How to decorate for a Wild West murder mystery party

Decorating for a Wild West party

Planning to host one of our Wild West murder mystery parties?

If so, these decoration tips will help transform your home into the dusty Silver Dollar saloon…

Way out West

Who Shot the Sheriff

Cover to the free version of our Way out West murder mystery game.

Way out West (free)

You don’t need to completely transform your home—or spend a fortune—to create an immersive Wild West party.

With atmospheric lighting, homemade signs, appropriate music and a few clever props, you can turn an ordinary living room into a saloon worthy of the Old West.

Here are a few ideas to get you started. (And lots of photos from our customers for more ideas.)

Create a Wild West saloon entrance

Start the party before your guests walk through the door.

Hang a large homemade SALOON sign above the entrance and add a weathered “Welcome to Cactus Gulch” sign. (Or “Welcome to Buzzard Creek” for Who Shot the Sheriff.)

If you’re feeling crafty, you could make a pair of swinging saloon doors from lightweight cardboard or foam board.

Aim to make your guests feel as though they’ve stepped out of the modern world and straight into the Old West.

Turn your living room into an Old West saloon

Way out West and Who Shot the Sheriff take place in saloons, so this should be the heart of your party décor.

Transform a dining table, kitchen island or sideboard into a saloon bar.

Brown kraft paper, burlap, checked fabric and faux-wood coverings are inexpensive ways to disguise modern surfaces.

Decorate your saloon bar with old-fashioned bottles, mugs, playing cards, poker chips, fake coins and bowls of peanuts.

Set up a Wild West poker table

Cover a table with green or dark fabric and scatter decks of cards, poker chips and fake coins across it. Add battery-powered lanterns or candles to create an atmospheric glow.

Small handmade signs can add some humour too. Try messages such as “No Cheatin’” or “Card Sharks Will Be Shot.”

Hide modern features

And hide those modern appliances!

Cover your television with a dark cloth or turn it into a frontier town noticeboard. Hide visible cables and electronics where practical, and disguise furniture with blankets, burlap or kraft paper.

Don’t hide absolutely everything. Concentrate on the areas your guests will see most—and anywhere likely to appear in photographs.

Use warm saloon-style lighting

Lighting can completely change the atmosphere of your party.

Switch off harsh overhead lights and use warm table lamps, battery-powered lanterns, LED candles and string lights instead.

Slightly dim lighting instantly makes a room feel more like an intimate, slightly dangerous frontier saloon.

Use classic Wild West props

Scatter a few recognisable Wild West props to reinforce the theme.

Cowboy hats, bandanas, rope, horseshoes, wooden crates, burlap sacks, cactus decorations, sheriff badges, playing cards and old-fashioned bottles can all work well.

You can also turn different rooms into locations around Cactus Gulch.

Create rustic signs saying SHERIFF, JAIL, GENERAL STORE, BANK, HOTEL and UNDERTAKER, then hang them over different doors to turn a hallway into Cactus Gulch’s main street.

Make a Wild West photo backdrop

Make your photos pop with a suitable backdrop.

You could purchase one or simply make one.

A basket of cowboy hats, sheriff badges and bandanas lets everyone pose for photos – even those who aren’t in costume.

Create atmosphere with Wild West music

Your decorations don’t have to be purely visual.

Play instrumental Wild West saloon music or honky-tonk piano quietly in the background – there are loads of playlists on Spotify. (Just search for “wild west saloon” and you’ll find plenty.)