Wild burros, gunslingers and ghosts wander through this town that was once the largest gold-producing region in Arizona.
Travel to Oatman, Arizona, where miners found gold in the early 1900s and tourists now find great entertainment. See burros walking in the streets and running wild in the hills. They’re the descendants of pack animals the miners used to carry in supplies and carry out riches from the mines.
Over a century ago, the gold in these hills made local miners rich and built a community of more than 3,500 people. The mining has long disappeared, but the town now has 40 gift, antique and craft shops. Pose for photos with local residents in old-time costumes. Visit the Oatman Hotel where Clark Gable and Carole Lombard spent their honeymoon.
Today Oatman offers activities to entertain visitors of all ages. Listen for the sound of a double-barreled shotgun announcing the daily Wild West shows. The Oatman Ghost Rider Gunfighters appear in shootouts on the streets twice each afternoon. Locals have been providing this entertainment for over 20 years.
Participate in other events, ranging from January’s Bed Races to the annual Fourth of July Sidewalk Egg Frying Contest. Test your skills throwing gold-plated donkey droppings in the International Burro Bisket Toss on Labor Day weekend.
For a truly unique destination wedding, contact the Oatman Chamber of Commerce. The local parson will marry you in a shotgun wedding at the Little White Church of Oatman. Each year about a dozen couples “get hitched” by the ordained minister in a special old-fashioned ceremony.
Drive along Historic Route 66, which brought many to Oatman in its heyday. The highway became famous as one of the nation’s first cross-country routes, offering access to family motels, mom-and-pop restaurants and quirky tourist spots. Not far from Oatman’s portion of the route are the Grand CanyonOpens in a new window and the London Bridge.
Oatman is just over a 2-hour drive from Las VegasOpens in a new window and Lake Mead. Plan a combined trip including the historic sites of Oatman with the engineering marvel of the Hoover Dam and the exciting entertainment of the Las Vegas StripOpens in a new window.
