Dale & Tenia Evans 5/01/2013 When they entered the Arizona Territory, the Oatmans and other members of their party met with all kinds of difficulties. You can smell their presence even when you can't see them; burro droppings are everywhere. Oatman: The Massacre, Town and Haunted Hotel. Mark & Venessa Escalante 12/27/2013 //pre loader DIAMOND LIL'S (866) 275-5816 | (602) 364-3700, Copyright 2023 VisitArizona.com | Privacy Policy, Six Days Touring the Mother Road: Route 66, Distinctly Arizonan July 4th Celebrations, Arizonas Wildly Different Desert Regions. For years, tourists have fed the burros carrots and special burro chow that they could buy in just about every shop. Kingman is the heart of Route 66, with frequent 120 W Andy Devine Ave Some tastier treats like carrots contain sugar and like us, these burros dont get enough exercise to work it all off the extra calories. The eight-room hotel did a booming business with local miners, who began the practice of covering the hotels walls and ceiling with signed and dated one-dollar bills. They have a gunfight in the street and we caught just the end of it but what we saw was very entertainingYou wont be disappointed with your trip through this small mining town but be sure to have your phone ready and something for the nosey burros to eat, This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in Hong Kong. Jan 6, 2018 - Oatman AZ - a staged gunfight in the center of the town. No gunfight as scheduled? One of the more colorful shopkeepers is known as Betty the Bead Lady, who for many years, drilled beads and sold them to the Navajos for their jewelry making. The Oatman burros are a little too friendly if you want my opinion. Oatman is best known for its beloved burrossmall donkeys descended from miners' beasts of burden. The two main annual events are the Bed Races every January, when teams of five hardy souls push and ride a bed down the main street, make a bed at the end and race back to the finish line. Nearby cities include Bullhead City, AZ (28 miles away), Kingman, AZ (29 miles away), Needles, CA (22 miles away), and Lake Havasu City, AZ (54.2 miles away). Top ways to experience Oatman Ghost Town and nearby attractions. This old hotel renamed the Oatman Hotel in the 1960s, is the only historic two-story adobe building in Mohave County. more, Oatman Western Mining Village/Museums & Scenic RT66 Experience Small Grp. The Complete Guide to Exploring Wilmington, Vermont, Unique and Affordable Things to Do in St. When you step into Olive Oatman Restaurant and Saloon, you'll feel like you're stepping back in time. Alberto & Brittany Garcia 11/05/2011 1110 W Washington St, #155 The gold is still there and in 1995 the Gold Road mine was reopened and about 40,000 oz of gold a year is being taken out of it. Brett & Mary Cohen 12/28/2013, Chris & Melissa There arent. The towns biggest mine closed in 1924, and by 1941, the government ordered the closing of Oatmans remaining mining operations as part of the countrys war efforts. var scroll = "OUTLAW WILLIE"; We got to town about 3:00 pm and I asked a shop keeper about the gunfight and I was told to check with the Making Memories store becuase the gunfight only goes if there "is enough money in the street" (enough tourists to make some decent tips) The store was locked but the sign on the door said that they may be closed while the gunfight was on so I felt confident our friends would get to see it. The other annual event is The Egg Frying on the Sidewalk contest on the fourth of July. We were simply enjoying our walk. Parson Tom and his wife Sheriff Littlebit can perform weddings, either shotgun or traditional, on the street in a gunfighter situation, or at the Little White Church. Richard & Angelique Daniels Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. This is a beautiful stretch of Route 66, covering about 45 miles. Points of Interest & Landmarks, Scenic Walking Areas, Gift & Speciality Shops, Points of Interest & Landmarks, Monuments & Statues. 