Jerome sits on the side of a mountain and looks like it might slide off at any moment. That is not entirely an exaggeration — parts of the town actually have slid, slowly, over the decades as the ground beneath it shifted from the tunneling of mines below. What is left clings to Cleopatra Hill above the Verde Valley with a dramatic improbability that is part of the town's considerable character.

Jerome State Historic Park is the best place to start any visit — and the best place to understand what Jerome actually was before it became Arizona's most visited ghost town turned artists' enclave.

Jerome — From Boom to Ghost Town to Arts Colony

Copper gave life to this Old West relic as far back as 1876 when the first prospectors staked claims. By the early 1900s, Jerome was the largest copper-producing area in Arizona Territory. Notched into the side of Mingus Mountain, Jerome became the largest ghost town in the nation when mining operations ceased in 1953. The colorful city found a second life as an artists' enclave that has become one of Arizona's most treasured visitor attractions.

At its peak Jerome was home to 15,000 people. When the mines closed it nearly emptied overnight. The buildings that didn't slide down the hill or deteriorate were eventually repurposed — galleries, wine bars, restaurants, and shops now occupy what were once saloons, brothels, and storefronts of a hard-living copper town.

The Douglas Mansion

The Douglas Mansion has been an eye-catching landmark in Jerome since 1916, when James S. "Rawhide" Douglas built it on the hill just above his Little Daisy Mine. Douglas designed the house as a hotel for mining officials and investors as well as for his own family. It featured a wine cellar, billiard room, marble shower, steam heat, and, much ahead of its time, a central vacuum system. Douglas was most proud of the fact that the house was constructed of adobe bricks that were made on the site. It is the largest adobe structure in Arizona.

In August 1962, the Parks Board concluded negotiations with Lewis Douglas and his brother James Douglas for the conveyance of the Douglas Mansion and 2.43 acres of land to the State for park purposes. On October 16, 1965, Jerome State Historic Park was dedicated and opened to the public as the fifth State Park.

The Museum

The museum features exhibits with historic photographs, artifacts, and minerals in addition to a video presentation and a 3-D model of the town with its underground mines. The Douglas library and upstairs bathroom are furnished as period rooms.

An outside exhibit area surrounding the mansion includes mining equipment and interpretive panels. The adjacent carriage house contains a buggy owned by the Douglases and "Smokey Joe" — a 1929 Ford Model A truck from Jerome.

The 3D mine model is one of the most compelling exhibits — a scale model of the town above ground and the labyrinthine tunnel system below it, giving visitors an understanding of the sheer scale of what was excavated from under Jerome over seven decades of copper mining.

The mineral room is exceptional — an entire room dedicated to ore specimens, minerals, and assaying. Don't miss the small closet behind a curtain with fluorescent minerals glowing under ultraviolet light — a quiet surprise tucked into the back of the exhibit space.

The upstairs bathroom — preserved as a period room — features a marble shower and deep bathtub that speak to the luxury James Douglas built into this working mine camp mansion. The library downstairs is similarly preserved, unchanged from its original configuration.

Our Visit — January 9, 2023

A January visit to Jerome is a good call — the town is quieter than in warmer months, the Verde Valley views from the picnic area are clear and expansive, and the museum is unhurried. We visited the park and museum — the exhibits, the video, and the outdoor displays including the mining equipment around the mansion perimeter. (Add any specific details from your visit — exhibits that stood out, the views, the 3D model, the mineral room.)

The Views

From the Douglas home, one can better appreciate the uniqueness of Jerome as it sits dramatically and precariously on the side of a hill. There is a full view of the abandoned mining operations around Jerome and an excellent view of the Verde Valley below. In the distance, there are panoramic views of Oak Creek Canyon, Sycamore Canyon, and the San Francisco Peaks. The picnic area adjacent to the mansion takes full advantage of this — one of the better picnic views in central Arizona.

Audrey Shaft Headframe Park

Right next door to Jerome State Historic Park and open daily 8 AM to 5 PM — stand on the glass above the 1,900-foot shaft, taller than the highest point of the Empire State Building, of the largest headframe still standing in Arizona. Free to visit and genuinely startling to stand on — the glass floor reveals the darkness of the shaft dropping away beneath your feet.

Jerome — Beyond the Park

The town itself is worth wandering after the museum. The steep roads and alleys are best explored on foot. Walk through the former high school that today houses a thriving artists' coop and step into historic storefronts, saloons and brothels reimagined as art galleries, wine bars, and eateries. The Jerome Mine Museum on Main Street fills in additional mining history with a more town-focused perspective than the Douglas Mansion.

More Information

• Entrance fee: $7/vehicle — Arizona State Parks Annual Pass accepted

• Audrey Shaft Headframe Park: adjacent to the state park, free, open daily 8 AM–5 PM — glass floor above 1,900-foot mine shaft

• Jerome Mine Museum: in town on Main Street — separate admission

• Parking in Jerome is extremely limited on busy days — arrive early

• Picnic area adjacent to mansion with panoramic Verde Valley views

• Gift shop on site

Contact

Jerome State Historic Park

100 Douglas Road, Jerome, AZ 86331

(928) 634-5381

http://azstateparks.com/jerome

Hours (2026)

8:30 AM–4:45 PM daily (7 days a week)

Last entry 4:30 PM

#JeromeStatePark #JeromeArizona #DouglasMAnsion #CopperMining #ArizonaGhostTowns #VerdeValley #ArizonaHistory #GhostTown #AZStatePark #AZPlaces #YavapaiCounty #MingusMAountain #ArizonaMining #HistoricArizona #ArtistsEnclave