Saddle Up in Ramsgate: A Day at Pistols Saloon & Wild West Museum

Jake-Lee Coetzee

24 minutes ago

3 min read

Hand-painted Cowboys Don't Cry sign above the Wild West Museum entrance at Pistols Saloon, Ramsgate

There is a door on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast that opens straight onto the Wild West. No time machine, no passport, no horse required. Just a little curiosity and an appetite for tall tales.

Pistols Saloon & Wild West Museum in Ramsgate is the kind of place that makes you slow right down. Everything here has been gathered, painted or carved by hand, and every wall has a story to tell if you stand still long enough to listen. We spent the day wandering through it with our cameras, and we think you will want to saddle up and do the same.

Welcome to the Wild West Museum

The adventure starts at the entrance, where a hand-painted sign announces that Cowboys Don't Cry and a painted line beneath it reminds you exactly where you are: the Wild West Museum. It is part theatre set, part treasure chest and entirely sincere.

Inside, a writing desk keeps its typewriter and stacks of old books, with a boxed set of Shakespeare's Complete Works holding court beside them. Framed certificates and sepia photographs crowd the wall. A wardrobe hangs open to reveal fringed leather jackets. And down a painted street, the O.K. Corral stands ready, while Dr Ezekeal Bumblins, Dentist & Undertaker, is clearly doing a brisk trade in both departments.

The O.K. Corral at the Wild West Museum, Pistols Saloon, Ramsgate

Shakespeare Complete Works on the museum desk at Pistols Saloon

Boot Hill, with a sense of humour

Step outside into the greenery and you will find the saloon's tombstones leaning in the leaves, each with an epitaph that deserves a grin. Nobody here is taking life too seriously, and neither should you. Pause for a photograph, and keep your tab paid up.

Funny tombstones on Boot Hill at Pistols Saloon, Ramsgate

Boot Hill tombstones at Pistols Saloon Wild West Museum

Pool, poker and a cold pint

Back inside, the saloon proper glows amber. A poker game is frozen forever on the wall, every painted player mid-bluff, while the green baize of the pool table waits for challengers. At the bar, the tap pours a pint with a perfect crown of foam. Wanted posters line the walls, and hand-lettered signs point you to the Cowboys and the Cowgirls, the Ladies and the Gents. It is all done with such good humour that you will want to read every sign twice.

A pint poured at the bar of Pistols Saloon, Ramsgate

Ladies and Gents signs at Pistols Saloon, Ramsgate

Inside Pistols Saloon Wild West Museum, Ramsgate

Meet the resident bar lady

And then there is her. Every great saloon needs a face behind the bar, and Pistols has a donkey. She wanders in as though she owns the place, rests her chin on the counter, leans into an outstretched hand and gazes at the pool table with the weary wisdom of someone who has heard every story twice. East Coast Radio notes that this pet-friendly pub and restaurant has a resident donkey who likes to say hello to patrons, and we can confirm she is every bit as charming in person.

The resident donkey at the bar of Pistols Saloon, Ramsgate

The resident donkey at Pistols Saloon, Ramsgate

Plan your visit

Where: Ramsgate, on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast.

What to expect: good food, a cold drink, the Wild West Museum and live music, with karaoke on Wednesday nights according to East Coast Radio. Check the Pistols Saloon Facebook page for the latest events.

Bring: the family, the camera and a sense of humour. It is pet-friendly too.

Some places find you. Pistols Saloon found us, and we are already planning our return. For more South Coast stories, wander through our Travel section, whet your appetite in Food & Taste, or see how we can help your business tell its story on our Partner With Us page.