Now for a look inside Southfork, a real house that’s been redecorated in the spirit of the TV show “Dallas,” with rooms dedicated to several of the characters. The decor, however, fits the specific year 1970 when the real house was built. The show debuted in 1978 and ran until 1991. Just go with it.
“Jock’s” living room at Southfork
Here’s a picture from the ” reimagined” living room with a looming picture of Jock Ewing. Thankfully, our guide did acknowledge that this was actor Jim Davis, although most of the time she spoke of the characters as if they were real people who actually lived there, which was kind-of amusing. We visited just before Christmas, so you can see some holiday decorations in the photo.
On the tour you’ll see Miss Ellie’s bedroom and kitchen (blue on TV, red in Texas) , as well rooms for Lucy and Bobby Ewing. Unlike the TV show, where there seemed to be vast suites of bedrooms upstairs, at this Southfork, there is only one bedroom upstairs devoted solely to J.R. with a giant bed on a platform in the middle of the room. (I couldn’t get a good picture, but you can see it on the website’s photo gallery).
Look at these fun door pulls at the entrance to the “Lincoln’s and Longhorns ” shop
Before we left, we stopped in the powder room off the foyer. Our guide thought this room was “beautifully decorated,” including the dark red toilet! (I think I recall a black toilet somewhere too).
So here’s what I realized: our guide really loved the house itself, including the interior design and decorations. I am not a big fan of ’70s decor (seriously, it seems so weird to me that someone would choose to redecorate in that style), I wanted to get the inside details about the show itself, the production, the plot twists and turns, etc. The show was on for 13 seasons (356 episodes) so it would be hard for anyone to know everything.
At the end of our visit, our charmingly Southern, sequined-shirted guide escorted us through the large front door wishing us “the merriest of Christmases” and sent us out into the cold, windy tundra to take photos out front. It was so windy and cold that we didn’t stay long.
On Southfork’s lawn. Did I mention that it was cold that day? There is nothing to stop the wind.
On the way back to the car, we stopped at another gift shop, which had “Dallas-inspired” clothing, jewelry, etc. There you can see Jock’s “famous” Lincoln Continental. (There’s also a Miss Ellie’s deli that wasn’t open yet the morning we were there).
So what’s my take on Southfork? I enjoyed it. It’s a piece of pop culture – fun, campy and a bit ridiculous! I went in with realistic expectations and embraced the experience for what it was.You should go see for yourself. Now, I am looking forward to the new Dallas show this summer!
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