The Old West

If you're an Old West enthusiast, you've come to the right place. Not only did some of the Wild West's most famous events happen right here, but you'll also find countless preserved towns, cities and sites that tell the Old West story here.

Back before statehood, the Arizona Territory was home to some of the most feared outlaws and respected lawmen who walked the streets, from Bisbee's Brewery Gulch to Prescott's Whiskey Row. During its heyday as a tough mining town, the New York Times called Tombstone's Birdcage Theater, "the wildest, roughest, wickedest honky-tonk between Basin Street and the Barbary Coast," while the New York Sun once labeled Jerome, another mining town, the "wickedest town in the West."

Across the state, the Old West lives on in Arizona. Start your trip in Southern Arizona, home to Tombstone, Bisbee and Douglas. But you'll also want to make time for Wickenburg, in Central Arizona, as well as Jerome and Prescott – two towns connected by 30 miles of hair-raising bends and turns along Highway 89A – in North Central Arizona. 

Wherever you go, you'll find an Old West that's still very much alive, with countless historic hotels, quaint shops and more. You'll also discover plenty of attractions, from tours to re-enactments, to keep the whole family engaged. For more information about the Old West, visit Arizona Heritage Traveler – or read on for our listings. 

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