Wandering the streets, soaking up the atmosphere, and shopping are the main pastimes in Jerome. But before you launch yourself on a shopping tour, you can learn about the town's past at the Jerome State Historic Park, off Arizona 89A on Douglas Road in the lower section of town (tel. 928/634-5381). Located in a mansion built in 1916 as a home for mine owner "Rawhide Jimmy" Douglas and as a hotel for visiting mining executives, the Jerome State Historic Park contains exhibits on mining as well as a few of the mansion's original furnishings. From its perch on a hill above Douglas's Little Daisy Mine, the mansion overlooks Jerome and, dizzyingly far below, the Verde Valley. The mansion was constructed of adobe bricks made on the site and once contained a wine cellar, billiards room, marble shower, steam heat, and central vacuum system. Admission is $3, and the park is open daily (except Christmas) from 8am to 5pm.
To learn more about Jerome's history, stop in at the Jerome Historical Society's Mine Museum, 200 Main St. (tel. 928/634-5477; www.jeromehistoricalsociety.org), which has some small and old-fashioned displays on mining. It's open daily from 9am to 5pm; admission is $2 for adults, $1 for seniors, and free for children 12 and under. For that classic mining-town tourist-trap experience, follow the signs up the hill from downtown Jerome to the Gold King Mine (tel. 928/634-0053), where you can see lots of old, rusting mining equipment and maybe even catch a demonstration. The mine is open 9am to 5pm daily, and admission is $4 for adults, $3 for seniors, and $2 for children ages 6 to 12.
Most visitors come to Jerome for the shops, which offer an eclectic blend of contemporary art, chic jewelry, one-of-a-kind handmade fashions, and unusual imports. Of course, there are now also the inevitable ice cream parlors and shops full of tacky souvenirs. The Raku Gallery, 250 Hull Ave. (tel. 928/639-0239; www.rakugallery.com), has gallery space on two floors and walls of glass across the back, with views of the red rocks of Sedona in the distance. The Jerome Gallery, 240 Hull Ave. (tel. 928/634-7033; www.jeromegallery.com), has good-quality ceramics, jewelry, and home furnishings. On this same block, you'll also find Nellie Bly, 136 Main St. (tel. 928/634-0255; www.nbscopes.com), with a room full of handmade kaleidoscopes (ask to see the ones in the back room). Sky Fire, 140 Main St. (tel. 928/634-8081), features an interesting collection of Southwestern and ethnic gifts and furnishings. To see what local artists are creating, stop in at the Jerome Artists Cooperative Gallery, 502 Main St. (tel. 928/639-4276; www.jeromeartistscoop.com), on the west side of the street where Hull Avenue and Main Street fork as you come up the hill into town. At this end of town, you'll also find Pura Vida Gallery, 501 School St. (tel. 928/634-0937; www.puravidagallery.com), which has a fascinating and eclectic selection of fine art, jewelry, and unusual Southwest-inspired pieces of furniture. Don't miss the eclectic offerings of the House of Joy, 416 Hull Ave. (tel. 928/634-5339; www.jeromesfinest.com).
If you're in the market for local art, be sure to drop by the Old Jerome High School, which is located on Arizona 89A downhill from the main part of town and is full of artists' studios. On the first Saturday of each month all of the studios here are open from 5 to 9pm for the Jerome Art Walk.
