prairiedelllaketx.html

This Amusement Park was the site the movie series 'TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE' was filmed. It was in Prairie Dell, Texas OR they say actually Salado, Texas OR Jarrell, Texas as if the prior perhaps never had a post office. (or actual geographic town)

I can find nothing else at this time. Not even a 'lake' on a map. I have seen posted by others looking for some old pictures that none have been found YET.

Jarrell is located an hour north of Austin. Prior to filming, the location was Prairie Dell Lake Amusement Park. The Park was opened somewhere between 1983-1984, but quickly went out of business after about a year.

After the park closed, it was used solely for the purpose of the movie. The park was demolished sometime after the movie was completed. The site is now called Emerald Lake RV Park. I asked the Owner Betty Nastasi how it feels to be the owner of a place once used in the movie. She says It's very nice here; people come out here all the time and ask about the movie.

The RV Park is spread out over 4 or 5 acres of land. On site they have a swimming pool, a laundry mat, and different amenities. The manager's office sits off to the left of the land, just in front of the lake. Currently, there is only one building still standing that resembles the inside of the caverns that you see in the movie. I was a little disappointed when I arrived to the film's location, because there was not a whole lot on site that resembled any of the movie. I spoke with Betty Nastasi, the Owner of the RV Park, she was very excited about showing me around the site to locate some cool stuff she thought resembled what may or may not have been in the movie. The first thing she pointed out was the diving pool, which you don't see in the movie, but was used for the amusement park. Strangely, the diving pool has risen out of the ground after many years of rain. The diving pool is located in back of the Office. Betty walked me over to a strip of concrete left over after the park was demolished. The concrete was used as the foundation of the parks most visible attraction, the Matahorn, which was the main set of the family's house in the movie, but was a maze in the actual park. The concrete curves for several hundred feet and seems to be just right for something like that of the Matahorn. That is to our belief the only thing left of the Matahorn. If coming from Austin, you would exit Yankee Rd. The entrance where Stretch comes into the park with her Jeep is the first entrance off the service road. However that entrance is now closed off. The RV Park uses the next entrance. Near the entrance Stretch used, is a concrete slab with eight wooden poles where you see her in the movie, briefly stop and watch the killers enter the Matahorn. Although those poles are now cut, this is definitely the spot where she stood in the film. The beams Stretch is running under while being chased by Lefty is no longer on site. From looking at the movie I would suggest somewhere beside the caverns in where the beams used to be, but you know how movies can be edited, so who knows.

The only other thing I saw on site was the railroad tracks that were used for the train in the amusement park. The amusement park also had a restaurant and a fishing lake in the back along with paddle boats, and go-carts. This would have been a cool place to hangout.

CREDITS: EXCERPTS: TexasChainSawMassacre.Net