About Visiting Tombstone: Tombstone, Arizona is a historic Wild West town dubbed the "town too tough to die." With shoot-outs, stagecoach rides, an old west main street and Boot Hill, Tombstone is quite a draw for tourists.
Where is Tombstone?: Tombstone is a city in Cochise County, Arizona, founded in 1879 in what was then the Arizona Territory. It is 70 miles southeast of Tucson. To get to Tombstone, take I-10 from Tucson to Benson, Arizona. At Benson, head south on 80.Map
Tombstone History: Tombstone is no doubt the most famous and glamorized mining town in America. Prospector Ed Schieffelin was told he would only find his tombstone in the San Pedro Valley. He named his first silver claim "Tombstone."
Where to Go First - The Visitor's Center: Before you walk the streets of Tombstone, or get drawn into one of the major tourist attractions, head for the Tombstone Visitor and Information Center on 4th and Allen Streets to pick up a free map of Tombstone and tourist information on all of Arizona. The walking map will help you see all of Tombstone and focus on attractions that are the most interest to you. Visitor's Center Website
Tombstone Activities - Tombstone Courthouse State Historic Park: Tombstone, while a bit commercial for my taste, still houses some fantastic vestiges of the Old West. The Tombstone Courthouse is a bit of real Tombstone history. The park is located on the corner of Toughnut and 3rd Streets, 2 blocks off Highway 80.
Tombstone Activities - Just Walking Around: With your Tombstone map, you can walk the streets of Tombstone picturing yourself in the heyday of the old town. A friend of mine, when on a walking trip to Tombstone saw a Gila Monster (lizard) strolling down one of the side streets! You can get a 10K walking map of Tombstone to walk as part of the AVA Walking Organization. Event Website.
Historical Tours: You can take a historical tour of Tombstone by wagon or stagecoach. Website.
Gunfight at OK Corral: See the film on Tombstone's history and then tour this famous gun fight site. Walk where Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, Virgil and Morgan Earp fought the Clantons and McLaurys on October 26, 1881. Reenactment inside the O.K. Corral® at 2 p.m. each day. Entrance Fee.
Website
Boot Hill Grave Yard: The Boot Hill Graveyard is just a short distance from Tombstone off Highway 80. You can walk there. Boot Hill was founded in 1878 on a slight hill just north west of the city. This historical cemetery was the burial ground, for all of Tombstone's earliest pioneers. The website has a list of all who are buried there. Entrance Fee or Donation for Map. Website
Enjoying Tombstone, Arizona: Tombstone, "The Town Too Tough to Die," is a great draw for tourists. But you can look past the sideshow-type come-ons and find some real history in Tombstone. Many of Tombstone's historic buildings are within an area bounded by Fremont, 6th, Toughnut and 3rd streets. Among them are St. Paul's Episcopal Church, built in 1882, the Crystal Palace Saloon, one of the most luxurious saloons in the West, and the Tombstone Epitaph building, where the oldest continuously published paper in Arizona is still being printed. Western printing history exhibits in the front office are free to the public.
Tombstone is a good stop on a tour of southern Arizona. Do a little walking, learn a bit about Tombstone history and pick up a souvenir or two.
Tombstone is a good stop on a tour of southern Arizona. Do a little walking, learn a bit about Tombstone history and pick up a souvenir or two.
