Halloween in Jerome: The Largest Ghost Town in America
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Since Mike and I moved to Flagstaff, we have had a great time exploring all the historical ghost towns throughout the state. We are both into the history and paranormal, so it’s been interesting to visit these old mining communities with a haunted history. Jerome is probably the most interesting one to add to your bucket list. The mountainside community in northern Arizona is now considered “the largest ghost town in America.” It’s an easy daytrip from many tourist cities like Flagstaff and Sedona so definitely consider checking it out if you like spooky stories, history, and exploring old time downtown districts.
Jerome, founded in 1876, was once a thriving mining community with a population of 15,000 (at one time it was the 4th largest city in Arizona), however, the town now operates primarily as a tourist destination with a year-round population of just a few hundred. The spooky history of the town, festive decor around the Halloween season, variety of ghost tours, and a number of haunted hotels, make this town a big tourist draw around Halloween.
As a fan of the spooky season, I knew that we had to plan a daytrip. It’s an easy drive 1.5 hour drive from Flagstaff, so we figured why not? We enjoyed the little downtown which is loaded with interesting boutique shops and restaurants. The architecture is old and interesting and we really enjoyed being somewhere with such a rich history.
History of Jerome
The city was built above a massive deposit of copper. United Verde Mines was the leading copper producer in Arizona and produced more than 33 million tons of copper, silver, gold, lead, and zinc ore in its’ 77 years. In the 1920’s, the population soared to a high of 15,000. The mines eventually closed in 1953 due to wars, the depression, ups and downs in the copper industry, and several other factors.
What once was one of the largest towns in the state saw a dramatic decrease in population, with the number of residents eventually dwindling down to just 50. At this time, the city was designated as a ghost town. Buildings remained abandoned until Jerome’s designation as a National Historic Landmark.
Eventually, old buildings transformed into art galleries, restaurants, coffee shops, wine tasting rooms, and shops. Jerome is now a popular day trip for Sedona, Flagstaff, and Prescott locals and tourists.
I recommend taking one of the history walking tours. You can also learn more about the town’s rich history on the official website.
“The Wickedest town in the West”
Due to the large number of brothels and saloons, the town’s nickname became “the wickedest town in the West.” The House of Joy pictured below was originally a brothel. Hull Avenue, of which the house is located on, was once home to a row of brothels. Later, the house became an award-winning restaurant. Today, it operates as a souvenir shop. It’s a pretty creepy old building and I wouldn’t be surprised if it was haunted today.
Pictured below is site of the old Bartlett hotel (built in 1901). The offices for Jerome’s newspaper were located in this building for quite a long time. The building was eventually abandoned in the 40’s. Today it really has a creepy eerie presence, especially when surrounded by thriving businesses. Although the downtown is now loaded with business, the historic buildings remain. This in term gives the city a nice historical vibe which most of the more modernized cities today lack.
I love visiting old towns in this state which have preserved a lot of the old architecture. It’s so interesting to see places that have barely been touched over the years. It’s definitely quite strange when a majority of the country looks like a typical suburb today.
The haunting of Jerome
The charming old buildings all seem to enjoy a rich history, with many of them having a long haunted history of paranormal sightings. Like a lot of old mining towns, it is now considered one of the most haunted towns in the southwest. Locals and guests throughout the years have reported the same eerie ghost sightings.
The fact that the same sightings are reported by so many different visitors is so much spookier than a bunch of random isolated paranormal occurrences. So haunted is the town that the “Jerome Ghost Post” was published for some time. Not surprisingly, various companies offer ghost tours year-round, although they are even more fun as soon as October rolls around.
One of the most prominent ghost legends is that of Headless Charlie. The ghost is that of a former miner who was involved in a gruesome accident where he lost his head. Charlie now allegedly haunts the mine shafts attempting to find his head. Visitors report seeing him carrying around a bucket. Take any ghost tour and you will learn more about Charlie and other resident ghosts!
Most haunted sites
You will learn on any ghost tour about the most haunted locales in town. Here are a few of the businesses with the most ghostly sightings.
The Mile High Inn
The Mile High Inn, a historic hotel on Main Street, was built back in 1899. A phantom cat by the name of Sipps supposedly haunts the halls at night and leaves footprints on the bed covers. As a cat lover, I find this pretty cool.
Lawrence Memorial Hall
This banquet hall is so haunted that locals call it “Spook Hall”. Over the years, many strange sightings by a resident ghost have occurred. A prostitute who was stabbed to death by a miner reportedly haunts the building. Every year, the annual Halloween dance takes place here (talk about a spooky ambiance!).
Connor Hotel
This historic hotel, built in 1898, originally offered guests rooms for just a buck! A ghost named the Lady in Red allegedly haunts Room 1. Many guests have claimed to hear the ghost whispering to them.
