A visit to Tombstone Arizona
On our family vacation to Phoenix, AZ for a wedding we planned a week-long wild west vacation to explore several destinations like Sedona, the Grand Canyon, Rt 66 , Hoover Dam and Las Vegas. This is one of many posts about our Wild West Trip so be sure to subscribe here so you can follow along and not miss a post!
One place my husband had on his bucket list was Tombstone, AZ. With staying in Phoenix a few days it allowed us to take a day trip there since it was not the direction we were ready to begin our wild west vacation after the wedding.
What the movie
Before we arrived we made sure to watch the 1993 Tombstone movie with our 7 yr old son to give him a bit of a history lesson in hopes it would make him even more excited to actually step foot there.
About a 3 hr ride south from Phoenix, Tombstone was just like out of the famous Movie Tombstone. When we arrived we found parking just across Old City Hall. The plan was to see some of the famous attractions, get a bite to eat and then just explore the town and see what was there.
I couldn’t believe it, It was just like how you would imagine it! It was hard for me to tell if we were on the actual movie set or the real thing. Yes, some of the places have been rebuilt from a fire but some still remain intact like the Birdcage Theatre, Wyatt Earps home, City Hall and many more. The town between 3rd and 6th street on Allen street was filled with dirt roads, street characters, stage coaches and gun fights!
In fact it was hard to tell who were street characters and who were folks just visiting dress in the period because tourist came dresses too. We even saw some hanging out in the saloon we ate lunch. It was fun. Here are some of the must see stops we did that were on our bucket list that is a must do when planning your visit.
OK Corral:
This was #1 on our list of must see. This complex includes the actual site of the famous gunfight where Wyatt Earp and Doc Holiday were involved. A Must see while in Tombstone. Daily reenactment shows take place throughout the day. Just pop into the gift shop to purchase your tickets. Kids got the chance to take pictures with the actors after the show, stroll through an old western town and even gem mine( for an extra cost). With the purchase of a ticket you also got to go visit the Tombstone Epitaph, the newspaper in town and pick up a free copy of an 1800’s newspaper to take home.
Big Nose Kate Saloon:
Eating in a saloon was something we could check off our family bucket list. Big Nose Kate is famously known as the girlfriend of the famous Doc Holiday. This saloon named after is housed in the Original Grand Hotel. Its small but there is so much to look at and a great place to cool off in the Arizona heat.
Birdcage theatre:
This iconic theatre was once a theater, saloon and gambling hall in its heyday. Many of the relics are originally intact, amazing and creepy. Original bullet holes adorn the walls and floor and many believe this place is full of Haunts. They do nightly ghost tours as well. This was a highlight of our trip because we love history that is preserved like it is at the Birdcage Theatre. This was a highlight of the visit. Don’t miss it!
Stagecoach Ride:
There are multiple stagecoach rides and attractions in town. We decided last-minute just before the town was ready to close up to take a ride. Lucky for us we got the last ride of the night and we had another couple who joined us that were dressed in period costumes. It was like riding back in time.
Tombstone is a fascinating little town. There was more to see but just not enough time since it was Sunday and the town closed down about 5pm. . We will save it for another time when we go back like the Good Enough mine Tour and Boothill Graveyard and the Crystal Palace Saloon. Be sure to maket his a visit if you are ever in Arizona and visit the Tombstone website to plan out your day. Its like stepping back in time in the Old Wild West. It was definitely a family memory maker in our travel book!
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Have you been to the Wild Wild West? What was your favorite thing about it?
