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Where on Earth Is Jerome, Arizona?
Jerome clings to the side of Cleopatra Hill, about 100 miles north of Phoenix and a scenic 40-minute drive from Sedona, where we live. If you’re in neighboring Cottonwood, AZ and look up, you’ll see what remains of the once bustling mining town. The road going up to Jerome has several curves then zig-zags back and forth through the town. It is now a whimsical tourist attraction, filled with shops, artists, and restaurants.
Why We Went to Jerome Arizona
We’d visited Jerome a few times with friends, but we never felt we really got to see the whole town. Then, an opportunity came up to spend a month in Jerome’s oldest stone building — The Warehouse built in 1885. It sits high on the hill, overlooking the town, with awesome views off the back deck. We packed up our Ninja appliances, Keurig, a few outfits and went off for our month-long adventure.
A Wicked Little History: From Copper Kings to Crystal Shops
In 1876, prospectors struck ore on Cleopatra Hill. By the early 1900s, the United Verde Copper Company turned the slope into a boomtown of 15,000 people of 30 different nationalities. But the prosperity also brought greed and crime, which included gambling, saloons, and a flourishing red-light district that catered to Jerome’s heavily male population. The rapid growth and the rough crowd is what earned Jerome the nickname of the “Wickedest Town in the West.”
The mines closed in 1953 and the crowds vanished. Then in the ’60s–’70s, artists, hippies, and preservationists moved in, patched the brick, opened galleries, and eventually brought Jerome back to life. With sidewalks that lean, a “sliding jail” and abandoned structures mixed in with all of it, Jerome now enjoys a rebirth as a popular, quirky tourist town. Who would have thought!
Exploring Jerome: A Town That Clings to Its Hill
The town of Jerome is best explored on foot, slowly, with a latte in hand! Parking is hard to come by on busy weekends, but not so much on weekdays. Bring your credit card as most parking is by meter. Here are a few of the fun things to do and see in Jerome.
Jerome State Historic Park / Douglas Mansion
- Jerome State Historic Park / Douglas Mansion -1916 mansion turned museum, packed with mining lore and panoramic views. You’ll see the turn off on the right as you drive up to Jerome. The park is open 9am-4pm daily and has a $10 entrance fee for adults, $5 for ages 7-13. Children under 7 are free. We thoroughly enjoyed not only the history but also the views. Not to be missed!
The Sliding Jail
- The Sliding Jail — Yes, between the mid-1930s and its stabilization in 2017, due to years of blasting, the town of Jerome jail slid 225 feet downhill from it’s original hillside location to the middle of Hull Avenue. Walk down and take a look!
Gold King Mine & Ghost Town (Haynes)
- Gold King Mine & Ghost Town (Haynes) — Rusted trucks, creaky buildings, and the kind of photo ops you didn’t know you needed. Also, a petting farm for kids. (Me too!) This mine was once SO BIG it was it’s own town of Haynes. The town had its own post office from 1908 to 1922.
Jerome Ghost Town Tours
- Jerome Ghost Town Tours – Well, you really can’t come to a place known for it’s ghostly past, and not do at least one ghost tour. There are two tour companies in town, Jerome Ghost Tours and Tours of Jerome, located down the steps in the New State Motor Co. Museum and shops. Both offer a variety of tours, but we opted for the ghostly one. They provide EMF detectors (to find ghosts) as well as a translator, so you could talk to the ghost – if the ghost felt like it. The ghosts didn’t have much to say the night we were there, but it’s fun anyhow.
Where to Eat in Jerome (We Did the Hard Work for You)
We ate everywhere. For science. Check ahead before heading out to eat. Some restaurants (and businesses) open a bit later than usual, while some close a bit earlier. Make sure you get dinner before 8:00pm or else all you may have available are peanuts at the local bar.
The Haunted Hamburger
- The Haunted Hamburger — Killer burgers, killer views, allegedly mischievous spirits. The menu is extensive (even quesadillas) with big portions. Don’t forget to check out the gift shop for a ghostly t-shirt, sweatshirt or hoodie. Open for lunch / dinner 11am-9pm daily. Open later than the others.
