A mile-high copper mining camp turned artist haven
Once a thriving 19th-century mining camp, tiny, artsy Jerome is a haven of artist studios, restaurants and shops, historical sites, eclectic inns and B&Bs.
A visit to picturesque Jerome includes exploring the winding streets carved into Cleopatra Hill, which juts a mile in the air. Visitors will want to stop at the Mine Museum for insight into Jerome’s copper mining past. Refurbished in 2007, the museum is on the site of the once elegant Fashion Saloon. The compact museum boasts a beautiful hammered tin ceiling and interprets Jerome’s early history, from gambling and the red light district to education, mining, commerce, medicine, the arts—even El Barrio Chicano, the city’s Mexican town. Nearby is the Jerome State Historic Park, which features the 8,000 square-foot adobe home that once belonged to James Douglas, the owner of the Little Daisy Mine. When it was built in 1916, the Douglas Mansion had all the cutting-edge conveniences of its day, including steam heat, electricity, telephone service and a central vacuum system. Today the building, with its high ceilings and multiple fireplaces, is devoted to recounting the history of the Jerome area and the Douglas family through photographs, artifacts and a 25-minute video. The library has been restored as a period room.
Jerome’s wealth of galleries and artist studios will delight visitors interested in the arts. The popular Jerome Art Walk, which began in 2006, takes place the first Saturday of every month. Visitors come for the quality and diversity of the work, which ranges from photography, sculpture, painting, and ceramics to fiber art, fused glass and jewelry, and for the festive charm of evening in Jerome. Award-winning restaurants, tucked into renovated historical buildings, boast some of the best dining in the region.
Accommodation options in Jerome include quirky and delightful B&Bs and inns.
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