Jerome is a tiny town in central Arizona (pop. 500) only 8 miles from Cottonwood which is the closest town to the RV resort where we are parked.
We drove up the mountain to Jerome to see the The Douglas Mansion since my maiden name is Douglas and I thought my three brothers would be interested. The Mansion has been an eye-catching landmark in Jerome since 1916, when James S. Douglas, a mining magnate, built it on the hill just above his Little Daisy Mine. This former home is now a museum devoted to the history of the Jerome area and the Douglas family and it is now an official State Park.
The Mine Museum, which is in the Mansion, explores Jerome's history as a booming copper-mining town. Jerome's population in the mine's heyday was near 15,000.
Outside the Douglas Mansion, one can admire the uniqueness of Jerome as it sits dramatically and precariously on the side of a hill. There is also a full view of the abandoned mining operations around Jerome and an excellent view of the Verde Valley below. In the distance, there are panoramic views of Oak Creek Canyon, Sycamore Canyon and the San Francisco Peaks.
After our visit to the Mansion we parked in the tiny town and walked the two streets of very nice shops, galleries and pubs. We returned a few days later for their first Saturday of the month "Art Walk" when most of the shops and galleries are open 5 - 8PM with snacks and wine available in each. Our favorite shop is called "Nellie Bly" which has a lot of very interesting merchandise and many art works. This shop is the largest brick and mortar kaleidoscope shop in the WORLD. The kaleidoscopes range in price from $75 to $26,000. Some of the metal and wood art from Nellie Blys' is pictured below. There is also an amazing and large artist's coop gallery. Photos from the gallery below include a painted guitar, a horse and 2 landscapes.
We had dinner in the Clinkscale restaurant - it was very good and our waiter was excellent.
The Douglas Mansion Close Up and at a Distance and Views From The Surrounding Park
Photos Around Jerome
Artwork in Nellie Bly's and the Artist's Coop Gallery