The Most Interesting Arizona Ghost Towns to Explore

I love exploring anything unique and offbeat, so I jumped at the chance to explore many ghost towns while living in Arizona. While Texas is home to the most ghost towns in America at 511, Arizona is home to the most intriguing assortment. The mining history boom followed by a bust led to the many abandoned desert towns that exist today. From the largest ghost town in America (Jerome), now a bustling tourist destination, to the ruins of an old zoo that once delighted travelers on Rt. 66, there is something unique to explore no matter what part of the state your adventures take you to.

Some of these ghost towns are completely abandoned places that saw their prime during the heyday of Rt. 66 travel, while others are now popular tourist hotspots with a thriving commercialization district. Whether you are looking for a glimpse into the Wild West, a spooky haunt where ghosts sightings are more common than people, or simply a beautiful place to explore history, there’s an Arizona ghost town just around the corner.

After living in both Southern and Northern Arizona for years, I have explored many of these strangely enchanting & often devastating reminders of a time long ago. Check out my favorites!

Two Guns

Highlight: Remains of an abandoned zoo

This little gem located 30 min east of Flagstaff along I-40 is one of my favorite historic sites in Arizona. Two Guns was once home to a popular zoo which opened in 1925 by Harry Miller. In addition to the zoo he also operated a trading post. The zoo was home to mountain lions, gila monsters, snakes, and a lynx. All that is left today is an old mountain lion enclosure. This zoo was a popular Rt 66 attraction until the new highway (I-40) bypassed the area. During the heyday of Rt 66 travel, people wanted to take their time and see something interesting, and thus, the zoo was quite successful.

A few pics of what is left of the old zoo remains

According to this article by the Arizona DOT, Miller was mauled by two of his lions and bitten by a gila monster. He left after these 2 incidents. Afterwards, a new trading post and tourist shop opened. The area was alive with taverns, motels, and campgrounds once again. The gas station burned down in 1971, which led to a dramatic drop in tourism. You can read the full story here.

The abandoned Canyon Diablo bridge once carried Rt 66 over Canyon Diablo. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1988. You can learn more here

Today, you can stroll the now mostly demolished grounds and explore the old lion exhibit, and the burned down gas station. You will also be able to explore the mysterious Death Cave. A few pics of the abandoned remains.

Read more about the unique history of Two Guns

Lowell

Highlight: HIstoric Erie Street preserved by volunteers

One of the best daytrips from Tucson is Bisbee, an old copper mining community which is now a popular place to dine, shop, and explore history. Just a few miles from the town lies Lowell, a small community incorporated into Bisbee. Historic Erie Street has been well preserved (by the Lowell Americana Project) in comparison to other ghost towns on this list. Like many other mining communities, Lowell became a ghost town shortly after the closing of the mines in 1974. Today, most visitors stroll down Erie Street to enjoy the retro 50’s style nostalgia and imagine what life was like back then.

In addition to seeing many of the businesses which were successful during the town’s heyday, you can also enjoy a great breakfast at the iconic Bisbee Breakfast Club.

Santa Claus

Highlight: A Christmas themed town

This is a really cool find which I randomly encountered on a drive from Flagstaff to Vegas. Where else will you find the remains of a Christmas themed community in the desert? Looking at the now graffitied remains, it is hard to believe that at one time, this place was a happy whimsical Christmas themed dtown.

The city was located 14 miles NW of Kingman on US Rt 93 (Mile marker 57). According to 12 News Arizona, the idea for the park came from real estate agent Nina Talbot in 1937. Sounds like it was a pretty cool place where kids could write letters to Santa from the town post office (known as Santa’s workshop). The park which operated for 12 years was a popular Rt 66 destination where kids could send a letter with an official Santa Claus postmark.

The graffitied remains

Owner Tony Wilcox tried to sell Santa Claus for $95,000 in July of 1983. This venture was unsuccessful so he lowered the price to $50,000 in 1988. The last remaining businesses closed in 1995.

Unfortunately, this ghost town was demolished in 2022. As a fan of everything holiday, this place sounded pretty cool and unique. It’s a shame that so many interesting places all across the US are starting to vanish. You can read more about the town’s history here.

Jerome

Highlight: America’s largest ghost town

Jerome is a really cool town of just under 500 located in Northern Arizona. It’s considered “the largest ghost town in America.” According to Visit Arizona, Jerome was once nicknamed “the Wickedest Town in the West” as copper ore deposits brought miners, merchants, and prostitutes to the town. The closing of the mine in 1953 led to a massive population decline. The town’s violent history is thought to be the reason behind the many hauntings in the past few decades. Many visitors and hotel guests report seeing the same ghostly apparitions. Today, ghost tours are popular year-round, not just around Halloween. You will learn more about the spooky history on any tour.

Revitalization efforts over the years have drawn many tourists. Today, you can explore a thriving tourist district which includes many local restaurants, wine bars, boutique shops, mine tours, and historical attractions. One must-do if you happen to be visiting during Halloween is lunch at the Asylum Restaurant. They go all out in the decor department and the views are quite gorgeous. This spooky restaurant is located in the haunted and mysterious Jerome Grand Hotel, which used to be a mental hospital (estimates say 9000 people died here!). Take a ghost tour or dare to stay the night for a really spooky time!

Living Ghost Towns

A living ghost town is basically a town whose population almost dwindled down to nothing but never fully closed down. The 2 you will want to add to your bucket list are Bisbee and Tombstone.

Tombstone

Highlight: It’s “The Town too Tough to Die”

Tombstone, a silver mining town, has a unique story regarding its’ name. The town’s founder, Ed Schieffelin, often went out seeking minerals in the wilderness only to be warned by army scouts that “the only rock you will find out here will be your own tombstone.” In the late 1800’s, the town was one of the largest in between San Francisco and St. Louis.” The largest silver producer was the Good Enough mine (which you can tour today). By 1900, the population barely topped 700. Like most abandoned towns in Arizona, the people left once the mines closed.

Today, the town operates mostly as a tourist destination. If you are a fan of old westerns, you will definitely want to plan a walk down historic Allen Street. Here you can watch a reenactment at the O.K. Corral, dine at authentic saloons, and even take a ghost tour at the infamous Bird Cage Theater. There’s lots of museums, stagecoach tours, a fantastic narrated trolley tour (you will see the Wyatt Earp house), the Good Enough Mine Tours, gunfight shows, and the famous Boothill Graveyard to explore. Really, a fun and interesting place to visit especially if you are into the history of the Wild West. I really enjoyed the lively gunfight show at Old Tombstone Western Theme Park pictured below.

Read more about Tombstone