Deadwood Alive shootout in front of Franklin Casino in Deadwood, South Dakota

Main Street Shootouts

Come along with the Deadwood Alive Gunslingers as they track down some trouble.

Experience the melee of free, historically accurate reenactments of Deadwood’s unusual gunfights and unbelievable affrays with Deadwood Alive. You can find our daily activities schedule by clicking here.

Three times a day, six days a week, (no killin’ on Sundays) gunshots ring out on Deadwood’s Historic Main Street during the summer. Don’t fret none though, it’s just the Deadwood Alive gunslingers comin’ out to play. Each street performance is realistic; fun for the whole family and FREE!

wooden door

Learn all about our

Shootouts

In the wild and woolly days of the Old West, shootouts in Deadwood were a curious thing. This here town had a way of mixin’ lawlessness with a dash of civility that’d catch a fella off guard. In Deadwood, you might find a spat break out right in the middle of a bustling saloon or a gambling hall, and it’d get mighty tense in a hurry.

But here’s the kicker: more often than not, folks would settle their scores with a bit of talk instead of a shootin’ match.

Yet, there was many a time when lead flew and folks hit the dirt. Those tales are as real as they come and Deadwood Alive is here to show ya.

reenactors at shootout
wooden back

The Strange Tale of David Lunt

Outlaw Square / Franklin Hotel – See one of the strangest shootings in Deadwood’s early history. David Lunt made his way to Deadwood to make his fortune in the gold fields. Little did he know, he would leave his mark on Deadwood history in a saloon, and not in a sluice box. Sixty-seven days after the incident, things came to a surprising end for old David Lunt.

reenactors at shootout
wooden back

Showdown on Gold Street

Big Dipper / Berg Jewelry – Two gamblers disagree about the outcome of a poker game and decide the best way to settle this is to pull their six guns and shoot it out. Things don’t go as either gambler expected, and the result is a Deadwood legend. Come watch this “shootout at high noon” (well, it’s noon somewhere) and see who comes out on top.

reenactors at shootout
wooden back

The Boone May/Prescott Web Altercation

Wild Bill Bar / Celebrity Hotel – Shotgun messenger and headhunter, Boone May, catches up with the men who robbed the stagecoach he was guarding a few short weeks back. Boone May and Ike Goldman are strolling down the street when… who does Ike see in front of them, but the same three robbers from.

Main Season

May 17 – September 20, 2025

  • 12:00PM “Lawman’s Patrol” – Walking Tour $15/person. Call 1-800-344-8826 to book this tour. Must book 24 Hours in advance
  • 1:45PM “Pre-spectacle Tomfoolery” – Outlaw Square / Franklin Hotel
  • 2:00PM SHOOTOUT – “The Strange Tale of David Lunt” – Outlaw Square / Franklin Hotel
  • 2:30PM “A Rootin’ Tootin’ Card Game for Kids” – Outlaw Square Gazebo
  • 2:30PM “Firearms of the Frontier” – (the evolution of pre-1899 firearms) – Gold Street Courtyard
  • 3:30PM “Dr. Stan Dupt’s Travelin’ Medicine Show” – Gold Street Courtyard
  • 4:00PM SHOOTOUT – “Showdown on Gold Street” – Big Dipper / Berg Jewelry
  • 4:30PM “Hangin’ out with the Shootists” – Meet the gunslingers, ask questions and get their autographs – Gold Street Courtyard
  • 4:30PM “Black Hills Wildlife – Then and Now” – Experience hands-on teeth, claws, fur and footprints of Black Hills creatures – Gold Street Courtyard
  • 5:45PM “More Tomfoolery” – Wild Bill Bar / Celebrity Hotel
  • 6:00PM SHOOTOUT – “The Boone May/Prescott Web Altercation” – Wild Bill Bar / Celebrity Hotel
  • 6:20PM “Deadwood Nuggets” – Tales and tunes with “The Black Powder Pistols” – Gold Street Courtyard
  • 7:35PM Capture of Jack McCall – in front of the Saloon No. 10
  • 7:50PM “Even More Tomfoolery” – Eagle Bar Theatre – 610 Main Street
  • 8:00PM TRIAL OF JACK McCALL – Eagle Bar Theatre – 610 Main Street

In addition to the Main Street shootouts, the shooting of James Butler “Wild Bill” Hickok is held daily inside Saloon No.10 at 1:00PM, 3:00PM, 5:00PM and 7:00PM

Click here for more information about our schedule.

paper texture
reenactors - sheriff arresting shooter

Daily Activities

Check out our calendar for all the happenings!

Deadwood Alive provides a wagon load of educational and entertaining performances throughout the day that transport visitors into Deadwood’s rich and unique place in America’s Old West.