Sedona, Arizona – Jerome Ghosts and Quirks

If not for the artists who saved it, Jerome would be the largest ghost town in the nation. Visitors today browse art galleries that were once bordellos, mingle at restaurants that were once opium dens and make new friends at some of the oldest saloons in the state.

Jerome is considered a ghost town because its population drastically declined when the copper mines, which were the lifeblood of the town, closed in the 1950s.

Needless to say, plenty of ghost town tours in Jerome.

True to its ghost town vibes, this quirky hotel looks like an interesting place to stay.

Before it was known as the Ghost City Hotel, it was called the Garcia House.

As with most mining towns, there were many brothels around. Here is one that is now a private house. It is called “The House of Joy. ” 🙂

It was so much fun to walk around Jerome. As you can see from the brothel house picture above, Jerome is on a hill and has magnificent views of the valley below.

I just loved this garden.

And true to its quirky nature, there was a crystal store. I practically ran into the store, while dear Mr. Ken ran into the pastry shop next door.

One can never have enough crystals . . .I was especially excited to learn about the Shattuckite crystal. Shattuckite is a relatively rare copper silicate mineral. It was first discovered in 1915 in the copper mines of Bisbee, Arizona, specifically the Shattuck Mine (hence the name). It is a secondary mineral that forms from the alteration of other secondary minerals. It is a stone of communication, understanding and amplification.

Have you ever been to Jerome or to other ghost towns? What did you see there?