20 Things To Do In Tombstone

Tombstone is the largest authentic old west town still in existence anywhere in the United States and an excellent destination for fans of American history and westerns. Best known as the place of the gunfight at the O.K. Corral, a famous 30-second shootout between law enforcement officers and outlaws in 1881, you can step back into the wild west by exploring its museums, saloons and other historic buildings.

Founded in 1877 and named after the first silver mine discovered by prospector Ed Schieffelin, Tombstone exploded into life as a mining town. There were around 100 saloons, a busy red-light district, schools, churches, newspapers, restaurants, and one of the first community swimming pools in Arizona during its heyday. You might recognise it if you’ve watched famous westerns like Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, Tombstone and Wyatt Earp.

Despite its rich history, its isolated location near the Mexican border means it doesn’t get as many visitors as it deserves. So if you’re a fan of westerns, pull on your cowboy boots and hat and tick these things to do in Tombstone off your list.

Tombstone, Arizona

20 Things To Do In Tombstone

1- Study The Architecture In The Tombstone Historic District

The Tombstone Historic District is a section of the town that houses many of its most famous locations, a US National Historic Landmark District since 1961 and listed on the US National Register Of Historic Places since 1966.

With its collection of historic buildings and unique architecture of the era, it is a quaint place to take a stroll, soak in the surroundings and truly immerse yourself in the spirit of this legendary location.

Tombstone Historic District is at East Allen Street, Tombstone, 85638.

2- See A Standoff At The O.K. Corral

The O.K. Corral was a horse and livery corral that opened when the town was founded in 1879 and operated as such until 1888.

It is perhaps best known for an event that happened just outside it, though, the infamous “Gunfight At The O.K. Corral”.

A deadly shootout between the Cochise County Cowboys and lawmen led by the Earps and Doc Holiday, the legendary event has been recounted for over a century and turned into the hit 1957 film of the same name.

With daily recreations of the events by highly skilled performers, what better way for fans of the film to experience its events in their original location.

The O.K. Corral is at 326 East Allen Street, Tombstone, 85638.

3- Visit Schieffelin Hall

Schieffelin Hall is a historic adobe building that is the largest of its kind in the southwest USA.

Built in 1881 by Albert Schieffelin, the brother of Tombstone’s founder, it became the primary spot in the town for high-class opera shows, theatre performances, recitals and even public meetings.

Completely restored multiple times since 1963, it retains the character and charm it had when it was first built, giving visitors the chance to see a performance in iconic surroundings.

It has been listed on the US National Register Of Historic Places since 1966.

Schieffelin Hall is at 402 East Fremont Street, Tombstone, 85638.

4- Drink In Wyatt Earp’s Oriental Saloon & Theater

Wyatt Earp’s Oriental Saloon & Theater is a historic landmark and fully functional saloon.

It is also where legendary lawman Wyatt Earp worked one of his first jobs as a young man, employed as a faro dealer at the saloon.

The saloon is one of the best places to go in Tombstone to learn about the city’s history while sipping whiskey or gin fizz toddy in a location with a storied past of its own.

Wyatt Earp’s Oriental Saloon & Theater is at 500 East Allen Street, Tombstone, 85638.

5- Be Amazed On A Good Enough Mine Tour

The Good Enough Mine Tour is an absolute must for anyone seeking the complete Tombstone experience.

With mining being the primary reason for the town’s founding, you can’t visit without taking a trip to one of the mines yourself.

Guides will take you underground, down into the mines, to show you the conditions the miners would have worked in and guide you through the industry’s history and a day in the life of a miner.

Good Enough Mine Tour is at 501 East Toughnut Street, Tombstone, 85638.

6- Uncover History At The Tombstone Epitaph

Built in 1880, the Tombstone Epitaph building is the printing location of the Tombstone Epitaph newspaper, Arizona’s oldest continually produced newspaper.

Originally a regular newspaper, it became a publication dedicated to the culture and history of the old west in subsequent years.

These days, it’s a museum where you can learn about the founding and development of the newspaper while looking at exhibits, historic articles, and traditional newspaper manufacturing equipment.

Tombstone Epitaph is at 11 South 5th Street, Tombstone, 85638.

7- See The Exhibits At The Tombstone Art Gallery

The Tombstone Art Gallery is an establishment dedicated to showing the works of local artists from Tombstone and the surrounding area.

With most of the pieces dedicated to either the wild west or Native American art, it is a great way to experience the traditional styles and cultures present in the region over the last century.

Tombstone Art Gallery is at 317 East Allen Street, Tombstone, 85638.

8- Explore The Gunfighter Hall Of Fame

A museum dedicated to the legendary gunfighters of the wild west, spending time at the Gunfighter Hall Of Fame is one of the things to do for fans of historic firearms, battles, outlaws and lawmen.

With exhibits like historic firearms, photographs and wild west artefacts, it is the perfect place to find out more about legends that have been told in stories and Westerns for decades.

The Gunfighter Hall Of Fame is at 395 East Toughnut Street, Tombstone, 85638.

Recommended tour: The Bullets and Bordellos Ghost Tour in Tombstone.

9- Have Fun At Old Tombstone Western Theme Park

Tombstone may be known for its history, but it can still be entertaining for visitors of all ages at the same time.

The Old Tombstone Western Theme Park is a wonderful, wild west themed amusement park with attractions like gunfight shows, trolley tours, shooting galleries and photo stores.

Dress up in traditional attire, handle cowboy-style weapons, catch a show, be entertained and embrace Tombstone’s wild west culture.

