Visitor's Center and other Jerome, AZ Things to Do Tips

Your first stop in Jerome should be the Visitor's Center, which is sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce. You can pick up brochures here and get tips for enjoying your visit. However, it is staffed by volunteers so it is frequently not open. If it is not open try the Museum on Main Street for tourist information.

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Address: Hull Avenue
Directions: Jerome is on Arizona Highway 89A (Alternate).

The Mine Museum is located in the old Fashion Saloon Building which was built in 1898. The museum only costs $2 and has a nice set of displays on the history of Jerome. Photo 1 is the outside of the building. Photo 2 shows part of the display concerning James "Rawhide Jimmy" Douglas who helped start Jerome (You can learn much more about the Douglas Family at Jerome State Historic Park). Photo 3 is Jerome during World War II. Photos 4 and 5 are about mining. Christine, one of the ladies in charge is nice.

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Phone: (928) 634-5477
Address: 200 Main Street
Directions: Jerome is located on Arizona Highway 89A (Alternate).
Website: www.jeromehistoricalsociety.org

Another display in the museum is a recreated saloon.

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Phone: (928) 634-5477
Address: 200 Main Street
Directions: Jerome is located on Arizona Highway 89A (Alternate).
Website: www.jeromehistoricalsociety.org

Some old western towns downplay the role prostitution played in their history. Jerome celebrates it and has a large display in the museum about it. If you have ever wondered, the term "Red-light District" originated when railroad men would leave their red lanterns outside brothels so they could be located in times of emergency.

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Phone: (928) 634-5477
Address: 200 Main Street
Directions: Jerome is located on Arizona Highway 89A (Alternate).
Website: www.jeromehistoricalsociety.org

You get to Jerome by Alternate Arizona Route 89 (89A). There are something like 157 curves in 18 miles. Going is slow; but the views are spectacular. Jerome itself clings to the side of steep hill. It is considered a "ghost town" even though it has around 250 fulltime residents. Jerome the town, like its residents are unique and interesting. I saw two T-Shirts I liked that indicate the character or Jerome past and present. One was "Women Who Behave Rarely Make History" celebrating "The Cribs" which was the red-light district and "Jerome a Hard-Drinking Biker Town with an Artist Problem". If you are ever in the area, I recommend checking out Jerome, it's worth it. Jerome has a fairly extensive Historic District. They put a lot of time effort and expense into putting up attractive and informative plaques telling about the history of the buildings and the town. They also have a nice museum in town which is definitely worth a visit. The Jerome Historic District was designated a National Historic Landmatk in 1966.

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Directions: The Historic District is mostly along Main, Clark Streets and Hull Avenue.

Originally on this spot the Grandview Hotel was built in 1895. It wasmade of wood and was the first two-story building in Jerome. In addition to rooms for the guests; it had a dining room and a ballroom. It was destroyed by fire in 1898. It was replaced in 1901 by a large brick building, The Bartlett Hotel. The Bartlett became unstable after the rockslides of the 1930s and 1940s, and was abandoned. Efforts are underway to restore the shops from the lower floor of the building.

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Address: Main Street and 1st Avenue
Directions: Jerome is on Arizona Highway 89A (Alternate)

This building was built in the 20s to house the Reese and Amster Garage. The garage sold the Chrysler 40, 50 and 60 cars and the Maxwell. Later it expanded to sell a number of other brands. Next to it was the Wells Farg Office built in 1916. The buildings now house a restaurant and a neat T-Shirt Shop.

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Phone: (928) 634-7988 (Cheers T-Shirts)
Address: 111 B Main Street, Jerome, AZ 86331
Directions: Jerome is on Arizona Highway 89A (Alternate)

Another interesting building along Main Street is the Historic Hotel Connor which was buily in 1898. It still functions as a hotel and its 12 rooms have been renovated to increase the standards of comfort and convenience, while maintaining their autheniticity with antique furnishings and decor. Each room features a private bathroom, coffemaker, microwave, mini-fridge, television and telephone. They also have a bar inside.

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Phone: (928) 634-5006
Address: 408 S Main Street, Jerome, AZ 86326
Directions: Jerome is located on Arizona Highway 89A (Alternate).
Website: http://www.connorhotel.com/

During the Rough and Tumble Times of Jerome's early days with the mining boom came a very active red-light district and quite a few prostitues. Bordellos were located mostly on Hull Avenue including "The Cribs" a brick building at the end of an alley leading from Main Street to Hull Avenue. Out of protest of a new law prohibiting bordellos in the downtown area, local residents named this alley "Husbands Alley".

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Address: Between Main Street and Hull Avenue
Directions: Jerome is located on Arizona Highway 89A (Alternate).

One of the earliest jails in Jerome was built toward the bottom of Cleopatra Hill on the edge of town. During the landslides of the 1930s and 1940s the jail became unstable and started to slowly slide down the hill. It is now called the Sliding Jail. The best places to park to tour the Historic District of Jerome are by the jail. In the first picture the jail looks fine; but photos 2 and 3 show the damage caused by the shifting ground.

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Address: Hull Avenue
Directions: Jerome is on Arizona Highway 89A (Alternate).