When prospector Ed Schieffelin headed out this way in March of 1877, friends
told him the only thing he'd find among the Apache and rattlesnakes would be his
own tombstone. But he set out anyway, alone, and staked a silver claim, proclaiming
it Tombstone. When Ed struck it rich at an adjacent site, his brother Al said, "You're
a lucky cuss." And the Lucky Cuss Mine became one of Arizona's richest. Other
claims bore such descriptive names as Contention, Tough Nut, and Goodenough.
The town incorporated in 1879 and contained as many as 10,000 souls just five years
later. It was said that saloons and gambling halls made up two of every three buildings
in the business district. The famous OK Corral gunfight took place here in 1881—and
historians still debate the details. The town's riches attracted many crooks and
Apaches, who, along with political corruption, gave the region considerable notoriety.
Shootings and hangings in the 1880s kept Boothill Graveyard busy. Fires nearly wiped
out Tombstone on two occasions, but flooding of the mines by 1886 came close to
driving the final nail in the town's coffin. Still, Tombstone, "the town too
tough to die," managed to survive, and now attracts throngs of visitors seeking
the Wild West. You'll experience both the authentic history of Tombstone and pistol-packing
entertainment! The downtown section of Allen Street—Tombstone's heart—now
has a more realistic atmosphere since it has been closed to motor vehicles.
Tombstone Courthouse State Historic Park
Drop by the 1882 red-brick
courthouse (Third and Toughnut Sts., 520/457-3311, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. daily, $4 adults,
$1 ages 7-13) to find out what life was like for the people of early Tombstone.
The venerable building, abandoned in 1931 when the county seat moved to Bisbee,
has been restored and now houses a museum of artifacts and photos of the old days.
The courtroom, lawyer's office, and assay office look ready for business. Exhibits
introduce the Native Americans, prospectors, sheriffs, ranchers, and the famous
gunfight of October 26th, 1881. Mining exhibits show how miners dug and assayed
their ore. An old bar, faro table, and roulette wheel illustrate how many miners
lost their underground riches. Women probably did more to tame the town than the
marshals and sheriffs; you'll learn about some of them and see exhibits on family
life. A gift shop offers books and videos about Tombstone's history. Researchers
can make an appointment to delve into the extensive historic archives.
Gunfights
Guns blaze and bodies hit the dust in staged gunfights and
barroom brawls. The Visitor Information Center has the day's schedule. The action
takes place most days at three sites. The Boothill Gunslingers (Allen St.
between Third and Fourth Sts., 520/457-3643) re-enact the OK Corral gunfight and
other events. Six Gun City (Fifth and Toughnut Sts., 520/457-3827) presents
a lively musical show in a series of acts depicting actual Tombstone events.
Tombstone Cowboys (Fourth and Toughnut Sts., 520/457-9153) promise "hysterically
correct" entertainment in a series of action-packed gunfights at the Helldorado.
Each Sunday afternoon, one of the local groups puts on another show. All events
have a small admission fee or request a donation.
The OK Corral and Historama
The Earps and Doc Holliday shot it out
with the Clanton cowboys on this site in October 1881. Markers and life-size figures
show how it all happened—or at least one version of the story. Other sights
to see include the studio (reconstructed) and photos of Camilius S. Fly, old stables,
carriages, a hearse, and even a red-light district shack. Visitors can "walk
where they fell" 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily, 520/457-3456,
www.ok-corral.com. Package tickets for $7.50
(children under six free) include the OK Corral, the 2 p.m. gunfight show, Historama,
and a copy of the Epitaph (see below); without the gunfight it's $5.50. Located
on Allen Street between Third and Fourth Streets.
The 25-minute
Historama show re-creates the major events of Tombstone with movies and animated
figures. Presentations take place 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. (last show) daily next door
to the OK Corral entrance.
Crystal Palace Saloon
Built in 1879, this watering hole and gambling
house offered an elegant setting for patrons in early Tombstone. As many as five
bartenders stood on duty to serve thirsty customers round the clock. The clientele
has changed over the years, but the saloon still serves up drinks and hosts live
music. The interior has been accurately restored. It's in the center of town at
Fifth and Allen Streets.
Big Nose Kate's Saloon
This large and colorful cowboy bar began life
as the Grand Hotel in 1881. There's lots of stuff to see on the walls in the bar
room, but perhaps the most unusual feature is the downstairs "Shaft."
Working in the hotel by day, an employee dug in secret at night from his room to
prospect in the mineshafts under Tombstone. It's on Allen Street between Fifth and
Sixth Streets.
Good Enough Mine
Ed Scheiffelin filed a claim for this mine, his second
of 19 mines here, in 1879 and proclaimed that the rich silver ore met with his satisfaction.
Now it’s open for tours, and you can descend into the passageways underneath
the town and experience how the miners once dug out their ore. The Good Enough Mine
Underground Tour runs daily at 5th & Toughnut Street; check 520/255-5553 for
hours.
Stagecoach and Wagon Rides
Hop on a stage or wagon for a narrated tour
of Tombstone's colorful past. The horse-drawn vehicles depart frequently from near
Big Nose Kate's Saloon on Allen Street downtown. Rides last about 15 minutes and
cost $5 adult, $4 senior 55+, and $3 children 4-15.
Tombstone Epitaph
As one story goes, the town's newspaper got
its name when its founder, John P. Clum, took the stagecoach home from Tucson and
asked passengers for appropriate suggestions. Ed Schieffelin happened to be on board,
and he replied, "Well, I christened the district Tombstone; you should have
no trouble furnishing the Epitaph." Clum started the Epitaph
in 1880 and it's still in business. You can visit the office (9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. daily,
free) to see the original press and other printing exhibits and to pick up your
own Epitaph. It's on Fifth Street around the corner from the Crystal Palace
Saloon.