The Flatiron Café
- The Flatiron Café — Cozy wedge-shaped nook serving yummy breakfasts & lunches and absolutely the best cappuccino around. Open Thu – Mon 8:30am -3:30pm.
Desert Grave Espresso
- Desert Grave Artisan Espresso – Erza and Jeneisha, the owners, make each cup of coffee with a press. My cappuccino and Jack’s mocha were great. Also has a few baked goods. Down the steps in the New State Motor Co building. Open Fri – Mon 12pm – 5pm and Sun 12pm – 5pm.
Bobby D’s BBQ
- Bobby D’s BBQ — Smoky, messy, glorious. Big portions. Charley Hong built the English Kitchen in 1899, but only served Chinese food with a popular opium den in the basement. Not to worry – it’s long gone. Charlie is said to have passed peacefully in booth 3, inside the restaurant. That was the booth we were in! It’s finger licken’ good! Open daily 11am – 6pm.
The Asylum Restaurant
- The Asylum Restaurant — Fine dining inside the Jerome Grand Hotel. You’ll come for the wine, stay for the whispers. The food is excellent – this is the dessert we enjoyed after dinner. Come for the name, stay for the views, enjoy the exceptional food! Open 11am – 9pm daily except Tue.
The Clinkscale
- The Clinkscale — Candlelit, classy, perfect for a hill-climb victory dinner. I love their Eggs Benedict, served on a house-made biscuit instead of an English Muffin. The “Chilled & Grilled Shrimp” shown here, was to die for! Open daily 8:30am – 8:30pm.
The Haunted Pizano
- The Haunted Pizano – The only pizza place in town! We had pizza here every Friday. Since we’re retired, that’s how we keep track of what day it is. Get in there early as it fills up quickly. Open daily 11am – 8pm.
The Miners Café
- The Miners Café — Don’t miss this place located down the steps. Espresso drinks! If you need an early, and good breakfast, this is your place. They open before anyone else. Breakfast favorites, quiche and baked goods, although Jack’s favorite was the miner’s pick. Say hi to Robert and Linda, the owners. Open 7am – 2pm except Fri / Sat open 7am – 7pm.
Vaqueros Grill & Cantina
- Vaqueros Grill & Cantina— Huge menu, huge portions, quick, friendly service and great Mexican food. Great chips, salsa, tacos – should I go on? We went here several times. Fun decor too! If you look closely at the front, you’ll see it was “Safeway” store back in the day. Daily 10:30am – 8pm.
Where to Stay: Ghosts Optional, Views Guaranteed
Stay at least one night. You just can’t take it all in in one day. Plus, Jerome after dark is a different story — quieter, moodier, a touch spooky.
- Jerome Grand Hotel — The crown jewel. Once a hospital, now a hotel with history. Ask about Room 32 if you like drama. Don’t forget to eat at the Hotel restaurant, The Asylum for the full experience.
- Ghost City Inn – Built as a boarding house for middle management in 1890, still serving up hospitality.
- The Clinkscale Hotel — Boutique comfort upstairs, great breakfast, lunch and dinner downstairs.
- The Hotel Connor – Built in 1899, comfortably restored, located above the Spirit Bar, for those late nights out.
- The Miner’s Cottage – Originally built for miners working the United Verde Mine, now a cozy getaway.
- Million Dollar View — Each full of personality and… stories.
- The Little Daisy – Have an event coming up and need space for everyone to be together? Filled with history, the LIttle Daisy is your dream venue. Sleeps 19.
- The Surgeon’s House Bed & Breakfast – Eclectic decor, koi ponds and gardens to feed your soul.
- The Flat – Located above the Flatiron Café. Definitely quirky with the best espresso drinks, breakfast and lunch right downstairs.
There are many wonderful places to stay in Jerome. Check to see if they have on-site parking and if you can walk around town from the location. Most all of these are centrally located which means you can walk out the door and start exploring. Have fun!
