You can see Sedona’s red rocks from this tiny Arizona town that almost ceased to exist

Jerome’s still clinging to Cleopatra Hill

Jerome, Arizona, sits more than 5,000 feet up on the steep slope of Cleopatra Hill, and about 464 people call it home. The town overlooks the Verde Valley, with Sedona’s red rocks visible in the distance.

Its winding streets and hillside buildings look like nothing else in the state.

A hundred miles north of Phoenix along State Route 89A, this former copper boomtown went from 10,000 residents to near zero and back again. How it survived is the real story.

Copper, gold and a billion dollars underground

The first mining claims went up on Cleopatra Hill in 1876, and the town took its name from Eugene Jerome, a New York financier who bankrolled the early operations.

By 1883, the United Verde Copper Company had started large-scale mining.

Over about 70 years, crews pulled more than a billion dollars worth of copper, gold, silver and zinc out of the ground.

At its peak in the 1920s, more than 10,000 people lived here, and Jerome earned a nickname: the “Wickedest Town in the West.”

A mining mansion turned state park museum

James S. Douglas built his mansion in 1916 on the hill above his Little Daisy Mine. It became a state park and museum in the 1960s.

Inside, you can walk through rooms full of mining artifacts, historic photographs, geological samples and a 3D model of the town and its underground tunnels.

A video presentation walks you through Jerome’s boom-and-bust timeline. Step outside and the grounds give you a wide-open view of the Verde Valley spread out below.

Stand on glass over a 1,900-foot mine shaft

Right next to Jerome State Historic Park, Audrey Headframe Park holds the largest wooden headframe still standing in Arizona, built in 1918.

When the park is open, you can step onto a glass platform directly above the 1,900-foot Audrey shaft.

Mining equipment surrounds the headframe, including ore cars, drills and a man-cage that once lowered miners underground.

The Jerome Historical Society manages the site, but as of 2026, it is temporarily closed for restoration until further notice.

The concrete jail that slid 225 feet downhill

Jerome built its third jail in 1905, and it stayed put for about 33 years. Then the dynamite blasts from nearby mining operations loosened the ground underneath.

Starting in 1938, the concrete building began sliding downhill, and it kept going for about 225 feet. The town never moved it back.

They just rerouted the road around it.

You can find it along Hull Avenue now, free to see from the street, and it is one of the most photographed spots in town.

Carbide lamps and saloon relics on Main Street

The Jerome Historical Society Mine Museum has held its spot on Main Street since the 1950s.

You walk through displays of mining tools, carbide lamps, ore carts and old photographs that show what life looked like underground.

The museum also tells the story of the miners themselves, people who came from around the world to work these shafts. Look for artifacts from Jerome’s rowdier days, including pieces from the old saloons.

Admission costs very little, and you can see it all in about 30 to 40 minutes.

Artists moved into the crumbling buildings

When the mines shut down in 1953, Jerome’s population dropped below 100. The town was nearly gone.

Then in the 1960s and 1970s, artists, musicians and craftspeople started showing up, restoring the old buildings one by one. The Jerome Historical Society stepped in to preserve key structures and block demolitions.

Today you can browse artist studios, galleries and artisan shops throughout town.

The Jerome Artists Cooperative Gallery sits inside the refurbished Hotel Jerome building, where local Verde Valley artists show paintings, sculpture, jewelry, glasswork and photography.

Pet goats and gold panning at Gold King Mine

About a mile north of Jerome’s main street, Gold King Mine and Ghost Town spreads across a hillside full of old mining equipment, a working sawmill and a blacksmith shop.

A big collection of antique trucks and cars sits scattered across the grounds, rusting in the open air. Goats, chickens and donkeys wander the property and come right up to you.

Families can try gold panning on-site. The place is open every day except Tuesdays and major holidays.

Three-state views from every steep corner

Jerome’s hillside position puts the entire Verde Valley at your feet. On clear days, you can pick out the red rock formations near Sedona to the east.

The grounds at Jerome State Historic Park give you some of the widest valley views in town.

Near the north entrance, the Jerome Historical Society built a View Park with an overlook of the town and the Douglas Mansion below.

Even just walking the steep streets changes the view with every block, so you see something different every time you turn around.

Old saloons reborn as galleries and antique shops

Jerome’s main street and the alleys around it are lined with buildings from the late 1800s and early 1900s. Former storefronts and saloons now hold art galleries, shops and small museums.

The old Jerome High School houses a thriving artists’ cooperative. Locally owned shops sell antiques, vintage collectibles, handmade crafts and Southwestern goods.

The streets are steep and uneven, so wear comfortable shoes. Parking fills up fast on weekends, and you will have an easier time if you arrive early.

A 1,000-year-old pueblo a short drive downhill

Tuzigoot National Monument sits just a short drive from Jerome, near the town of Clarkdale. The Sinagua people built this pueblo of about 110 rooms on a ridge above the Verde River roughly 1,000 years ago.

Unlike the cliff dwellings you find elsewhere in Arizona, this one stands on an open hilltop. A walking trail through the pueblo takes about 30 to 45 minutes.

Your admission pass also covers nearby Montezuma Castle National Monument for seven days, so you get two sites for one price.

Eighty-eight miles of tunnels hold this town up

Jerome earned National Historic Landmark status in the 1960s, and that recognition helped save it from disappearing for good. The town sits above 88 miles of old mine shafts, and the ground still shifts.

Community events run throughout the year, from historic home tours to festivals and seasonal celebrations. Weekdays draw smaller crowds, and the steep roads and tight parking make that worth knowing.

From its copper roots to its artist revival, Jerome refused to become a ghost town, and it is still proving that every year.

Explore Jerome’s copper country in Arizona

You can reach Jerome along State Route 89A in Yavapai County, about 100 miles north of Phoenix.

Sedona sits about 35 minutes to the east, and Prescott is about 45 minutes to the west, so a day trip from either one works well. Flagstaff is about 45 miles to the northeast.

Prescott National Forest surrounds the town, and Mingus Mountain rises to over 7,700 feet about four miles south if you want more time outdoors.

The town is compact and walkable, but bring sturdy shoes for the hills.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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