Throw on a costume and you'll fit right into this southern Arizona town, once a copper mining center. Halloween is one roving street party in eccentric, artsy Bisbee. Or fill up on the town's history before hunting its ghostly residents at the Sharlot Hall Museum, housed in the former Governor's Mansion.

Perhaps she remains, waiting for his return.ĭaytime delight: Just four miles from town, Watson Lake is a serene landscape that beckons hikers, kayakers and rock climbers. Here, it's said a young bride-abandoned by her husband on their honeymoon in 1928-hanged herself from her balcony room. The Trost & Trost-designed Hassayampa Inn is another. The Palace's basement briefly even served as a temporary jail, and those who have visited have reported feeling a 'heavy presence' making it difficult to breathe.ĭuring A Haunting Experience, a weekend walking tour of historic downtown Prescott, you're likely to visit The Palace while you explore the town's spiritual side.

Multiple ghosts have been spotted here, including one Frank Nevin who lost his business in a poker game and still haunts the bar, maybe hoping for a chance at a better hand. The Palace saloon-often said to be Arizona's oldest bar-is one such Whiskey Row establishment and Prescott's most haunted spot. Before Phoenix, Prescott reigned as the capital of Arizona (more specifically, the Territorial Capital), and it still retains much of its New World meets Old West charm as evident in its Victorian architecture and Whiskey Row saloons. Ghosts talk as you walk in Prescott while you learn about this town's ghoulish past. Stop in earlier when the tasting room operates as a cafe for Italian espresso and lattes. Want dinner and drinks with more of the Jerome ghost town flavor? Enjoy a meal at the Haunted Hamburger, followed by a nightcap and live music at the Spirit Room, a favorite watering hole where all the spirits are friendly.ĭaytime delight: Steel your nerves for a night in a haunted hotel with an afternoon wine tasting at Caduceus Cellars, where the pours all come from Arizona. Originally opened as the town's hospital in 1927, the 25-room hotel has had reports of strange occurrences and occasional sightings, including those of a bearded miner and a specter since dubbed 'Claude' who met his demise in the elevator shaft. After all, it didn't earn its reputation as the 'Wickedest Town in the West' without reason.ĭuring the annual October Jerome Ghost Walk, for one weekend only, you can wander the narrow passageways and steep streets to find costumed performers reenacting the shootings, mysteries and love triangles that marked this former mining town.Ĭan't make it? Book a night at the Jerome Grand Hotel. Today, Jerome is known more for its liquid spirits, in particular, its award-winning wine however, it remains one of Arizona's most famous ghost towns, and hauntings come with the territory. The popular tours, held annually in late October, include ghost stories aplenty.ĭaytime delight: For a break from the creepy and the crawly, head for the hills-Flagstaff is home to some of the state’s most stunning hikes, including a 1,000-year-old volcano. Have a few cocktails and you, too, might see the vaporous couple who dance eternally in the lounge or the bank robber who tried to hide among the crowd in a botched getaway but never got away.īe brave and try a special evening tour of the beautiful Riordan Mansion, a sprawling 1904 arts and crafts estate in Flagstaff that's now an Arizona State Park. Monte Vista's cocktail lounge is a popular Halloween haunt with locals. This particular prankster was first reported by none other than legendary Western actor John Wayne. One such ghost likes to knock, announcing room service only to disappear when the guest opens the door. Or spend the night at Hotel Monte Vista, which boasts a number of strange happenings courtesy of its resident ghosts. You might catch a glimpse of the shadowy spirit said to haunt the balcony of the Orpheum Theater. Take a spooky, self-guided haunted tour down alleys and past old buildings in historic downtown Flagstaff. Situated near Route 66, and near the Grand Canyon, this forest town saw its share of Wild West violence that continues to 'haunt' residents today. Settled sometime in the latter half of the 19th century, Flagstaff (about two hours north of Phoenix) was a land of lumberjacks, pioneers, railroad men, and yes, outlaws.

Abandoned places in arizona