Jerome — Historic Mining Town
Once the fourth-largest city in Arizona Territory, Jerome perched at 5,200 feet on the side of Cleopatra Hill above the Verde Valley copper mines. After the mines closed in 1953 the population collapsed from 15,000 to under 100; the town was nearly abandoned, then rediscovered in the 1960s by artists and hippies who restored the old miners' cottages and saloons. Today it is a self-aware "ghost town" of about 450 residents, packed with galleries, ghost tours, and one of the great Sunday drives from Sedona.
What it is
Jerome was founded in 1876 around the United Verde copper deposit; at its peak in the 1920s it produced a billion dollars of copper, gold, and silver. The mines closed in 1953, the town nearly died, and by the 1960s the National Park Service had designated the surviving Victorian buildings a National Historic Landmark District. The 1970s artist revival rescued the rest — today every block has at least one gallery or studio, and the saloons that fed the miners now feed weekend tourists from Phoenix.
Why visit
Three things make Jerome worth the 45-minute drive. The setting — the town clings to a 30-degree hillside; the main streets switchback above each other and every porch faces a 50-mile view across the Verde Valley to the San Francisco Peaks. The art — Jerome Artists Cooperative, Pura Vida, Aurum, and a dozen smaller spaces show genuinely good work, with the artists usually on premises. The oddness — Jerome leans into its ghost-town reputation: the Jerome Grand Hotel (a former hospital) runs respected paranormal tours, and the slowly sliding "Sliding Jail" (which moved 225 feet downhill after a 1925 dynamite blast) sits where gravity left it. The drive itself — AZ-89A across Mingus Mountain — is one of the great scenic routes in northern Arizona.
Practical tips
Leave Sedona by 10am to arrive in time for lunch. Parking is the hardest part — the small lots on Main and Hull fill by 11am on weekends. Park in the larger lower lot off Hull Avenue and walk up; the climb is steep but mercifully short. Wear sturdy shoes (the sidewalks are uneven and several galleries are reached via short staircases). For lunch try The Asylum at the Jerome Grand Hotel for the view, Bobby D\'s BBQ for casual ribs, or Quince Grill & Cantina for Mexican. The Jerome State Historic Park ($7) preserves the Douglas Mansion and is worth an hour if you have time. Drive back via Cottonwood for a longer loop.
Stay nearby
Use a Sedona base — Jerome works best as a day trip rather than an overnight. Browse Sedona Haven Rentals rentals in West Sedona or the Village of Oak Creek; both put you 40-45 minutes from Jerome via AZ-89A. For visitor information see Visit Sedona or the Jerome Chamber at jeromechamber.com.
