Old Tucson Studios, built in 1939 west of Tucson for the film Arizona, became one of the best-known outdoor western sets in the United States and later a public attraction. Originally created as a replica of 1860s Tucson, it expanded over decades as films and television productions added buildings and used its streets, church, and other sets. Nick C. Hall played an important role in bringing the first production to Tucson and promoting the city to Hollywood. A 1968 sound stage broadened filming options, but a major 1995 fire destroyed much of the site. Rebuilt and later expanded, it remained closely tied to western filmmaking until its 2020 closure.