There are so many intriguing abandoned places in Arizona, but this is a place that houses abandoned planes. The Boneyard in Arizona is a cool storage spot for military aircraft that has a creepy vibe. It’s guaranteed to interest anyone! The Boneyard is located on Davis-Monthan Air Force Base just outside Tucson, Arizona. Here you’ll find tons of retired aircraft. It’s a true boneyard – a resting place for worn-out or damaged planes.

Editor’s Note: Since the time of publication, tours of The Boneyard have since ceased without plans to reopen.

Davis-Monthan Air Force Base is home to a huge abandoned airplane graveyard.
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The base was created in 1946 to serve as a home for Douglas C-47 Skytrain aircraft and Boeing B-29 Superfortress.
Here is a bird's eye view of some of the abandoned airplanes in Arizona's Boneyard.
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It's almost beautiful the way the old planes are lined up there in the desert, reflecting the hot sun all day. There are different categories of storage for the aircraft. "Long-term storage" is for planes that will be used again in the future. The category for planes kept for spare parts is "parts reclamation." "Flying hold" means aircraft are kept for a shorter time than the long-term category, and "excess of DoD needs" means the planes are sold off in parts or as a whole.
Military planes are laid to rest here.
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The Arizona desert is a great resting place for these planes. The low humidity, light rainfall, and dry soil keep the aircraft from getting rusty. The ground doesn't even have to be paved as the soil is dry enough to move the planes without needing pavement.

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There are more than 4,000 aircraft in The Boneyard.
Nearmap/DigitalVision via Getty Images
Here you will find aircraft from the U.S. Air Force, Coast Guard, Navy-Marine Corps, and even NASA.
It's like traveling back in time.
brianna.lehman/flickr
There are so many historic planes in The Boneyard. This photo captures the historic feel of this place. Visiting is like a history lesson!
Tours are conducted through the Pima Air and Space Museum.
jerdlngr/flickr
You can get a tour of The Boneyard in a climate-controlled motor coach. Reservations are required 16 days in advance. The museum is located at 6000 East Valencia Road in Tucson, Arizona.

Since a physical tour is no longer possible, take a video tour of this amazing place:

The Boneyard is truly one of the strangest places in Arizona. Head down to Tucson to visit and tour the area. With the impressive preservation to protect them from the desert environment, these planes are sure to amaze you. Be sure to bring your camera, because you are guaranteed to see something historic or downright weird. If you’d like to visit one of the abandoned places in Arizona, take a look at the ghost town of Ruby.

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The Creepiest Places in Arizona

William Suphan | January 25, 2023

What are the eeriest abandoned places in Arizona?

The eeriest abandoned places in Arizona include:

  • Gold King Mansion. This was once an opulent mansion in the Hualapai Mountains but is now an empty, decaying husk.
  • Santa Claus. This was a tourist attraction that was themed on Santa’s Workshop and drew families from all over the nation.
  • Swansea. During the heyday of copper mining in Arizona, Swansea was a booming mining town but is now a ghost town.
  • Vulture City. This was a gold-mining town from 1863 to 1942 that shut down at the start of World War II. 

Discover more about the eeriest abandoned places in Arizona.

What are the creepiest ghost towns in Arizona?

The creepiest ghost towns in Arizona include:

  • Cordes. This town was named after John Henry Cordes by himself in 1883. It has been abandoned since the 1950s.
  • Fairbank. This place was first settled in 1881 and became abandoned during the 1970s. Its population never reached 500 people.
  • Pearce. This was a mining town that was abandoned in the 1940s. There are still a few people living in the area.
  • Ruby. This is another mining town that closed down, but it is kept well-preserved and you can visit for a small fee.

Learn more about the creepiest ghost towns in Arizona. 

What are the most haunted places in Arizona?

The most haunted places in Arizona include:

  • The Bird Cage Theatre in Tombstone. Employees of this place have reported ghost sightings and some have claimed the ghosts followed them home.
  • Gadsden Hotel in Douglas. Room 333 in this historic hotel is said to have apparitions that try to open the door or even sit or lay on the bed with them.
  • Lee Hotel in Yuma. It is said that the deceased former owner of the hotel still checks in on guests by knocking on doors and rattling the doorknobs.
  • Big Nose Kate’s Saloon in Tombstone. Visitors have reported having been pushed from behind with no one behind them and hearing whispers and footsteps from the basement.

Find out more about the most haunted places in Arizona. 

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