Southfork Ranch: The Parker, Texas Mansion That Became the Ewing Home

What is Southfork Ranch?

Southfork Ranch is a private estate in Parker, Texas, north-east of Dallas, best known as the Ewing family home in the television series Dallas. It belongs on a cattle hall of fame site for a simple reason: for millions of viewers around the world, this house was the picture of what a Texas cattle fortune looks like, whether or not the real property ever worked as a ranch.

The story of the place is really the story of how a big-screen idea of ranching, with long driveways, white fences and oil money, grew from one family's house.

Who built Southfork and when?

According to the Dallas Morning News timeline, land developer Joe Duncan built a 6,000-square-foot mansion called Duncan Acres in Parker in 1970. The ranch's own website says the property was 200 acres when the mansion was built and that Duncan built it for his family.

The Duncans lived on the property while it was used for television. They moved out in 1985 because of growing tourist and event demand, and the place then became solely a tourist and filming site.

How did Southfork become the Ewing ranch on Dallas?

Lorimar Productions filmed Dallas at the ranch beginning in 1978. Crews had done earlier exterior shoots at the Box Ranch in Frisco, according to the Morning News. Exterior scenes at Southfork were shot there through 1989, and later scenes of the mansion interior were shot at a studio replica.

Dallas ran for 357 episodes from 1978 to 1991. The ranch also appeared in the 1996 movie Dallas: J.R. Returns and the 1998 movie Dallas: War of the Ewings. When TNT launched a Dallas continuation in June 2012, some scenes were shot at Southfork again, and that series ran three seasons.

From tourist stop to event venue

The official site describes private events, weddings and corporate gatherings at the property. In the early 1990s the ranch also served as a flea market venue, and in 2010 the Potter's House megachurch began holding Sunday services there. The ranch started offering overnight stays in August 2019, and in January 2022 it became home to Third Monday Trade Days.

The Morning News timeline also records smaller moments that show the site's pull on fans: Little Texas filmed the music video for God Blessed Texas there in 1993, fans gathered at the ranch in November 2012 after the death of Larry Hagman, and original cast members held a reunion in March 2018 for the show's 40th anniversary.

Who owns Southfork Ranch now?

Ownership has changed several times, according to the Wikipedia article on the ranch and the Morning News. Glenfed Financial Corporation bought the ranch at a foreclosure auction in 1991 for $3.15 million. In 1992, Arizona businessman Rex Maughan bought it at auction for more than $2.5 million, and his company, Forever Resorts, took over operations.

In March 2022 the ranch was reported to be under contract for sale, and a Change.org petition to save it began that month. In October 2022 it was sold to home builder Centurion American.

Costs and limits of a TV ranch

Southfork is not a record of working cattle ranching. The sources describe a family mansion, a television location and an event business, with no herd figures. The property also went through a foreclosure sale in 1991 and a second auction in 1992, a reminder that even famous ranch properties depend on steady income.

Readers curious about the real working ranches that inspired television fiction can start with farm.FM's ranching section.

Visit or learn more

The ranch is in Parker, Texas, and its website lists tours and events, with occasional closures for private events. For a reader-friendly look at ranch life beyond television, see a farm.FM story about Southfork.