How to Spend a Day in Jerome, Arizona

Arizona is a great place for RVers, especially in the winter.

If you want to escape the cold, where better to go than Arizona. The state is loaded with places to visit.

Today we’re going to tell you how to spend a perfect day in Jerome, Arizona. Haven’t heard of it?

Well, once you do, we know you won’t be able to wait to book your trip!

About Jerome, Arizona

Jerome, Arizona considers itself the “Wickedest Town in the West”. Although it was a once booming mining town, Jerome is now a ghost town with a population of just 450. Despite its small size, Jerome is a thriving tourist town.

It draws in visitors from all over and is an especially popular place for artists to stay and work.

Jerome is located between Prescott and Flagstaff. It is built on a rock formation that formed billions of years ago following a massive eruption. Jerome is a great place to visit most times of year.

Highs are in the 90s in the summer with lows in the mid to upper 60s. In the winter, daytime weather is around 50 degrees with overnight temperatures sometimes dropping below freezing. It is sunny almost all year round but gets some rain, fog, and even snow.

Keep reading to find out just what to do in this Arizona town.

Morning

Breakfast at The Flatiron

Address: 416 Main Street Jerome, AZ

Menu options: The Flatiron is the perfect place to start your day in Jerome. They have a variety of coffee, espressos, and lattes to get you caffeinated for the day. For breakfast, they have a bit of everything.

Scrambled eggs, egg sandwiches, A.M. quesadillas, bagels, oatmeal, and a delicious parfait are their main offerings. They also have a range of sides to choose from.

Reasons to love it: You will absolutely adore the owners of the Flatiron. I mean right on their website they literally say that thanks to the Flatiron, they “wake up to floating clouds dancing over a horizon” and “mornings filled with smiling friends and neighbors”.

Even as an out-of-towner, you’ll feel like a local family member from the moment you step through the door. This feeling is often lacking as a full-time RVer, so you’ll love dining at the Flatiron.  

Explore the Jerome State Historic Park

After enjoying your delicious breakfast, your next stop is the Jerome State Historic Park. The park is open daily beginning at 10 am, so feel free to get a lazy start on the day.

The pride and joy of this park is the Douglas Mansion, which has been around since 1916. You can’t miss it perched atop a hill. The Mansion is now a museum with photos, artifacts, and minerals from the mining era of the town.

You will also LOVE the 360-degree views you’ll get from the park. There are colorful mesas and towering mountains as far as the eye can see.

Afternoon

Eat lunch at Haunted Hamburger

Address: 410 Clark St. Jerome, AZ

Menu Options: The Haunted Hamburger has it all. They’ve got a range of starters including chips and salsa, deep-fried pickles, artichoke hearts, jumbo pretzels, sliders, quesadillas, and chipotle deviled eggs.

But be sure to save room for lunch because the Haunted Hamburger has an amazing menu. If you’re feeling health conscious, they have several salad options. They also offer a ton of hamburgers to choose from, including the Ghostly Burger, the Haunted Burger, and what’s that? The DOUBLE Haunted Burger!

If you’re not a burger person, have no fear (see what we did there) you can get Haunted Chicken instead. They also have several sandwich options, ribs, fish and chips, and chicken strips; hold the haunting. 

Reasons to love it: This small restaurant has a long and storied history! Is it really haunted? It just might be.

The building was abandoned for some time and needed extensive repairs. When the new owners started to rebuild, hammer after hammer disappeared. What followed was slamming doors, flying cans, water turning on in the middle of the night, and photos with ghostly images of a woman. 

Even if you don’t believe in ghost stories, we know you’ll love your visit to the Haunted Hamburger. We recommend dining from the back porch for an unbeatable view of the Verde Valley.

Visit the Mine Museum

Given Jerome’s history as a booming mining town, you really can’t complete the visit without a stop at the Mine Museum. This local historical society runs the museum, and it costs just $2 per person over age 12 ($1 for seniors).

