| |
|
Road Trip Worthy Ghost Towns in Arizona
|
|
November 2021
|
| |
|
| |
|
As the cool weather approaches signalling fall, it is a
great time for an Arizona road trip! We highlight a few
of Arizona's more famous ghost towns that are road trip
worthy, have plenty to do and see, and have some ghost
stories of their own to tell!
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
Goldfield Ghost
Town, Mine Tours & Train Rides - In the 1890s,
Goldfield was a booming community. It boasted a population
of 3,000-5,000 people. There were three saloons, a hotel,
boarding houses and a general store. There were 50 working
mines in the district. The mines eventually closed, and
the town died.
|
| |
|
Today, Goldfield is a reconstructed 1890s town with plenty
of activities. Explore the many shops and historic
buildings, tour the historic Mammoth Gold Mine or visit
the Goldfield Museum. There are also opportunities to pan
for gold or watch old west gunfights performed by the
famous Goldfield Gunfighters!
|
| |
|
Located 40 miles east of Phoenix, Goldfield Ghost Town is
a great starting point to explore the Apache Trail as well
as explore the Superstition Mountains (where it is
rumoured the Lost Dutchman Mine is hidden). Learn about
the history of the area at the Superstition
Mountain Museum and
the folklore behind Jacob Waltz, known as "the Dutchman",
who took the secret of the Lost Dutchman mine to his grave
in 1891. Wanna hike? Visit Lost Dutchman
State Park with
miles of hiking trails through the beautiful Sonoran
Desert and picturesque Superstition Mountains.
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
Bisbee
- Located 90 miles southeast of Tucson in southern Arizona
and nestled amongst the Mule Mountains, the Bisbee was
founded in 1880. The town quickly thrived thanks to a
booming mining industry due to the area's rich reserves of
copper and precious metals. Today, Bisbee is an eclectic
mix of art, boutiques, historic architecture, great
restaurants and lots of history. The best way to learn
Bisbee's ghost stories is to take a tour or experience
them yourself. Here are a few suggestions:
|
|
| |
|
Ghost, Seance, History, Magic
Show - Enter Magic Kenny
Bang Bang's Victorian parlour, get whisked back in time,
learn the haunted history of Bisbee and meet some of its
most infamous ghosts all in a one-hour theatrical seance.
Is it merely a clever display of parlour tricks, or an
encounter with the paranormal? You be the judge. (For
entertainment purposes only. Kid-friendly.)
|
|
| |
|
Old Bisbee Ghost
Tour - This walking tour
leads you through Old Bisbee's streets, stairways and old
alleys on an adventure to discover and learn about the
ghosts that haunt this town. Learn their history and
favourite haunts while seeing Old Bisbee when very few do,
after sunset.
|
|
| |
|
Copper Queen Hotel - This hotel in central Bisbee opened its doors in 1902 and has not closed them since. Thanks to its long history and proximity to the mine, you may meet a ghost or two during your stay!
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
Lowell - A seven-minute drive from Bisbee, walking down Erie Street in Lowell, Arizona, is like walking into an abandoned town from the 1950's. Erie Street used to be the commercial district of a once thriving mining town that was incorporated into neighbouring Bisbee. Today, Erie Street has remnants of days gone past including a Shell gas station, motorcycle repair shop, department store and vintage cars parked on the street.
|
|
| |
| |
|
Jerome - A former copper
mining town on top of Cleopatra Hill in North Central
Arizona, Jerome has a few ghost stories of its own! After
World War II and the decrease in demand for copper,
Jerome's economy faltered, and most people left the town
behind. Today, Jerome is a thriving art enclave with wine
tasting rooms, restaurants, hotels, boutique shopping and
plenty of ghost stories!
|
| |
|
Here are a few suggestions for ghostly encounters in and
around Jerome:
|
|
Spend the night at the (haunted) Jerome Grand Hotel
perched high on Cleopatra Hill. Originally the United
Verde Hospital (1926-1950), the hospital was turned into a
hotel in 1996. It is believed some of the past residents
of the hospital haunt the hotel. The third floor is
particularly active as that is where many of the
unsuccessful operations took place. Guests claim to hear
wheels of hospital gurneys echo throughout hallways. Watch
out for the cat ghost who likes to jump on beds!
|
| |
|
Ghost Town Tours - Learn the history
of the area and visit haunted locations.
|
| |
|
Gold King Mine - A short five-minute
drive from Jerome takes you to the Gold King Mine, which
shut down in the 1950s. Today, abandoned buildings and
cars remain. Activities include gold panning, taking
photos and imagining the town as it once was.
|
| |
|
Jerome is part of Verde Valley, a vibrant valley in
central Arizona named after the Verde River, which runs
through it. Here you will find charming towns, wineries
and wine tasting rooms, hiking trails, delicious dining
options, and water activities, to name a few. Verde Valley
is an easy drive from Phoenix, making this a great road
trip destination.
|
|
| |
| |
|
Hackberry General Store - Located 30 miles
from Kingman on historic Route 66, Hackberry General Store
is all that remains of this former silver mining town that
got its start in 1874. The town of Hackberry was also an
important area for cattle loading and saw its fair share
of outlaws and cowboys. By 1919, the mine closed, and the
town of Hackberry was deserted.
|
| |
|
When Route 66 was built in the 1920s, Hackberry saw a bit
of a revival as gas stations and a store opened to service
travellers on Route 66. When Interstate 40 bypassed the
portion of Route 66 from Seligman to Kingman in 1978,
Hackberry was stranded 16 miles from the new highway with
no off-ramp. The result was devastating as businesses
closed. In 1992, with the resurgence of interest in
historic Route 66, the Hackberry General Store was opened
as a tourist information stop and souvenir shop.
|
| |
|
Today, Hackberry General Store is a popular Historic Route
66 stop with plenty of photo opportunities including neon
signs, vintage cars and nostalgic memorabilia from Route
66's heyday. Make a road trip along historic Route 66 on
your way to/from Hackberry General Store. For some ideas
where to stop along the way check out: www.AZRoadtrips.com.
|
|
| |
| |
Appreciate AZ: The Arizona Office of
Tourism and the Leave No Trace Centre for Outdoor Ethics
have forged a partnership to promote sustainable tourism
practices across Arizona's spectacular landscapes and
unique destinations. In addition to following local rules
and regulations, it's important to understand the
principles of Leave No Trace, which are guidelines that
help protect beautiful, wild spaces. These include such
things as plan and prepare, stick to trails, trash your
trash, leave what you find, be careful with fire, respect
wildlife, and share the outdoors. Appreciate AZ is
Arizona's program for responsible tourism. It ensures we
are doing our part to educate visitors and residents on
how to recreate responsibly and to keep our state
beautiful for future generations. If we do our part to
take care of our public lands, we will have the privilege
of enjoying them for many years to come. Thank you for
doing your part to keep Arizona beautiful!
Want to learn more about Arizona? Visit our Online
Training Programme, Arizona From A to
Z!
Please note: For visitor guidance due
to COVID-19 such as mask-wearing, a list of
tourism-related reopening's or closures, and a link to
public health guidelines, click here: https://www.visitarizona.com/covid-19/.
Some attractions are open year-round, and some are
open seasonally or move to seasonal hours. To ensure
the places you want to see are open on your travel
dates, please check their website for hours of
operation.
For General Arizona Information - https://www.visitarizona.com
|
|
| |
| |
|