Bird Cage Theatre
This 1881 dance hall, gambling house, saloon, brothel,
and theater provided the finest and most expensive entertainment of the day. During
its first eight years, the doors never closed. Prostitutes scouted for customers
from the 14 cribs overlooking the hall. A hit song titled "She's Only a Bird
in a Gilded Cage" may have given the place its name. Or, as reported by the
Arizona Star of August 18, 1882, the Bird Cage may have been so named because
it had so many doves in it.
A self-guided tour winds through
the theater, below the cribs, and past rare circus posters and gambling tables (Allen
and Sixth Streets, 520/457-3421, 8 a.m.-6 p.m. daily, $6 adults, $5.50 seniors 60+,
$5 youth 8-18, $17 families). See if you can find some of the estimated 140 bullet
holes in the walls and ceiling. A back room has the hearse that carried all but
six people on their last ride to Boot Hill. Downstairs, you can imagine life at
the bar, at gambling tables, and in the bordello rooms. An 1881 City License here
signed by Wyatt Earp allows the Bird Cage to operate a "House of Ill Fame."
Many old photos and prints—some copies of which are for sale in the gift shop—show
notable prostitutes and other characters. The exceptionally well-preserved building
closed in late 1889 and remained boarded up for 45 years. When it reopened as a
museum, everything inside was still there.
Tombstone Western Heritage Museum
A vast array of personal items, including
some owned by Virgil and Wyatt Earp, gives a look into the lives of people in old
Tombstone (Fremont and Sixth Streets, 520/457-3800, 9 a.m., 12:30 p.m. Sun., to
about 5 p.m. daily, $5 adult, $3 youth 12-18). Exhibits also include historic photos,
documents, guns, ghost town relics, bottle collections, and a crap table. The museum's
antique shop next door is worth a look too.
Pioneer Home Museum
While most of the early houses of miners and their
families have been remodeled over the years, this one has been remarkably preserved
(804 E. Fremont Street, 520/457-3853, open on request, donations appreciated). It's
little changed since Cornish miner Frank Garland and his wife Julia moved in during
the late 1800s. Inside you can see the furnished parlor, bedroom, and kitchen. The
former dining room has photos of Tombstone's distinguished citizens along with a
band uniform and other belongings of the Garlands. A blacksmith shop and a 1921
Chevy delivery truck lie in the backyard.
Rose Tree Museum
A rose root sent from Scotland to comfort a homesick
bride in the spring of 1885 has grown to cover an amazing 8,700 square feet. The
rose tree, believed to be the world's largest and listed in the Guinness Book
of Records, is a Lady Banksia. Its sweet-scented white blossoms usually appear
in early April. Rooms exhibit many historic photos and a collection of antique furnishings
belonging to a pioneer who arrived by wagon in 1880 (Fourth and Toughnut Streets,
9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily, $3 adults, free for kids under 14). A gift shop sells new and
used books.
Schieffelin Hall
Major theatrical companies of the day performed in
this 1881 adobe building, claimed to be the largest adobe in the United States.
John Sullivan and a company of boxers gave exhibitions here. Now restored, the hall
once again hosts theater companies; upcoming events will be posted here and at the
Visitor Information Center. Otherwise, it's usually closed to the public. It's on
the corner of Fremont and Fourth Streets.
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Completed in 1882, St. Paul's is the oldest
standing Protestant church in Arizona. Inside you can admire the original stained
glass, two ship's lamps, and the sturdy adobe walls. It's open daily at the corner
of Third and Safford.
Boothill Graveyard
Here lie the losers of the OK Corral shootout, hanging/lynching
victims, assorted gunslingers, and Dutch Annie, a widely admired prostitute. As
the graveyard's name suggests, a lot of of those who ended up here died violent
deaths. Many of the estimated 300 graves are marked and have much to say about life
in old Tombstone. Boothill (7:30 a.m.-6 p.m. daily, donations welcome) lies just
off AZ 80 on the north edge of town. Enter through the Boot Hill Gift Shop, which
sells an informative self-guided tour booklet.
Schieffelin Monument
The old prospector's last request was to be buried
on top of the granite hills three miles west of town. He specified that "a
monument such as prospectors build when locating a mining claim be built over my
grave…under no circumstances do I want to be buried in a graveyard or cemetery."
Head west 2.3 miles on Allen Street to see this lonely spot.
Nearby Ghost Towns
Ghost-town enthusiasts can explore remnants of former
mining towns in the area. Gleeson, 18 miles east of Tombstone on a graded gravel
road, flourished around a copper mine from 1909 until the 1930s. Operations ended
in 1955. You can see ruins of the jail, cemetery, school, adobe hospital, and other
buildings. Mine tailings and machinery rest on the hillside.
Courtland, now occupied
solely by ghosts, lies one mile east and three miles north of Gleeson on good gravel
roads. A jail and numerous foundations remain. Watch out for open mine shafts in
the area.
Jimmie Pearce found gold in 1894 at the site of
Pearce, nine miles north of Courtland. The Commonwealth Mine here was a success,
and the town's population reached 1,500 before the mine closed in the 1930s. Reminders
of the past include the old store, cemetery, post office, Pearce Church, abandoned
houses, and Commonwealth Mine ruins. You can also reach Pearce from I-10; take Exit
331 and head south 22 miles on US 191.