The 21 Best Things To Do In Tombstone, Arizona (2024)
Want to know all the best things to do in Tombstone? We’ve got you covered with everything you need to know about the town too tough to die!
If you’ve ever wanted to visit a classic Old Western town, Tombstone is it.
Though the town was nearly a ghost town back in the 70s, the resurgence came when the movie Tombstone was released back in the 90s.
Ever since, the town has fully embraced its history and the tourism that comes along with it.
Making it the perfect day trip or weekend getaway!
You can watch our full Tombstone day trip in this video on our YouTube Channel.
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Things To Do In Tombstone, Arizona
We happened to visit when we were doing a week long stay in Tucson.
From where we were in Tucson, Tombstone is about an hour or hour and a half drive.
We parked just outside of town in a free lot next to the Bird Cage Theater and the Public Works office.
The main street itself is closed off to vehicular traffic.
So you’ll always have to park in any of the lots surrounding the city or along side streets.
1. Bird Cage Theater Tour
Since this was the first place we came across as we entered the town, this was our first stop!
We decided what we would do is go all the way down one side and back up the other depending on how much time we had as we went along.
Fun fact, there is a replica of this theater at Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park, California!
It is free to enter the lobby/gift shop and there will be someone to give you a spiel about the historic details of this theater.
You will then be offered a self-guided tour if you want to see inside the theater.
However, any photos or videos you take inside the paid area are only for personal use.
They are not allowed to be published anywhere.
There are multiple signs throughout warning about this.
So unfortunately I will not be sharing what we saw inside and you’ll need to check it out yourself!
The theater also has an email contact if you find any orbs on your photos because there have definitely been some haunted happenings since this place opened in 1881!
2. Tombstone Carriage Tour
A great way to get a good understanding of the layout of the town is a carriage tour!
When we visited New Orleans the first thing we did (after getting beignets at Cafe du Monde) was a carriage tour throughout the French Quarter.
Of course you’ll also learn all the history and local’s stories about the town while you’re at it.
We visited in August, so it was quite hot outside and carriages are not air conditioned – so keep a bottle of cold water with you throughout the day because you’ll need it.
3. Tombstone Trolley Tour
Another great way to see the town outside of the main street is a trolley tour!
This tour goes out to Boot Hill Graveyard as well as the surrounding neighborhood.
Think of the tours as the carriage tour covering what’s on the dirt road and the trolley tour covering what’s on the paved roads.
Also this one is air conditioned!
4. Boothill Graveyard
The Tombstone Trolley Tour will take you down the street to Boothill Graveyard.
This is basically where everyone in town was buried for awhile.
Most notably, the men who died (were murdered) at the OK Corral are buried here, some of the Chinese who lived in their own part of town are buried here, some cowboys, and other locals.
The video at the top of this post has videos of Boothill Graveyard.
5. Eat Lunch At Crystal Palace Saloon
By the time you’ve done a little sightseeing you’ll be hungry.
There are actually quite a few restaurants in town, making it hard to decide where exactly to go.
We decided on Crystal Palace Saloon because it was in the middle of town, has a lot of history, and had great menu options.
For lunch we shared a couple meals.
For whatever reason, JP was in the mood for a chili cheese dog, so he got that.
I felt like we should have a more authentic meal, so I had the 10 oz sirloin steak with a side of cowboy potatoes and green beans.
And of course to drink we had Sarsaparillas!
Fun fact, the only sodas I will drink are ones like root beer, cream soda, and sarsaparillas, which are all pretty similar.
I absolutely hate all other kinds, so I was in heaven the whole day.
6. Old Time Photos
I have always wanted to get old timey photos together!
They’re offered at so many places, but I decided we should get them somewhere that is super legit.
Like an old western town as opposed to just a theme park or vacation destination.
So when we came to Tombstone we thought that would be the perfect place!
Another place that would’ve worked for us too is Virginia City, Nevada which is another old western mining town we had visited just before this trip!
7. The World’s Largest Rose Bush Museum
A cute little place to stop in if you have time is the museum featuring the world’s largest rose bush!
Who would have ever thought it would be in Tombstone, Arizona?
The museum has a lot of artifacts from the 1880’s when Tombstone was at it’s peak which is neat to look at.
When you go out into the courtyard area you can see how massive the rose bush is.
Check out the YouTube video at the top of this post for a full video of the rose bush!
8. OK Corral
For most people visiting Tombstone, this is the biggest draw.
Funny enough, I had never actually seen the movie Tombstone before visiting.
I had seen a handful of historical documentaries about Doc Holliday and Wyatt Earp and other western legends though.
We had even visited Doc Holliday’s gravesite when we stayed in Glenwood Springs on one of our road trips.
But anyway, throughout the day, they reenact what went down at the OK Corral.
They have a courtyard with some old carriages and a place to try your luck at panning for gold (or whatever element was in this area).
There is also an animatronic re-creation of the shoot out as well.
Fair warning though, this town still loves its guns and you will definitely hear the gunshots here all throughout the day, as well as at the Oriental Saloon.
9. Wyatt Earp’s Oriental Saloon
Another popular, historic saloon in Tombstone.
Here you can see another re-enactment of an Old West Gunfight.
They also have live music on Saturday nights.
10. Tombstone Wine Tasting Room – Cabal Cellars
A super pleasant surprise for us was finding a tasting room right in the middle of town!
