October 21, 2021
Visit the Wickedest City in the West
One of the country’s most famous ghost towns sits only 34 miles northeast of downtown Prescott. Quietly resting at the top of Cleopatra Hill, Jerome is home to less 500 residents. But this quaint town wasn’t always so peaceful. Once a booming mining town in the 1920s, Jerome was the most abundant producer of copper, silver, and gold in Arizona. But roughly thirty years later the mines turned dry, and Jerome soon became the largest ghost town in the west.
Like most mining towns, injury and unsafe working conditions were the norms, and Jerome was no exception. The history of Jerome’s gruesome deaths surrounding the industry runs deep as the town’s hospital saw over 9,000 deaths.
This fall, fulfill your yearly spook by heading to Cleopatra Hill. Explore Jerome spontaneously by popping into local storefronts and bars to discover neighborhood ghost stories and snippets of rich mining history. Or opt to take a Jerome Ghost Town Tour, guided by local enthusiasts escorting you to the town’s paranormal hotspots and revealing the coveted town’s secrets. If you’re feeling extra brave, round out your visit by staying overnight in the Jerome Grand Hotel, the town’s former hospital.
You might even go home with your own ghost story to tell.
Learn more about what Northern Arizona has to offer here.