Wild Wild West Tour of Jerome: Mining History & Outlaws

The Billion-Dollar Copper Town That Slid Downhill

A 90-minute guided tour of Jerome, Arizona led by an accredited local guide and Jerome Historical Society member, covering the rise and fall of the world's largest copper mining town and the outlaws, gamblers and notorious figures who shaped it. The tour splits between an air-conditioned vehicle and walking through the historic district, stopping at the Audrey Shaft Headframe Park (where you stand on glass 1,900 feet above a mine shaft), Jerome State Historic Park and its Douglas Mansion museum, and past the town's wineries. All guides are Jerome residents trained with archives from the Jerome Historical Society.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Jerome's historic mining sites

• Visit Audrey Shaft Headframe Park
• Stand on glass above 1,900-foot shaft
• See largest wooden headframe in Arizona
• Pass by Jerome State Historic Park
• Learn about Douglas Mansion and museum
• Discover history of mine established in 1882
• Hear about Jerome's landslide in 1930s
• Pass by Jerome Museum and Gift Shop
• View displays of mining and gambling artifacts
• Pass by Jerome's wineries

The experience

Ninety minutes is enough to move through Jerome's mining past without eating your whole afternoon. The tour starts at the Audrey Shaft Headframe Park, where the largest wooden headframe still standing in Arizona towers above you: completed in 1918, it rises 650 feet higher than the Empire State Building. You stand on glass directly above a 1,900-foot shaft, which gives you a concrete sense of the scale of what was pulled out of the ground here. The headframe is managed by the Jerome Historical Society and sits right next to Jerome State Historic Park.

The mine itself opened in 1882 under Territorial Governor Frederick Tritle, financed by New York investors including Eugene Jerome, the man the town is named after. Over 70 years of mining pulled out more than a billion dollars in copper, gold, silver, zinc and iron: Jerome was the world's largest copper producer during World War I. Your guide walks you through that timeline and the people who made it: Billy the Kid, Wyatt Earp, the Cuban Queen, and Belgian Jennie, a brothel owner whose murder became part of Jerome's legend. The Douglas Mansion, built in 1916 by a mining family, now houses a museum with old miners' equipment and remnants of the saloon gambling scene.

What happened to Jerome is as dramatic as what built it. During the 1930s, fault lines, massive explosions from the Verde Copper Company and water erosion sent parts of the town into landslides. The jail slid 225 feet from its original foundation: some months the ground moved 1½ feet. Half the tour travels by air-conditioned vehicle so you can cover the geography without the heat. The other half is on foot through the district. You'll pass Jerome's wineries on the way, and the museum and gift shop, which opened in the early 1950s and document the town's full arc from boom to near-ghost town.

What’s included

• Accredited local guide who is a Jerome resident and Jerome Historical Society member.
• air-conditioned vehicle for half the route.
• entry to Audrey Shaft Headframe Park and Jerome State Historic Park.
• access to the Douglas Mansion museum.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day5 departure times: the first at 09:00, the last at 17:00

Book up toStart time

AgesAdult (18 to 54 years) · Senior (55 and older) · Youth (5 to 17 years) · Child (2 to 4 years): free

GroupUp to 14

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Low physical effortPets welcomePublic transport nearbyNot recommended with heart problems

Operated by Jerome Ghost Tours

Is this one for you?At 90 minutes, the tour leaves your afternoon open for lunch in Jerome or a drive to nearby Sedona, while still covering the mining history, the outlaws and the geological drama that shaped the town. The split between vehicle and walking means you get the full geography without overcommitting to a full-day itinerary.

Traveler reviews

4.77★★★★★★★★★★

155 verified traveler reviews

5 ★131

4 ★17

3 ★4

2 ★1

1 ★2

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (5 to 17 years); Child (2 to 4 years): free.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What is the Audrey Shaft Headframe and why does it matter?

The Audrey Shaft Headframe is the largest wooden headframe still standing in Arizona, completed in 1918. Visitors stand on glass suspended 1,900 feet above the mine shaft (650 feet higher than the top of the Empire State Building) giving a direct view into the scale of Jerome's copper mining operation.

Who was Belgian Jennie and why is she part of Jerome's story?

Belgian Jennie was a brothel owner in Jerome whose murder became one of the town's most infamous episodes. The tour covers her story as part of Jerome's wild west era, alongside other famous figures like Billy the Kid and Wyatt Earp.

How much copper did Jerome actually produce?

Jerome produced over a billion dollars in copper, gold, silver, zinc and iron over 70 years of mining, making it the world's largest copper producer during World War I.

What happened to Jerome in the 1930s?

During the 1930s, Jerome experienced severe landslides caused by fault lines, massive explosions from mining operations and water erosion. The ground shifted so dramatically that the town's jail slid approximately 225 feet from its original foundation, with some areas moving 1½ feet per month.

Is this tour mostly walking or mostly in a vehicle?

The tour splits evenly: half takes place in an air-conditioned vehicle and half on foot through the historic district, so you cover the geography without prolonged exposure to heat.