Old Tombstone Western Theme Park is at 339 South 4th Street, Tombstone, 85638.

10- Visit The Bird Cage Theatre

First opened in 1881, the Bird Cage Theatre was designed to house respectable entertainment and family-friendly shows.

However, with a town filled mainly with miners, it quickly became a brothel and gambling hall, even hosting the world’s longest poker game, which ran continuously for eight years.

Closing in 1892, when Tombstone’s economy declined, the building is rumoured to be one of the most haunted in America.

Having operated as a coffee shop since reopening in 1934, you can sit back and enjoy a drink in legendary surroundings and perhaps even have a supernatural experience.

The Bird Cage Theatre is at 535 East Allen Street, Tombstone, 85638.

11- Discover Traditions At The Rose Tree Museum

The Rose Tree Museum is a wonderful little museum that features the largest rose tree in the world on its grounds.

Explore a traditional home to see how Tombstone locals would have lived during the town’s heyday, then take a step outside to be amazed by the size and beauty of the eponymous tree.

If you happen to visit when it is in bloom, you even have the chance to see it with more than one million blossoms.

Rose Tree Museum is at 118 South 4th Street, Tombstone, 85638.

12- Explore Tombstone Courthouse State Historic Park

The Tombstone Courthouse State Historic Park is a frontier-themed park surrounding the original 1882 Cochise County Courthouse.

A two-story building designed with Victorian architecture, it housed the primary figures of law and order during Tombstone’s heyday.

The building itself now operates as a museum, displaying various artefacts and exhibits to teach visitors about the town’s past.

Another attraction in the park is the gallows, where famous outlaws were hanged.

Listed on the US National Register Of Historic Places since 1972, visiting the park is one of the best things to do in Tombstone to immerse yourself in the town’s history.

Tombstone Courthouse State Historic Park is at 223 East Toughnut Street, Tombstone, 85638.

13- Visit The Tombstone Boothill Graveyard

Between 1878 to 1883, the Boothill Graveyard was used to bury many of the early settlers to Tombstone.

Called Boothill due to the outlaws buried in their boots, it allows visitors to see a traditional old west style graveyard.

With a gift shop connected to it, you can complete your experience by grabbing a keepsake to take home with you from this macabre yet marvellous experience.

Tombstone Boothill Graveyard is at 408 Arizona State Route 80, Tombstone, 85638.

14- Walk Around Tombstone Cemetery

The Boothill Graveyard is more famous and aesthetic than the Tombstone Cemetery, but it also plays up to tourists a little.

While plenty of legendary names are buried within it, many fake gravestones of wild west legends buried elsewhere have been added to draw visitors in.

The Tombstone Cemetery, on the other hand, is the real deal.

With all of its graves being legitimate and receiving far fewer visitors, it is a better option for those seeking a more authentic experience of a wild west cemetery.

Tombstone Cemetery is at 145 Charles Road, Tombstone, 85638.

Recommended tour: The Dead Men’s Tales Walking Ghost Tour in Tombstone.

15- Explore On Horseback

The Tombstone Equine Company is a horse riding service in the outskirts of the town that is known for its fabulous horses and service.

With horses being an iconic form of transport in the old west, exploring the area around Tombstone on horseback is a great way to soak up the wild west atmosphere.

The Tombstone Equine Company is at 2424 East Colt Road, Tombstone, 85638.

16- Stop Off At The Crystal Palace Saloon

First opened as the Golden Eagle Brewing Company in 1879, the Crystal Palace Saloon is a historic Tombstone watering hole.

With the second floor having housed the office of US Deputy Marshall Virgil Earp, this restored saloon is a perfect place to stop for a drink or bite to eat while taking in its rustic surroundings and learning some of the stories from the building’s past.

The Crystal Palace Saloon is at 420 East Allen Street, Tombstone, 85638.

17- Get Your Adrenaline Fix On An ATV Tour

While horse riding is the traditional form of transportation around Tombstone, that doesn’t mean it will be for everyone.

If you’re after an exciting way to get around, head on down to Apache ATV Tours.

With a fleet of superb off-road vehicles, you can hire a machine to help you zip around the desert and explore the Tombstone area at high speed for a more exhilarating experience.

Apache ATV Tours, Tombstone, 85638.

18- Explore Audie Murphy And Medal Of Honor Museum

The Audie Murphy And Medal Of Honor Museum is dedicated to a different period of history.

It celebrates the life of the most decorated American soldier in World War II, Audie Murphy.

See photos and artifacts dedicated to his life during the combat and the many medals he earned, including the Medal Of Honor.

With World War II occurring less than 50 years after Tombstone’s heyday, the museum shows just how quickly America evolved.

Audie Murphy And Medal Of Honor Museum is at 15 North 4th Street, Tombstone, 85638.

19- Visit St. Paul’s Episcopal Church

No western town is complete without a church, and while Tombstone has more than one, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church’s Gothic Revival architecture looks like something straight out of a western.

Built in 1882 and listed on the US National Register of Historic Places in 1971, you have to explore this wonderful little church and its grounds to complete the wild west experience.

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church is at 55 North 3rd Street, Tombstone, 85638.

20- See Historic Photos At Fly’s Photography Gallery

Fly’s Photography Gallery is a museum that houses a collection of photos from the town during its heyday.

Stop in to see snaps of some of the places you have visited with legendary figures standing in the very spots that you have too.

Fly’s Photography Gallery is at 312 East Fremont Street, Tombstone, 85638.

How to visit? Join this Tombstone Day Trip from Phoenix – yes, you can visit in a day!