We knew the surrounding area of Elgin and Sonoita was a wine region.
But I just didn’t realize there was a tasting room in town, so of course we indulged and brought home our favorite bottles from our tasting.
If you’re curious, our favorites were the Passion Cellars Malvasia Blanc and the Cabal Cellars Prohibition Petite Syrah!
11. Old Courthouse
Now for just a hodge podge of what you can find around town.
You can visit the Old Courthouse on the backside of town.
It’s a very pretty historic building.
12. New Restaurants In Tombstone – Vogan’s Alley Bistro
There are also a couple newer restaurants that aren’t the historic saloons that would be cool to check out on another visit.
13. Those Were The Days Collectibles
There are also tons of shops with a variety of souvenirs and collectibles.
This collectibles shop is on the edge of town.
14. Lady L’s Creations
Lady L’s Creations has a lot of homemade items like candles.
Each shop in Tombstone has it’s own unique niche of products, so it’s fun to explore each one.
15. Lilly’s Tombstone Memories
Lilly’s Tombstone Memories is very true to Tombstone.
Here you can get knives, cowboy toys, western artifacts, and western jewelry.
16. Historama
Historama is where you go to get your tickets for the OK Corral.
It’s a small museum next door showcasing the history of Tombstone and the surrounding area.
17. T. Miller’s Tombstone Mercantile
This shop is similar to a general store where they’ve got a little of everything you’d expect to see in a place like Tombstone.
18. Tombstone Sarsaparilla Stand
On the far end of town just past the OK Corral is a sarsaparilla stand!
Remember how I said it was really hot when we visited and there’s only a select few sodas I’ll drink?
Even though we had water with us all day we seemed to be constantly thirsty.
This place offered a 4 pack of a specialty sarsaparilla so we drank a couple there and took the others home with us.
The bottle makes a nice collectible!
Our Second Visit to Tombstone
So our last day in Tucson was actually my 27th birthday.
We spent the day wine tasting in the area and decided that since we had time, we should stop by Tombstone again and wear my new outfit around town to get some photos.
So that’s exactly what we did (after the massive rain storm passed through).
19. Dressing Up
My favorite!
There was a shop where you could buy your own saloon girl outfit piece by piece.
It was super fun trying on different pieces and picking out what I liked best.
Spoiler alert, after buying the outfit we decided to come back to Tombstone on our last day in Tucson and visit for a couple hours and get photos in my new outfit.
However, if you do this, be prepared for lots of questions (and compliments!) as people will assume you work/live there.
This is super fun to do and is on par with wearing costumes for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party at Disney World!
There are locals that come out and dress up each day in character of what Tombstone was like in the 1880’s, so you’ll probably be able to get photos with a few.
The skirt I had bought to go with my outfit actually has strings on the inside to bring up the front to about knee length.
I actually bought a second skirt in black that was short like that where it’s knee length in the front and drapes down in the front.
Since the top and the corset were black with a little bit of purple, both skirts matched really well.
20. Get Drinks At Big Nose Kate’s Saloon
For this second visit, we had already had lunch and had been wine tasting all day.
So we weren’t hungry, but always thirsty for another sarsaparilla.
This time we stopped into Big Nose Kate’s Saloon for a drink since we didn’t see it last time.
This is one of the most popular places to visit in town.
21. Old Tombstone Western Theme Park
We didn’t get to do this during our visit because they were closed, but it looked really cool.
They host Tombstone’s longest running professional gunfight show and it’s also the highest rated one.
Additionally they have a historically themed mini golf course.
You can also pan for gold, shoot your shot at the Shoot’n Gallery, dine at their restaurant, get drinks at their cantina, take jail photos, and more.
On Friday and Saturday nights, the trolley tour is an hour long Ghost and Murder Tour theme.
Where To Stay Near Tombstone
I recommend making Tucson your base and day tripping out to Tombstone.
So if you’re basing yourself in Tucson, I recommend Varsity Clubs of America – Tucson.
This is a timeshare property owned by Diamond Resorts (recently purchased by Hilton Grand Vacations).
Contrary to popular belief, you do not need to be a timeshare owner to stay here.
You can check out what the one bedrooms are like in this video on our YouTube Channel.
👉 Click Here To Book Your Stay At Varsity Clubs Of America Tucson Today!
More Fun Things To Do Near Tombstone
Tombstone is practically in the middle of nowhere. The nearest city is Tucson, which is about an hour and a half away.
Surprisingly, there are so many things to do in this region of Southern Arizona.
From natural wonders, to historic sites, to some of the best food in the world, this area does not disappoint.
✔ Elgin and Sonoita Wine Tasting Region
Elgin and Sonoita is an up and coming wine region in Southern Arizona.
It is so under-rated and we even like it better than Napa.
Our favorite wine is actually from here and it’s a habanero infused red wine.
You get the flavor and scent of the peppers without so much of the burn of the spice.
✔ Tucson UNESCO City of Gastronomy Foodies Guide
Tucson has so many great restaurants serving food that has been growing in this area for over 10,000 years.
✔ Best Affordable Attractions In Southern Arizona
From the natural wonders to the National Park Service sites, there are so many unique things to do in this area of Southern Arizona.
Conclusion: Best Things To Do In Tombstone
As you can see, there are so many things to do in Tombstone.
You can do a lot in one day, but plan to visit for at least one and a half to 2 days minimum if you really want to see and do it all.
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