Deadwood NC Review, a Wild West Theme Park & Restaurant
Deadwood Restaurant & Theme Park opened in April 1992 as a miniature golf course in the Bear Grass area of Martin County near Williamston, North Carolina. In 1994, they added a dance hall. Today, Deadwood is probably best known for its rib-eye steaks.
If you’re a theme park enthusiast from outside of the Coastal Plains or Piedmont regions of North Carolina, it’ll be tricky to plan a visit, but you could possibly do it as a stop on an east coast road trip with stops in Myrtle Beach and Busch Gardens Williamsburg. Or, it could be a stop adjacent to a beach vacation to North Carolina’s Outer Banks.
Park Tour
We explored Deadwood in July 2022. Unfortunately, none of the major outdoor attractions were open, but did we get to try the famous ribeye steak!
Review
We didn’t know what to expect from Deadwood, but we had a great visit.
Attractions
There are several attractions at Deadwood when it’s fully operational:
The Dinosaur Canyon coaster (See coaster on RCDB) is a B.A. Schiff & Associates steel coaster. It’s scheduled to reopen in spring 2023. A single ride is $3.
The Gold Mine Mini-Golf Course is the attraction that started it all!. It’s also planned to reopen in spring 2023. A round will cost you $3.
The Iron Horse Express train is perhaps the most popular attraction. It wasn’t open for our visit in July 2022 but should be open again soon. Rides are $3, and there are special themed rides for Halloween and Christmas-time.
The kid’s playground is completely free and open to all children under 13 years old. It looks like it was recently refurbished with brand new elements, like a miniature rock wall.
Even with the major attractions down for repair, it’s still fun to walk around the grounds and feed the koi, which costs a quarter. We’re planning to visit again in 2023 when the major attractions are available.
The Smokehouse Grill
The primary reason to visit Deadwood is to try one of the marinated rib-eye steaks! The steaks are cooked to order. We ordered both a medium and a medium-rare, and they arrived perfectly cooked. The sides are really good, too; the premium sides are worth the upgrade since they have mac and cheese, fried apples, collard greens, and more.
Improvement Areas
Deadwood certainly seems to maximize their available space! We can’t wait to see what it’s like when all of the attractions are back open.
In addition to the attractions, Deadwood has a few locations at Deadwood Junction (the center of the park) that we’d also love to see reopen. It’d be great to experience the No. 10 Saloon and the General Store.
Overall
Even with most of the attractions unavailable, Deadwood is still worth visiting! If you’re a coaster enthusiast looking to pick up the Dinosaur Canyon coaster credit, I’d wait until 2023 and confirm that the coaster is operating before your visit.
