If you’ve ever wanted to walk in the footsteps of famous outlaws, explore ghost towns, or see where legendary Wild West shootouts took place, Cochise County, Arizona, is calling your name!
This corner of southeastern Arizona is packed with real Old West history, from dusty streets where cowboys once faced off with guns to deserted towns where miners once chased their dreams of striking it rich.
Here, you’ll find century-old saloons, abandoned jails, historic railroad stops, and even places where you can head deep underground to see what life was like for miners more than 100 years ago.
And the best part? You can experience all of this on one epic road trip, with scenic desert drives, mountain views, and plenty of fun roadside surprises along the way.
So grab your cowboy boots (totally optional!) and get ready to explore some of Arizona’s coolest Old West stops!
1. Gammon’s Gulch Movie Set, Benson
Gammon’s Gulch Movie Set, located in the desert hills near Benson, Arizona, is a privately owned Old West movie town packed with wooden storefronts, dusty streets, and buildings that look straight out of an 1880s Western film.
Built by Jay Gammon, whose father worked in Hollywood, this fascinating movie set features a saloon, sheriff’s office, jail, general store, church, and other buildings filled with antique furniture, vintage signs, and authentic Old West collectibles.
You can take a guided tour through the town, peek inside its historic-style buildings, check out old movie memorabilia, and hear behind-the-scenes stories about Western films shot here.
As exciting as visiting this landmark may be, Gammon’s Gulch is still an actual filming location used for movies, television shows, and music videos, so be sure to arrange your tour in advance!
2. Fairbank Historic Townsite
After exploring the movie sets at Gammon’s Gulch, head to Fairbank Historic Townsite, an authentic 1880s ghost town inside the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area, located along State Highway 82.
Established in 1882, Fairbank was once a busy railroad stop where ore from Tombstone’s silver mines passed through on its way to processing mills.
Today, you can still walk among several surviving historic buildings, including a schoolhouse that now serves as a museum and the preserved mercantile building.
Take a self-guided walk through the townsite, then follow the approximately 1-mile round-trip trail to Fairbank Cemetery, where weathered graves sit on a hill overlooking the San Pedro River Valley.
Admission is free, and the surviving historic buildings, remnants of the town’s railroad past, and beautiful desert scenery make this one of Cochise County’s coolest stops for Old West history.
3. Tombstone
From Fairbank’s quiet ruins, drive about 12 minutes to Tombstone, the legendary silver mining town famous for the 1881 Gunfight at the O.K. Corral.
It was here that Wyatt Earp, his brothers, and Doc Holliday faced off against members of the Clanton-McLaury gang in a shootout lasting roughly 30 seconds.
Start on Allen Street, where wooden boardwalks, horse-drawn stagecoaches, historic saloons, and costumed cowboys bring the town’s Wild West days to life!
Catch a reenactment of the famous gunfight at the O.K. Corral, grab a drink at Big Nose Kate’s Saloon, and visit the Bird Cage Theatre, an 1881 entertainment hall famous for its gambling rooms and wild stories.
Before leaving, stop at Boothill Graveyard to see the graves of Billy Clanton and the McLaury brothers, who died in the gunfight.
4. Bisbee
Next, drive about 30 minutes to Bisbee, a former copper mining town tucked into the Mule Mountains, where colorful Victorian buildings, steep streets, and old mining structures tell a completely different Old West story.
Founded in 1880, Bisbee became one of Arizona’s biggest mining towns, producing millions of tons of copper, along with gold, silver, and other minerals.
Take the Queen Mine Tour, where you’ll ride a small mining train approximately 1,500 feet into the mountain wearing a hard hat and headlamp, all while retired miners share stories about working deep inside the mountain.
Don’t miss a visit to the massive Lavender Pit open-pit mine, the Bisbee Mining & Historical Museum, and Brewery Gulch, a historic street once packed with saloons and now home to quirky shops, bars, and restaurants.
5. Gleeson Ghost Town
Once you leave Bisbee’s colorful mining streets behind, head toward Gleeson, a nearly abandoned copper mining town along Arizona’s Ghost Town Trail.
Here, crumbling adobe walls, rusty mining equipment, and empty buildings offer a glimpse into Arizona’s forgotten mining days.
Gleeson developed from an earlier settlement called Turquoise, and was established under its new name in 1900 after miner John Gleeson discovered copper nearby, sparking a mining boom that brought hundreds of workers to the area.
The town’s standout attraction is the restored Gleeson Jail, built in 1910, which houses historical artifacts and memorabilia related to the town’s mining past. (Note: The museum has limited opening hours, so arrange your visit in advance.)
You can also photograph the remains of the old hospital from public roadside areas and admire the Dragoon Mountains in the distance, but do respect private property signs and avoid entering unstable ruins.
6. Pearce Ghost Town
Continue along Ghost Town Trail from Gleeson to Pearce, another former mining town roughly a 30-minute drive away, boasting a handful of century-old buildings that stand as reminders of one of the state’s biggest gold rushes.
Founded in 1894 after prospector James Pearce discovered gold nearby, the town grew around the Commonwealth Mine, which produced millions of dollars in gold and silver and helped Pearce reach a population of around 1,500 people.
Your first stop should be the historic Pearce General Store, one of the town’s best-preserved buildings dating to the 1890s, with its impressive adobe walls and historic storefront that once served miners and local families.
Then, check out the old Pearce Jail, which has limited opening hours, photograph the town’s weathered buildings from public areas, and visit the nearby Pearce Cemetery, where gravestones tell stories of the families who called this mining town home.
7. Downtown Willcox
From Pearce, drive about 30 minutes to downtown Willcox, a historic railroad town founded in 1880 that became a major cattle shipping center and later the hometown of legendary Western movie star Rex Allen.
Start on Railroad Avenue, where historic brick buildings, old-fashioned storefronts, and the Southern Pacific Railroad tracks offer a look at the days when cowboys drove thousands of cattle into town for shipment.
Stop at the Rex Allen Arizona Cowboy Museum to see movie posters, cowboy outfits, guitars, and memorabilia from the singing cowboy’s Hollywood career, then check out the nearby Rex Allen statue.
Before leaving, visit the Willcox Historic Theater, which opened in 1937, and grab a glass of locally made wine at one of the downtown tasting rooms, since Willcox is also famous for its vineyards.
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