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 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 barroom, 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 5th and 6th Streets,
Tombstone,
Arizona.
 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. There are more
than 140 bullet holes in the walls and ceiling and the theater was
the scene for twenty-six deaths during
its eight years of business.
A self-guided tour winds through the theater, below the cribs, and
past rare circus posters and gambling tables. 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, gambling tables,
and bordello rooms. The theater closed in late 1889 and remained
boarded up for 45 years; when it reopened as a museum, everything
inside was still there. It's at Allen and 6th Streets, 520-457-3421 or
800-457-3423. Open daily; admission
charged.
 Boot
Hill
Graveyard -- An absolute must see, the
cemetery holds the
graves of many of
Tombstone's bad men, as well as most of the early settlers of the
mining camp.
As the graveyard's name suggests, many of
those who ended up here died violent deaths. A self-guided tour
booklet, available at the gift shop, tells more about many of the
people here.
Boot
Hill lies just off AZ 80 on the north edge of town;
enter free of charge through the
Boot
Hill Gift Shop. It's open daily
7:30 a.m.-6 p.m.; donations welcome.
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Crystal Palace Saloon --
Built in 1879, this
watering hole and gambling house offered an elegant setting for patrons in
early
Tombstone. The gambling den has been faithfully restored and still
serves up drinks and hosts live music. The interior has been accurately
restored. It's in the center of town at 5th and Allen Streets.
PO Box
374,
Tombstone,
Arizona
85638, (520) 457-3611.
Kartchner Caverns
- On this tour you will discover the role water has played in the creation
of Kartchner Caverns. You will see some of the tiniest, most delicate
formations found in the cave, as well as the largest column in
Arizona.
Just 18 miles from
Tombstone,
Arizona.
P.O. Box 1849
Benson,
Arizona
85602, Reservations (520)
586-CAVE (2283), Call 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., daily except state holidays.
Directions The park is located nine miles south of I-10, off State Hwy 90,
exit 302.
O.K.
Corral and Historama --
Provides a 30-minute presentation which re-creates
Tombstone's
early years with films and animated figures on a revolving stage. Next
door to the Historama is the corral where it is said the legendary
gunfight between the
Earps and
Doc Holliday
against the
Clanton Gang took place. The fight actually occurred on what is
now a vacant lot near the corral on Fremont St.
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." Open daily,
admission charged. OK Corral, P.O. Box 367,
Tombstone,
Arizona
85638, 520-457-3456.
Pioneer Home Museum --
This museum was the home of
miner Frank B. Garland, who emigrated from Cornwall, England, in the
1870s, with his wife and son. The home and its furnishings have been
preserved to provide a glimpse into the lives of the hard-working men who
went down the mines and wrested the silver out of the
Tombstone
hills.
A blacksmith shop and a Chevy 1921 delivery truck are in
the backyard. It's open daily 9 a.m.-5 p.m., depending on staffing.
Admission charged. 804 E. Fremont Street,
U.S. Highway 80, P.O. Box 665,
Tombstone,
Arizona
85638, (520) 457-3853.
Rose Tree Museum
& Bookstore -- This old
1880s home was originally offices and a boarding house. When a
rose root sent from Scotland to comfort a
homesick bride in the spring of 1885 it was planted and grew to cover an
amazing 8,700 square feet. The rose tree, a Lady Banksia, is believed to
be the world's largest and is listed in the Guinness Book of Records.
Rooms exhibit many historic photos and a collection of antique furnishings
belonging to a pioneer who arrived by wagon in 1880. A gift shop sells new
and used books. The museum is at 4th and Toughnut Streets. It's open daily
9 a.m.-5 p.m.; admission charged. 116 S. 4th Street,
Tombstone,
Arizona,
(520) 457-3326.
 Schieffelin
Hall -- The
Schieffelin
Hall is an
architectural wonder of the 1880's. Named after
Tombstone
founder Edward Schieffelin, this original
Tombstone
building is the largest Adobe building in the American
Southwest, built in 1881.
Major theatrical companies of the day performed in this
1881 adobe building. John Sullivan and a company of boxers gave
exhibitions here. Now restored, the hall once again hosts theater
companies. Events are posted at the Visitor Information Center. It's on
the corner of Fremont and 4th Streets.
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 lonesome spot.
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 3rd and Safford.
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.
Tombstone Courthouse State Historic Park -
The
old
Cochise County
Courthouse, built in 1882 is now a state historic park and museum filled
with artifacts and photographs of the 1880s. The town gallows is on
display in the courtyard, and the gift shop is the best place in town to
buy books on the history of the town and region.
The courtroom,
lawyer's office, and assay office look ready for business. Exhibits
introduce the Indians, prospectors, sheriffs, ranchers, and the famous
gunfight of the
OK Corral. A gift shop offers books and
videos about
Tombstone's history. Researchers can make an appointment to delve into
the extensive historic archives. The courthouse is at 3rd and Toughnut
Streets 2 blocks off Highway 80.
P.O. Pox 216, 219 Toughnut Street,
Tombstone,
Arizona
85638,
520-457-3311. The
Tombstone Courthouse State Historic Park is open daily 8 a.m.- 5 p.m.
Admission charged.
Tombstone
Epitaph -- John P.
Clum started the
Epitaph in 1880 and it's still in business. You
can visit the office to see the original press and other printing exhibits
and to pick up your own Epitaph. It's on 5th Street around the
corner from the Crystal Palace
Saloon. Open daily 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m.; free
admission.
Tombstone Ghost Tours - In "The Town Too touch to Die" many have
violently lost their lives. Some of the departed chose to stay and haunt
the streets and buildings of America's favorite wild west town. Friday,
Saturday and Sunday Evenings, admission charged. 520-432-3308.
Book your
Tombstone lodging right
HERE online
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