Jerome, Arizona sits 5,000 feet above the Verde Valley on the side of Cleopatra Hill—a former copper mining boomtown that produced over $1 billion in ore before the mines played out. At its peak in the 1920s, Jerome had a population of 15,000, 23 brothels, and a reputation as the most lawless place in Arizona. By 1953, the population had dropped to 50. Today it’s home to around 450 permanent residents, dozens of artists and shop owners—and, by most accounts, several hundred former residents who never quite left.

Jerome was our first real paranormal trip—and we’ve been back multiple times since. It’s the town that cracked everything open for us. Every visit gives us something new: a different hotel, a new conversation with a local, a story we hadn’t heard before. Jerome is where Stay Spooked started, and we’ll be writing about every trip in detail. Full write-ups on the Jerome Grand Hotel, Ghost City Inn, Connor Hotel, and the town itself are all coming.

Jerome’s paranormal reputation is built on 130 years of mining accidents, tuberculosis deaths, murders, and the kind of violence that comes with a lawless boomtown. The Jerome Grand Hotel alone—built as a hospital in 1927—saw over 9,000 deaths within its walls. The town’s spirits are well-documented and frequently active. Ghost tours run nightly, and every building on Main Street has its own story. We’ve had experiences here we still haven’t fully explained.

Jerome is about 2 hours north of Phoenix via I-17 to AZ-260. Stay the night—that’s when the town comes alive. The Jerome Grand Hotel and Ghost City Inn are our top picks for haunted overnight stays. Ghost tours depart nightly from downtown. October brings the Jerome Ghost Walk, an annual event with costumed reenactments through the historic streets. Visit on a weekday if you can—weekends get busy with day-trippers from Scottsdale and Phoenix.

Arizona’s oldest continuously inhabited mining town. The historic downtown—complete with an old saloon, undertaker’s office, and antique jail—carries the weight of its silver rush origins into every corner. On our upcoming Verde Valley trip list.

One of the best-preserved Wild West towns in America and arguably the most haunted city in Nevada. The Washoe Club has been featured on Ghost Adventures multiple times. Mark Twain got his start here. The spirits never left.