Halloween in Jerome: Feel the Haunting Magic of Arizona’s Spookiest Town

At least 88 miles of tunnels run under the town.  Some of the tunnels were for legit mining operations of the copper mine. But others are side passages connected to the mine shafts that allowed bootleggers and smugglers to transport illicit goods like opium and later liquor from building to building. Unfortunately, the tunnels are unstable and flooded with rainwater or run off so they are inaccessible and the town will not permit tours of them.  

I took a ghost tour in Jerome and we visited a ground-floor apartment of the Haskins apartments. There was a tunnel dug from a closet that connected with the mine shafts. The couple who lived there ran opium around town using the tunnels.

But one day an uninvited guest used that hand-dug tunnel to enter the couple’s apartment, shoot them, and steal their opium stash. The thief left through the tunnel and was never caught. That couple still haunts the apartment today. A few people on my tour were able to get answers to questions asked with a spirit box. It was so creepy!

The Jerome Grand Hotel stands out as one of the town’s most infamous haunted locations. Originally the United Verde Hospital, the building was home to countless tragedies and mysterious deaths, and today it is considered one of the most haunted places in Arizona. Guests have reported hearing strange sounds—labored breathing, voices, and wheezing coming from empty rooms. The ghost of Claude Harvey, a maintenance worker who died under suspicious circumstances in 1935, is said to haunt the hallways. Visitors flock to this hotel hoping to catch a glimpse of these ghostly spirits.

Another eerie location is the Old Company Clinic, the first medical clinic from Jerome’s mining days, where the spirits of doctors, nurses, and patients are said to roam. The clinic is believed to be haunted by those who perished during the 1918 flu epidemic, with sightings of ghostly doctors and nurses rushing between rooms. Visitors have also reported seeing the apparition of a little girl waiting for her mother, who tragically died during the epidemic. 

The Connor Hotel is also famous for paranormal activity, with rooms 1 and 2 particularly noted for strange occurrences like radios turning on by themselves and ghostly figures appearing unexpectedly. You can stay at the Connor Hotel today and it's some of the best lodging in Jerome.

The town's haunted history extends beyond its buildings. Husband’s Alley, a notorious area from Jerome’s mining days, is said to be where scorned wives would seek revenge on their unfaithful husbands, giving the alley its ominous name.

 The Liberty Theatre is another haunting spot, allegedly haunted by the ghost of a woman who was murdered by her boyfriend during a movie screening. These tales, woven into the fabric of Jerome’s history, make the town a magnet for those intrigued by the macabre.

The high school is also another haunted hotspot and part of the tour I took. Today several of the classrooms are being used as artists’ studios. However other building areas have not been renovated and have deteriorated from neglect and lack of temperature control. The Gym’s hardwood floorboards are curling up or missing in places. The ceiling paint is peeling and the tiles are falling.

Shadow people have been seen in the gym and halls. But the basement is said to have a malevolent creature with red eyes. Even though we toured the basement during the day, parts of the basement were pitch black and scary as hell! I was getting creeped out while taking photos and didn’t want to be left behind by the group.