no admission fee. Visitors are encouraged to leave appreciative donations in the contribution boxes to support the maintenance of the town. The whole town can be rented for parties, videos, weddings, and movies.

Community Contributors

Added By

talk2markhoward

Edited By

Anna Minster

  • Anna Minster

Published

November 14, 2024

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://journalnow.com/wild-west-east-cowboy-character-actor-builds-his-own-town-and-welcomes-everyone/article_82f8bdcb-5602-5d0e-832c-151459e1a8cc.html
  • https://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/17088
  • https://abc.com/video/10abe69c-fafa-4499-a31e-359c79563914
Wild Bill's Western Town
500 Bonnie Ave
Smithfield, North Carolina, 27577
United States
35.422169, -78.250004
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Acid Park

Lucama, North Carolina

miles away

Goldsboro Nuclear Mishap

Eureka, North Carolina

miles away

Mercury Cougar

Zebulon, North Carolina

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of North Carolina

North Carolina

United States

Places 199
Stories 34

Nearby Places

Acid Park

Lucama, North Carolina

miles away

Goldsboro Nuclear Mishap

Eureka, North Carolina

miles away

Mercury Cougar

Zebulon, North Carolina

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of North Carolina

North Carolina

United States

Places 199
Stories 34

Related Places

  • The town of San Vicente de Chupaderos started as a film set.

    Durango, Mexico

    San Vicente de Chupaderos

    A small town that began as a western movie set.

  • Pilisborosjenő, Hungary

    Eger Castle Replica Ruins

    Outside of Budapest, a reconstruction of a 16th-century fortress.

  • Still the same.

    Los Albaricoques, Spain

    Los Albaricoques

    This small Spanish village still pays homage to the Spaghetti Western films that were shot there in the 1960s.

  • The restaurant’s collection of “gift certificates.”

    Agoura Hills, California

    The Old Place Restaurant

    The beloved dining spot stands at the cross-section of Hollywood and the Old West.

  • A staged gunfight at Little Beaver Town, 1961.

    Albuquerque, New Mexico

    Little Beaver Town

    An abandoned amusement park based on the popular 1940s Red Ryder comic strip.

  • The Alabama Hills

    Lone Pine, California

    The Museum of Western Film History

    The hundreds of movies and television shows shot in this high desert town are commemorated in a unique museum.

  • Pappy and Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace.

    Pioneertown, California

    Pappy and Harriet's Pioneertown Palace

    A music-filled, booze-soaked oasis in the desert.

  • “Pioneertown 1946”.

    Pioneertown, California

    Pioneertown

    A fake town founded by Western movie stars is now becoming a hip desert community.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.