The Museum lets you take a step into the past when Jerome was the 4^th largest city in Arizona and miners ruled the land. The museum has an archive of over 11,000 photos, maps, and newspaper articles from the time. There are also displays that show what life was like.

The Mine Museum is not only vital to preserving history, but to preserving the town itself. Before the museum opened in 1953, people considered the town an actual ghost town for several years. The museum now preserves the Ghost Town with many of the original buildings still standing.

Explore Local Arts at Jerome Artists Cooperative Gallery

It is hard not to feel inspired when you look around Jerome with its stunning views. It’s no wonder Jerome is now home to many artists. A visit to the local artist cooperative is a great way to experience the art and support the local economy.

The gallery houses work from over 25 different artists. You can see everything from paintings, to fine jewelry, to pottery and anything in between. You’ll feel you are at an art museum when you step into the Jerome Artists Cooperative Gallery.

Many artists reflect the natural beauty of the area in their work, making for a perfect reminder of your visit to this once ghost town.

Evening

Dinner at Asylum Restaurant

Address: 200 Hill Street, Jerome, AZ

Menu Options: The Asylum will make you go crazy with all their decadent menu options! They deliver options usually unheard of for such a small town including char-broiled rib eye, roast duck, rock point shrimp, Pacific salmon, king crab, and more.

They also have amazing desserts including Crème brûlée’, blackberry sundae, espresso Kahlua mousse pie, and more. You will definitely enjoy five-star dining at the Asylum.

Other reasons to love it: Just in case the mouth-watering food wasn’t enough reason to love the Asylum Restaurant, the views definitely are. Situated on Hill Street, this restaurant offers some of the most fabulous views around. You’ll also feel like you are dining in a mansion with the absolutely gorgeous exterior and interior at this restaurant.

Drinks at Spirit Room

Address: 166 Main St. Jerome, AZ

Drink Options: The Spirit Room has pretty much everything you could expect from a bar. They have a range of draft beers, mixed drinks, and of course spirits!

Reasons to love it: This vintage western bar is like a blast from the past. We also love that there is live music up to 6 times a week. And on Wednesdays, you can do a little singing of your own during Open Mic Night from 7 to 10.

There is a music calendar on their website so you don’t miss out. They were recently named the best small-town bar in Arizona, too!

Take a Historic Ghost Tour

In case you haven’t caught on by now, Jerome may or may not be haunted. What better way to know than to find out yourself by taking a Historic Ghost Tour! A few different local companies offer Ghost Tours in the area.

Most tours last 1.5 to 2 hours or more and involve walking through a range of indoor and outdoor haunted locations. Hours vary depending on the time of year because the best time to spot ghosts is after dark!

On these tours, you’ll hear about the spooky history of the town, including all about murders, malicious acts, haunted cars, and more from the Wickedest Town in the West.

Where to stay in Jerome, Arizona

Verde Valley RV & Camping Resort

Address: 6400 E Thousand Trails Rd. Cottonwood, AZ

About the Park: This park is located a short way from Jerome (their population is only 450, after all!). The park has almost as many sites as Jerome has people with 340 in total. They offer full hookups with 50amp sites available upon request.

Why you’ll love staying here: This Verde Valley Camping Resort has it all. They have a clubhouse, shuffleboard, basketball hoops, billiards, pickle ball, horseshoes, volleyball, and even mini-golf. Verde Valley RV Park also has a hot tub, swimming pool, and a range of outdoor activities including nature trails, waterside walks, bike trails, and even fishing! 

Plus, it is situated in the most beautiful location with towering, colorful, layered rocks dotting the countryside in every direction.

A Day in Jerome, Arizona

Jerome is a tiny town, but it has a big personality. We absolutely love all the history packed into one small place.

The local community has really embraced their “ghost town” status to offer you a chance to step into the Wild West of days gone by. You won’t want to miss this perfect day in Jerome, Arizona. 

Pro Tip: Here are the 5 creepiest ghost towns in Arizona

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