Arizona is crawling with ghost towns, but none have quite the reputation that Jerome does. Once known as the “Wickedest Town in the West,” this former mining community just might have more spirits than people. You don’t want to be caught alone here after dark…that is, unless you like meeting entities from beyond the grave.

Situated on a hilltop overlooking the Verde Valley, Jerome is a former mining town whose population once topped 10,000 during the industry's heyday. Now, a century later, less than 500 people live here.
Facebook/The Historic Town of Jerome, AZ
Despite having so few permanent residents, Jerome is quite a bustling place - for a ghost town, anyway. A National Historic Landmark, the town attracts tourists in droves, particularly around Halloween.
Jerome is a ghost town no matter how you spin it, brimming with ghosts rather than humans. Far too many buildings to count harbor dark secrets of some sort.
Facebook/The Historic Town of Jerome, AZ
Jerome was once known as the "Wickedest Town in the West" because of its reputation for gambling, brothels, and heavy drinking.
The town got its start in 1876 after the discovery of gold, silver, and copper. The copper deposits, in particular, were among the richest ever extracted.
Wikimedia Commons/Finetooth
Pictured here is the site United Verde open pit. Mining operations ceased in 1953, and the surrounding rock walls date back over a billion years.

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Perhaps the most iconic - and notoriously haunted - building in town is the Jerome Grand Hotel.
Flickr/Morrison_2001
Constructed in 1926, it originally served as a hospital for injured miners. An estimated 9,000 unfortunate souls met their demise here, including a maintenance man who died under very suspicious circumstances. Are you brave enough to spend the night and meet the ghosts that haunt the halls? If so, you'll definitely want to stay in Room 32.
There's also the Connor Hotel, which was built in 1898. It has experienced many ups and downs over the years -- including being burned to the ground twice -- but remains standing in spite of it all.
Flickr/David
Directly beneath the hotel is the Spirit Room, an old-timey tavern known 'round the world for its incredible live music and great drinks. While neither building is infamous for paranormal activity, the walls of historic buildings always talk.
One simply doesn't visit Jerome without seeing the Sliding Jail. Exactly as its name suggests, this cellblock slid down the mountain after underground blasting left the ground unsteady.
TripAdvisor/Steve5863
The jail was deemed unsafe to house prisoners long before it "escaped," so to speak, but it housed many a prisoner at one point. Perhaps their vengeful spirits still walk the streets of Jerome to this day...
Whatever you do, stay far, far away from the Jerome Cemetery.
Google/Christopher Richey
This eerie, overgrown place is said to house approximately 400 graves, most of which are unmarked. The dead primarily succumbed to either gunshot wounds or mining accidents, and you can rest assured they have plenty of unfinished business in this realm. Visitors often report hearing disembodied voices and ghostly footsteps -- and that's in broad daylight.

Have you ever been to Jerome? If so, did you experience any paranormal activity? Where, and what happened? Let us know about it, and check out our previous article to learn more about the Jerome Grand Hotel.

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