Tombstone (Arizona)

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Tombstone is most famous as the town where the gunfight at the o.k. Corral took place more than a century ago. Wyatt Earp, his brothers and friends took on the outlaws Clanton and his 2 supporters. The gunfight left several of the men dead and ensured that Tombstone found its way into the history books and onto many tourists lists of must see places!

Tombstone started life as a boomtown ...
...homeland. The town was named Tombstone by the silver prospector Ed Schieffelin, who was told that if he ventured into this area to look for silver then the only stone he would find would be his own Tombstone! However he survived and the town that he named prospered. Tombstone grew to a population of several thousand people. In 1887 an underground river flooded all the silver mines forcing their closure. The mines were never reopened and the population ... more

In the summer of 2003 our family spend 2 months travelling from Tucson, Arizona to Alberta in Canada. Our first week was spent staying in a rented house in Tucson and it was from here that we visited Tombstone.

What’s so special about Tombstone?
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Tombstone is most famous as the town where the gunfight at the o.k. Corral took place more than a century ago. Wyatt Earp, his brothers and friends took on the outlaws Clanton and his 2 supporters. The gunfight left several of the men dead and ensured that Tombstone found its way into the history books and onto many tourists lists of must see places!

Tombstone started life as a boomtown in 1877 when silver was discovered in the area. At the time this area was Apache land and there were many fierce battles as the Apache fought to preserve their homeland. The town was named Tombstone by the silver prospector Ed Schieffelin, who was told that if he ventured into this area to look for silver then the only stone he would find would be his own Tombstone! However he survived and the town that he named prospered. Tombstone grew to a population of several thousand people. In 1887 an underground river flooded all the silver mines forcing their closure. The mines were never reopened and the population of the town slowly decreased. To day, Tombstone stands as a well-preserved real Wild West town.

What is there to see in the town ?
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Tombstones historical district has numerous original buildings all well preserved. There are other buildings that are in keeping with the styles of the time. I would recommend you visit the birdcage theatre on the main Allen Street. Birdcage like structures hang from the ceiling. These cages used to be where prostitutes would sit and ply their trade. It costs $5 for adults and $ 4 for children.

The main street, (Allen Street) has a wooden boardwalk running along both sides. The road through the middle is wide and used to stage the regular gunfight re-enactments that take place here. We visited on a Sunday in June and watched a really exciting gun fight! Be warned though it is very noisy and life like, but there is shade available and you can sit on the boardwalk to watch! The gunfights that take place on the main street are free to watch.

The famous site of the o.k. corral gunfight is also on Allen Street. Inside the corral there are displays about the shootout and life sized figures of all those involved. There are regular re-enactments of the famous event here too, although there is a charge for watching. The weather in the summer here is very hot and there is very little shade inside the corral. On the day we were there the temperature was in the 100’s! The noise of the gunfire will probably be too frightening for young children. My 20 month old was definitely not impressed! Unless you really want to see the gun fight at the o.k. Corral re-enacted, and pay for the priviledge, then I would suggest you see whether there are others taking place, and there normally are. These will be free or ask for a donation.

Next door to the o.k. Corral is the Tombstone historama. Here the history of Tombstone is acted out through changing, revolving scenes. This has a small entrance charge of $2.50 for adults and a bit less for children. Although our children enjoyed the show it really is not worth the admission fee. It is possible to buy a joint ticket for both the historama and the o.k. Corral for $6.50 for an adult and a bit less for children.

If you want to visit Tombstones original saloon, then the Crystal palace at the end of Allen Street won’t disappoint you. Many of the actors come in here to have a beer when they are not taking part in shootouts! We took our children inside and nobody told us they couldn’t stay so I guess children are welcome!

The original courthouse building is still standing and open daily from 8-5. The building now houses photos and newspaper articles from Tombstones past. There is a gallows in the courtyard, which was probably the most interesting thing on display! The courthouse is on the wonderfully named Toughnut Street!

Another building worth a visit (and its free)! is the newspaper office. It is possible to buy a copy of the newspaper that carried the story of the famous shootout. This building is situated just off Allen Street.

There are many other old buildings most of which now house souvenir shops or ice cream parlours. Despite the fact that Tombstone is obviously a tourist trap, I think it has a very authentic feel to it. Tombstone is built on a plain and is surrounded by mountains. There are many old silver mines in the surrounding area, not to mention real modern day cowboys! I stopped a cowboy I thought was an actor to congratulate him on his horsemanship and costume. He looked amused and told me he had a ranch a few miles up the road and came to watch the actors as I had! He had been riding all his life and was certainly no actor!

If the heat starts to get to you then you can take a stagecoach ride around the town. These leave from the main Street and are reasonably priced.

Accommodation and eating
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If you are visiting in the summer then you will need to make sure you drink plenty of water. We took several litre bottles with us but still had to buy more. There are several places to eat along the main street although we brought fruit and snacks for the children with us. I did however think that the lamplight room on fourth street, looked fun. This is a restaurant situated in the Tombstone boarding house dining room. There are only a few tables and you have to book, so we didn’t eat here.

If you want to stay in Tombstone then there is a best western on the outskirts of town, rooms here cost about $80.

I think the nicest looking place to stay is the Tombstone boarding house a few blocks from the main Allen street. This is an old whitewashed building that was originally the home of Tombstones bank manager. Rooms here cost about $85. The lamplight dining room part of this establishment. This would have definitely been where I would have chosen to stay! There are no large towns near to Tombstone so your choices are a bit limited.

We did buy ice creams and sodas in Tombstone and found the prices higher than in Tucson, but that’s to be expected!

Before you head off you should make time to visit the wonderful boot hill graveyard on the north edge of town. Entry to the graveyard is through a gift shop but is free. There is a lovely shady seating area outside with cool water sprinklers-bliss! The graveyard contains the graves of many of those who lived and died in Tombstone. There are some very interesting inscriptions on the tombstones such as hanged by mistake! I would advise you to time your visit here for as late in the day as possible and what ever you do avoid the midday heat!

How to get here
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Tombstone is 70 miles south east of Tucson and 181 miles south east of Phoenix. There are direct flight from the u.k to Phoenix. The price of flights varies but I have seen flights to Phoenix for around £300 in August, with B.A. We flew to Phoenix, hired a car and drove to Tucson. We rented a house in Tucson for a week and so we were able to see a lot of the surrounded area.

There is no public transport in this remote part of Arizona so a car is essential. However car parking is plentiful, along the side of the a joining street to Allen street and is free and unlimited.

The verdict
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If you are looking for an authentic Wild West experience then this is the place for you! Tombstone is situated in remote country and has many ghost towns and disused mines surrounding it, so it looks the part! If you are staying in southern Arizona then a visit to Tombstone should be on your agenda. Our 6-year-old son loved his visit, although our 20 month old was too young to cope with the heat and noise of the place. I would love to go back, perhaps when the children are a few years older.

If you would like further information about Tombstone or would like to check when gunfights are due to be re-enacted then there is a website at www.city of Tombstone.com.If you send them an email they will give you a list of all forthcoming attractions in the area. Tombstone certainly lives up to its name-Tombstone the town too tough to die!

 

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