Have you ever wished to slip back in time to the rough and rowdy time of cowboys and frontier towns? This small town in Arizona will let you live out your Old West daydreams, no time machine necessary. Keep scrolling to find out more about visiting the enigmatic town of Tombstone.
Tombstone, Arizona is a dusty town where the Old West is still alive and well.
Flickr/Kent Kanouse
The town was founded in 1879. Tombstone grew up around the Goodenough Mine, where silver was extracted and sold in nearby towns.
Flickr/Daniel Greene
It was one of the original cowboy boomtowns, complete with cowboys, saloon ladies, and a dusty main street packed with horses.
Wikimedia Commons/Terryballanrd
Tombstone was the sight of the famous 1881 gunfight at the O.K. Corral, where local lawmen and the famed Doc Holliday killed Tom McLaury, Frank McLaury, and Billy Clanton in connection with a longstanding feud and the robbery of a stagecoach carrying $26,000 ($659,000 today) in silver bullion.
Flickr/James Stutzman
Unlike Tombstone’s heyday, when saloons were open 24 hours a day and brothels flourished, the town today is a much quieter, family-friendly place.
Flickr/Mike Towber
But that doesn’t mean the Old West is dead in Tombstone. The town is packed with reminders of its gunslinging days, including plenty of historic buildings and attractions.
Flickr/James Stutzman
Visitors can ride around town in a horse-drawn buggy for a tour of the community’s most historic buildings.
Visit Arizona
You can also check out one of three gunfights that take place in town every day. They mimic the original O.K. corral showdown as closely as possible.
Flickr/Marie
If you’re in the mood for a spot of shopping, Tombstone is replete with stores hawking Old West trinkets and memorabilia, as well as handmade goods like woven blankets and local art.
Flickr/John Watson Photography
And of course, there’s always the option of downing something strong at the local saloon.
Flickr/John Watson Photography
Helldorado Days is the town’s oldest festival. It celebrates the wild and wooly era of the 1880s with gunfight reenactments, street shows and a family-friendly carnival.
Flickr/Marie
Check out Boothill Cemetery to visit the graves of the pioneering original settlers.
Flickr/Mlhradio
While the days of the Old West may be behind us, Tombstone is a great place to immerse yourself in another time for an afternoon or two.
Flicke/Diann Bayes
This genuine Old West town is sure to thrill you. Click here to find out more about visiting Tombstone.
Flickr/Kent Kanouse
Flickr/Daniel Greene
Wikimedia Commons/Terryballanrd
Flickr/James Stutzman
Flickr/Mike Towber
Visit Arizona
Flickr/Marie
Flickr/John Watson Photography
Flickr/Mlhradio
Flicke/Diann Bayes
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Address: Tombstone, AZ 85638, USA