It’s best to sign up for a ghost tour and hear about all the legends as you explore yourself. I recommend visiting around Halloween to make the experience even spookier. Here’s an overview of some of the ghost tours you can take.
The Grand Hotel
The spookiest place in town is the Jerome Grand Hotel, formerly home to the United Verde Hospital which operated from 1927-1950. This does not surprise me in the slightest as many ghost experts believe that the amount of suffering and deaths here can leave behind energy residue.
As soon as you step into the doors, you can feel the eerie and strange presence. Numerous guests have felt paranormal presence over the years according to the hotel.
Some of the strange paranormal activity include doors opening and closing on their own, strange noises, apparitions, and ghost orbs appearing in photographs. Staying the night in the hotel is a truly creepy experience, one that is so scary that the hotel reports many guests end up sleeping in the lobby!
Because of its’ haunted history, famous paranormal groups like the Ghost Adventures TV crew have explored the grounds. I love this show and this episode is pretty great like all the others. I love visiting the same locations that Zak and crew witnessed so many strange events at. If you have watched any of the series, then you know that they cover a lot of old mining towns. It’s Season 5, Episode 3 if you are interested.
Halloween fun: the best time to visit
Jerome is a hotbed for activity leading up to Halloween. In addition to ghost hunts, spooky restaurants, and dances, just walking around the town is a creepy experience as you take in the old architecture & haunted nature of this former ghost town.
It’s a nice place for a scenic stroll, especially with the incredible scenery of the Verde Valley. It’s a desert so there isn’t much leaf peeping, but the old buildings alone will get you in the mood for spooky season. One of the most interesting events is Ghost Walk organized by the Historical Society.
Here’s a few fun more fun things to do if your visit falls near Halloween
Stay in a haunted hotel
The top choice of course is the Jerome Grand Hotel. Not only is the hotel super haunted, it also goes all out for Halloween with extensive decor, both inside and out. As the hotel sits atop Cleopatra Hill (5200 ft), there are magnificent panoramic views of the Verde Valley. On-site is a wonderful restaurant called The Asylum. I really loved the food, the views, the friendly servers, and the amazing decorations here. It should be on every Halloween lovers bucket list for sure!
What a view! Definitely enjoy a nice lunch or early dinner at the Asylum’s outdoor patio if the weather is nice enough. It is one of the most scenic places I’ve dine in the state thus far. Plus, they go all out both inside and outside with spooky decor.
Spooky decor galore! Hands down, The Asylum decorates the best I’ve seen for the holiday in the state thus far. To date, I have never seen a restaurant decorate more passionately. I go all out myself at home so I appreciate a business that goes to the extra effort as well. If you love Halloween like me, definitely plan a stop here!
The food is decent enough to warrant a visit as well. They serve mostly sandwiches and burgers for lunch. Dinner includes more seafood, steak, and pasta entrees. I enjoyed the Gardener sandwich which included cucumbers, tomatoes, alfalfa sprouts, avocado, muenster cheese, watercress, red onions, mushrooms, and ranch dressing on toasted rye bread. It was a delicious healthy choice for a vegetarian.
Take a ghost hunting tour
There are several companies which offer spooky ghost tours. Many of these tours provide in depth information on the history of the town. As a bonus, you will also get the unique opportunity to test out various ghost hunting equipment. Look into the Jerome Ghost Hunt via the Grand Hotel.
On this tour, a guide will take you through several haunted locations including those so haunted that they are usually off limits. You really feel like a pro ghost hunter as you use EMF meters, IR thermometers, and digital cameras. The staff will put all your pics on a CD and you can check them later for signs of ghosts! Ghostly orbs may make appearances on your photos!
Halloween Dance
2025 marked the 50t anniversary anniversary of the spooky Halloween dance, held fittingly in the reportedly haunted Spook Hall. It is a 21 and up event and there are prizes for best costumes! The resident ghost occasionally makes an appearance for this spooky event.
Ghost themed restaurants
Lots of restaurants in town have ghostly related names like The Asylum Restaurant mentioned above and The Spirit Room. Most of the businesses go all out for Halloween, especially The Asylum as I previously mentioned. There is even a place called Haunted Hamburger which also offers a nice viewpoint.
Really, it is a festive time for any Halloween lovers. There is great decor inside and outside on the patio, festive drink specials, and all the staff even dress in costumes! Even if you cannot stay overnight, it is worth planning a dinner here one night just to get into the spirit of the season.
Another great small town to plan a daytrip to this time of year is Bisbee, another mining town rich in history. There is a great local Main Street here, plus you can take a tour of the Copper Queen Mine.
