6 Quietly Charming Towns In Arizona

These quietly charming Arizona towns open a window onto the state’s many past lives, from copper camps and railroad stops to old Route 66 communities and artist enclaves. In Bisbee, you can descend into the Copper Queen Mine, which opened in 1877, then wander Old Bisbee for the Bisbee After 5 Art Walk and its galleries, shops, and colorful alleys. In Williams, the historic Grand Canyon Railway has been carrying passengers toward the South Rim since 1901, adding vintage railroad charm to one of northern Arizona’s most inviting small-town stops. If your idea of fun is spending a day or two amidst stunning desert scenery, then be sure to add these quietly charming towns to your Arizona itinerary.

Bisbee

A former mining town in the heart of Arizona’s Mule Mountains, Bisbee was founded in 1880 and proudly puts its past on display. You can experience Bisbee’s mining heritage firsthand with a tour of the Copper Queen Mine, which operated from 1877 to 1975. Visitors are taken through the mine’s extensive underground passageways on a narrated train tour led by knowledgeable and passionate guides. For more mining lore, visit the Smithsonian-affiliated Bisbee Mining & Historical Museum, which traces the town’s mining past in interactive exhibits and antique artifacts.

When you’re done exploring the past, refuel and relax at the 1902 Spirit Room restaurant at the Copper Queen Hotel. This historic lodging in the heart of downtown has welcomed a lot of faces during its long history, including John Wayne, Nancy Reagan, and Harry Houdini. As you walk through Bisbee’s historic downtown, keep an eye out for the Bisbee Art Wall, a colorful and eclectic display of artwork that adorns a quaint alleyway in the Gulch area of Old Bisbee.

Williams

A small town with some big attractions, Williams has plenty of charm and lots to do. Known as the gateway to the Grand Canyon, the town is an hour south of the Grand Canyon National Park, but if you don’t feel like making the drive, you can hop aboard the Grand Canyon Railway, a historic train that’s been making the journey from Williams up to the Canyon’s South Rim since 1901. The scenic train ride takes 2.5 hours and includes entertainment, a dining car, and an observation car.

Williams is also a stop on the iconic Route 66. The Route 66 Museum and Gift Shop, housed in a restored 1958 gas station, tells the story of this famous highway and gives visitors a chance to pick up some unique souvenirs and vintage memorabilia. If you’re travelling with kids, you’ll definitely want to visit one of William’s quirkiest museums, the Poozeum. This one-of-a-kind attraction is dedicated to fossilized poop, also known as coprolites. Highlights include a 4-foot-wide titanosaur poop replica and “The Stinker,” a bronze sculpture of a T. rex on a toilet. Stop by the gift shop to grab some dinosaur-themed merchandise for everyone in the family.

Jerome

Once known as ‘the wickest town in the West’, Jerome has thankfully shed its fearsome reputation to become one of Arizona’s most charming and creative communities. Established in the late 1800s as a copper mining hub, the town underwent a revival around the 1920s when the mining trade dried up, and it is now a lively cultural hub packed with historic attractions, art galleries, and studios.

Visit Jerome State Historic Park to see the town’s mining roots. This story is further explored through the legendary Little Daisy Mine. The park includes a museum, visitor center, and the remains of the Little Daisy Hotel, which hosted miners in the mine’s early 1900s heyday. After seeing Jerome’s history, taste it. Visit the Rickeldoris Candy & Popcorn Company on Jerome’s quaint Main Street to pick up a sweet treat from an old-fashioned candy store selling kettlecorn, chocolate, taffy, and other classic confectionery. The store is one of the town’s oldest family-run businesses and can trace its history back five generations.

Modern-day Jerome is something of an artist’s colony for Arizona’s creatives. Stop by the Old Jerome High School, now the Jerome Art Center, to attend portrait sessions and experience local art. You can find more art on display and pick up a souvenir at the Jerome Artists Cooperative Gallery, which has rotating exhibits and Featured Artists presentations so you can get to know the people behind the art.

Winslow

A picturesque desert town in northern Arizona, Winslow has a rich Native American heritage and a history shaped by the arrival of the Santa Fe Railroad and Route 66. Visit the Hopi Cultural Center north of town to learn about the history and culture of the area’s first inhabitants. The center contains the Hopi Museum, a gift shop, a restaurant, and a motel. Back in Winslow, get to know this charming community with a visit to the Old Trails Museum, which contains fascinating exhibits on Route 66 and the Santa Fe Railroad. The museum itself is housed in the 1921 First National Bank Building, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Don’t leave Winslow without taking a stroll in the charmingly-named Standin’ On The Corner Park. The park takes its name from a line in the Eagles' hit song, ‘Take It Easy,’ and is the location of the annual Standin’ On The Corner Music Festival, which takes place in September.

Tombstone

Having survived two major fires, the decline of the mining industry, and the economic downturn of the stock market crash, it’s little wonder Tombstone is known as ‘the town too tough to die’. This whimsical destination in the heart of the Old West looks like the set of a classic cowboy film and has its own unique charm. One of its most popular attractions is the Saloon Theatre, which hosts historical gunfights and half-hour presentations in a quintessential Wild West playhouse. Nearby is the O.K Corral, where you can revisit the site of Tombstone’s most famous shootout and visit a museum dedicated to The Tombstone Epitaph, Arizona’s oldest newspaper.

In the Bird Cage Theater, you can see the bullet holes from various shoot-outs over the years. Opened in 1881, the theater has kept much of its original 1800s fixtures, as well as a few ghosts it picked up over the centuries. Take a self-guided tour or be brave and visit after dark for the theater’s infamous Ghost Tour.

To see more of the town’s most iconic landmarks and learn their history from an expert guide, book a ride with Old Tombstone Tours. This fully narrated tour takes visitors through the dusty streets on a stagecoach or covered wagon and is run by a local family who’ve been Tombstone natives for four generations.

Holbrook

Located in northern Arizona’s Painted Desert and close to the Petrified Forest, Holbrook has plenty of natural splendor on its doorstep, but the town itself is also full of character and unmissable attractions. In the town’s historic downtown, you’ll find the Navajo County Historic Courthouse, a National Register of Historic Places landmark which is now home to the Navajo County Historical Society and the Old West Museum.

While at the Historical Society, you can pick up a self-guided walking tour to wander Holbrook’s Old Downtown District and see sights including the ominously named Bucket of Blood Street, where an 1886 gunfight turned bloody.

Before you leave Holbrook, grab a snack and some refreshments at another local landmark, the Empty Pockets Saloon. This Navajo-, woman-, and veteran-owned historic saloon is located on Route 66 and serves up classic pub fare in Western-style surroundings.

Desert Charm and Wild West Wonders

Charming doesn’t have to mean boring, especially in Arizona, where you may find yourself walking down Bucket of Blood Street, meeting the ghosts of long-dead theater patrons, hitching a ride in a wagon, or learning about dinosaur poop. Whether you have a day to spare or a week to wander, if you’re planning a break in Arizona, don’t overlook its smaller communities. These mining towns, artist colonies, and desert hamlets give visitors a chance to discover the state’s charm and character in their unique attractions and activities.