What's a ghost town without ghosts? Jerome, depending on whom you believe, has more than its share. A few hot spots for the undead are the town's Community Center, popularly known as "Spook Hall;" the Grand Hotel which was once the town's hospital; The Mile High Inn; and even the old mine shafts themselves. Miners killed in accidents, victims of the influenza epidemic and, for whatever reason, prostitutes seem to be the major ghostly demographics at work.



The first thing you'll notice on the way into Jerome today is the view. On a dust-free day, particularly at sunset, you can see nearly every crag in Sedona's red rocks 30 miles away, with the whole green expanse of the Verde Valley spread out below. Lovers of old homes (with sufficient cardiovascular fortitude) can walk up and down the steep hillside streets and relish the Victorian homes and "mine shacks" in states of repair ranging from newly restored to "why isn't that condemned?" In fact, many of the crumbling buildings you see are intact partly because the entire town of Jerome is a registered Historic District, with strict controls on changes to any existing structure. For a closer look, The Historical Society holds an annual home tour the third weekend of May.

Art collectors can spend a whole day poking around the town's galleries, checking out local work from gritty outsider sculpture to stunning oil landscapes. Like everything else in Jerome, the shopping is out of the ordinary, with dozens of boutiques selling antiques, clothes, Western kitsch, leather goods, bath products, pottery, and other fabulous hand made crafts. Two museums, the Douglas Mansion Arizona State Museum and the Historical Mine Museum provide fascinating insight into the town's history and the lives of the miners. For a more up-close and personal experience, try the Gold King Mine with its walk-in mine and tons of old equipment.

Situated on a section of Highway 89A that has 158 curves in 11 miles, Jerome has become a hot destination for motorcycle enthusiasts, and on a sunny weekend you can admire the Hogs, Hondas and other bikes in all their shiny chrome glory lined up in front of the town's venerable watering holes. A wide range of restaurants and bed and breakfasts, some of which claim to be haunted by old Jerome souls, make this a hospitable and unique place to use as a base for exploring the Verde Valley.

Article by Sarah Horton.