Jerome

Jerome, Arizona, is a vertiginous hillside town perched at 5,000 feet on the steep slopes of Cleopatra Hill in the Black Hills of central Arizona, overlooking the Verde Valley and the red rocks of Sedona in the distance. Founded in 1876 as a copper mining camp, Jerome grew into one of the richest copper-producing centers in the American West — at its early 20th-century peak, the town held 15,000 residents, operated dozens of saloons and gambling halls, and earned the nickname 'the Wickedest Town in the West.' When copper prices collapsed after World War II, the population plummeted to fewer than 50 by the 1950s, and Jerome became famous as one of Arizona's authentic ghost towns. Today roughly 450 permanent residents have transformed Jerome into a thriving bohemian arts community, with galleries, wine tasting rooms, artisan studios, antique shops, and restaurants occupying the steep, winding streets of its Victorian-era commercial buildings. The main street climbs from the lower junction with AZ-89A past the Connor Hotel, the Spirit Room Bar, and dozens of galleries up to Jerome State Historic Park — the preserved mansion of copper magnate 'Rawhide Jimmy' Douglas, now a museum with mining exhibits and panoramic views from its terrace. Entry to the mansion costs $8. The Sliding Jail, a concrete jailhouse that has shifted approximately 225 feet from its original location due to underground mine blasting, is one of Jerome's most curious landmarks. Jerome's haunted reputation draws ghost tour operators year-round, and the Jerome Grand Hotel — a converted 1926 hospital on the highest point in town — is one of Arizona's most famous allegedly haunted lodging options with sweeping Verde Valley views from its terrace.