Once dubbed “the wickedest town in the West”, Jerome, Arizona is a mountainside ghost town clinging to the side of Cleopatra Hill. What was once a roaring mining boomtown is now a mix of art galleries, ruins, and deeply unsettling legends—Jerome is both scenic and cursed.
This isn’t a kitschy tourist trap. Underneath the cobblestone charm is a dark and violent history that never really left.
Location & Access
- Coordinates: 34.7481° N, 112.1138° W
- County: Yavapai County, Arizona
- Nearest Cities: Cottonwood (10 mi), Sedona (28 mi), Prescott (30 mi)
- Elevation: Over 5,000 ft—narrow winding roads, killer drop-offs, and frequent rockslides.
What Makes It Morbid?
1. Mining Town Turned Deathtrap
Founded in the late 1800s by copper magnates, Jerome was a lawless, booming town of 10,000 people, mostly miners, gamblers, prostitutes, and drifters. Fires destroyed much of the original town multiple times, but it was always rebuilt—often more cursed than before.
Mining accidents were frequent and brutal. Entire sections of town literally slid down the mountain due to poor foundation and constant blasting.
2. The Asylum Hotel
Built in 1926 as the United Verde Hospital, this building now operates as the Jerome Grand Hotel—and it’s consistently ranked one of the most haunted places in America. Guests report moaning from empty rooms, ghostly nurses in the halls, TVs turning on by themselves, and strange claw marks on walls.
People have jumped (or fallen) from balconies, and the old operating room is said to still reek of death.
3. The Spirit Room & Haunted Bars
Jerome’s bar scene doesn’t just serve whiskey—it serves ghosts. The Spirit Room Saloon is known for footsteps when nobody’s around and figures in period clothing. Locals and employees believe former miners and working girls still hang around.
4. The Sliding Jail
A local legend turned roadside stop. The jail was built too close to a fault line and now sits over 200 feet from where it was originally constructed. Its eerie location and cracked remains feel like something from a forgotten purgatory.
5. Unmarked Graves
Hundreds of miners, prostitutes, and drifters died violently and were buried in unmarked graves across the hillside. Bones are still occasionally discovered during construction or heavy rains.
What to Do
- Walk the haunted backstreets after dark—preferably alone
- Tour the Jerome Grand Hotel (if you dare) or spend a night
- Explore the Jerome Historical Society Mine Museum for genuine relics and death records
- Check out the Sliding Jail, still cracked and broken
- Talk to locals—many of whom have seen more than they’ll openly admit
Tips Before You Go
- The town is steep and slick in rain or snow—good boots are essential
- Lodging is limited and haunted rooms book fast
- Parking is tight and roads are narrow—big RVs should stay in Cottonwood
- It’s remote and quiet at night, with little to no nightlife after 9 PM
- Bring a flashlight if walking off the main strip—street lighting is minimal
Why It Still Matters
Jerome isn’t pretending to be haunted. It is haunted. It’s a place where history wasn’t erased—it just settled into the cracks of the walls and the foundations of the hills. Between the collapsed tunnels, ancient ghosts, and unsolved mysteries, Jerome is one of the last truly spooky remnants of the Old West.
If you’re chasing authenticity, you’ve found it.