Shop Like a Local: Vintage, Art & All the Oddities
From vintage threads to kaleidoscopes — Jerome shops are delightfully unboxed. Think treasure hunt: no malls, no chains — just character. It’s really impossible to name all of them, so here are a few of our favorites;
- Amore Pin Up Boutique – This shop specializes in vintage-inspired and retro apparel, including pin-up dresses, cardigans, and accessories.
- Papillion — Antiques and vintage clothing with stories woven in. Awesome jewelry. I found an amazing velvet jacket here. Take your time. Look around. Say hello to Sherrie for us.
- Jerome Jeweler & University Shop — Copper, turquoise, silver; locally crafted pieces. Lots of fun oddities. Would you believe we bought a Big Foot statue holding a rechargeable lantern here? Crazy, right?
- Nelly Bly’s Kaleidoscopes — Hypnotic color; time warp warning. So many it’s hard to choose. But you must look – if Kaleidoscopes are your thing, be prepared to go home with one.
- Raku Gallery – OMG. If you love beautiful art, jewelry, and sculptures, you must go. Upstairs & downstairs too. So much to drool over.
- Mimi’s Open Studio Gallery – Mimi’s features local and guest artists in a traditional medium. And of course, Mimi’s beautiful paintings. If you’re lucky, you’ll get to meet her
- University Shack – Not associated with any University. Unique t-shirts, clothing, mugs, and more.
- Laughing Mountain — Whimsical gift, irresistible curios, metal wall art and fun clothing, for starters.
- Rock & Crystal Shops — A shiny wink at Jerome’s mining history but they have so much more than just rocks and crystals. Visit these shops for souviners, art, lamps, t-shirts and who knows what else.
- There are far too many to mention in this blog, but we enjoyed each and every one! Plus, we have to leave SOMETHING for you to discover.
The real magic? The people. Sherry, Robert & Linda, Mimi, Ezra & Jeneisha — they’ll chat like you’re already family.
What to Pack for Jerome
Layers, comfy shoes, and a camera. You’ll use them all.
- Good walking shoes — “Flat” isn’t really a thing here. These Danner hiking shoes are functional and fashion forward. Waterproof, breathable and lightweight. Yep, I love ’em. These are for men!
- Layers — Cool mornings, warm afternoons, breezy evenings.
- Sunscreen + hat — High-altitude sun is sneaky. I love this hat! It offers sun protection, is adjustable and has a chin strap. Unisex too.
- Refillable water bottle — Hydrate, then hydrate again.
- Camera / charger — It’s all very photogenic.
- Light rain jacket — Here’s some for women and men. Summer monsoons love drama.
- Small daypack — For treasures you totally didn’t plan to buy. This one is perfect. Lightweight and packable. 4 oz total with plenty of room for goodies/sweaters/etc.
Getting There: The Drive Is Half the Fun
Highway 89A: the kind of drive that makes you say “pull over, I need a photo.”
- From Phoenix: ~100 miles (≈2 hrs) via I-17 → AZ-260 → AZ-89A.
- From Sedona: ~28 miles (≈40 mins) via AZ-89A (hello, red rocks).
- From Cottonwood: ~7 miles up a twisty climb — feels like ascending into another era.
Parking is limited, streets are steep, and cell signal is… charmingly unreliable. Perfect for unplugging.
Final Thoughts: Where Ghosts, Artists & Stories Collide
Jerome is so much fun; we hated to leave at the end of our month. It was an “experiment” on our part, staying some place for a month, and we love it! We made friends, went out to eat more than we’ve ever done before, wandered everywhere and visited every shop, nook and cranny at least twice, if not more. Bought some fun, quirky stuff that can only be found in a reinvented place like Jerome.
Love the sunrise and sunset views from our “ancient abode – temporary home.” You’ll easily get your daily exercise just walking around. We had all that, plus the long walk up to our “house” which only became steeper as we went.
Stay a night (or two), order dessert, and if you hear the floors creaking at night…or a door slam shut… or hushed whispers….just smile and blame the ghosts.
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Aloha, Jack & Elaine
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