162 Main Street, Oatman, AZ 86433. If you didn't know about Oatman, and just happened to drive into town, and burros were coming up to your car to beg for food, guns were blasting, and bodies lay in the street, it would seem pretty strange. This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Stephan & Renee Tara- But Oatman provides a good sense of what the frontier West was really like: rough, shabby, and naturally chaotic. Oatman is about 38 miles west of Kingman, AZ on Historic Route 66 (AKA Oatman Highway) but because a good portion of the road is a very narrow windy road with a lot of curves and switch backs, it takes hour to an hour and a half to make the drive. Ryan & Tina Bishop 3/11/2019 This rally, now in it's second year, is the official motorcycle rally for Oatman, and the entire stretch of Route 66 from Needles CA to Seligman AZ. Joshua & Maegan Ondrik 5/12/2012 We Old West Stables at The Grand Canyon Western Ranch, 3750 E Diamond Bar Rd Michael & Carolyn Ross 2/19/2011 newimage2 = new Image(); The town is filled with history and is a popular tourist destination. Oatman Ghost Town: What? We help people connect with the world and each other by stepping out their front door and embarking on journeys big and small. Dan & Louise Sexton 2/8/2018 - See 663 traveler reviews, 1,166 candid photos, and great deals for Oatman, AZ, at Tripadvisor. Olive Oatmans is a small restaurant that serves breakfasts, sandwiches, and ice cream. Wild burros panhandling, gunfighters shooting, and antique buildings on the historic Route 66 means that you are on the main street of Oatman, Arizona, just across the Colorado River and up the Black Mountains from Laughlin, Nevada. I would guess there were 50+ people wandering around which was more than the last time we were there. This ghost town was a gold rush town, but it is also known for its burro population and its regular Wild West gunfight schedule. Located at an elevation of 2,710 feet (830 m), it began as a tent camp soon after two prospectors struck a $10 million gold find in 1915, though the area had been already settled for a number of years. var pos = 1 - DisplayLength; Road Trips Six Days Touring the Mother Road: Route 66 Douglas & Betty Richards 4/14/2014 Gary & Cheryl Parsons 4/30/2017 Follow the signs for Oatman, 23 miles. More on Living Ghost Town: Burros and Gunfights. The Oatman AZ gunfight schedule is full of events that take place daily, starting at high noon. OUTLAW Oatman More to Discover Near Oatman Get Your Kicks Arizona's Route 66 Whether heading west to east or east to west on the Mother Road, be sure to check out the quirky landmarks and destinations of Arizona's Route. We know the donkeys are wild and unpredictable. Oatman had some rough times, however. AZ If the wild past really intrigues you, then drive west to Oatman on old Route 66 from I-40, exit 44. Oatman is full of bigots and racists. Interstate 40 bypassed Oatman in the early 1950s, and by the early 1960s, the whole area was all but abandoned. function ScrollInStatusBar(){ My dad, who lived in Arizona at the time, had been mentioning Oatman for years, and the only thing that stuck in my head was the troupe of feral burros that live there. ScrollInStatusBar() The easiest way to get to Oatman is to rent a car and drive yourself. History buffs can learn all about Oatman's mining boom days at the Oatman Hotel (formerly the Durlin). many times and always enjoyed the place. Smith 1/17/2012 Steven Groden & Barbara Affannato newimage8 = new Image(); 11/28/2009, Steve & (928) 234-7335, HOME Oatman Western Mining Village/Museums & Scenic Route 66 Experience. Their show lasts approximately thirty minutes and combines theater, history, and comedy. David & Christy Halt 8/24/2019 We would like to catch the gun fight. We spend about two hours in this little town, but enough to make great memories!We really enjoyed strolling through the place, and petting the burros. House Event this year! The Oatman AZ gunfight schedule is full of events that take place daily, starting at high noon. The trip started out great but quickly went downhill. John & Judy Lindstedt 12/13/2020 It began as a small mining camp when two prospectors struck a $10 million gold find in 1915, though the vicinity had already been settled for a number of years. The Best Western in Kingman is very family-friendly, with an outdoor pool and free breakfast. Receptions are memorable at the Oatman Hotel (which by the way, does not rent rooms at present). Olive Oatman Fairchild died of a heart attack on March 20, 1903, at the age of 65. Frequent washouts for the first 12 miles leave you repeatedly plowing through sand. Do you have a non-profit Organization that you'd like to add? 1 - A gunfight occurs every day at noon and 2:15 in the middle of Oatman's main street, a stretch of Historic Route 66 now known as Oatman-Topock Highway. Rent an Escape Campervan in Las Vegas and use it as your tricked-out adventure mobile! Brent & Kim Hoffeld 5/16/2016 For comfort, you can cling to a burro -- they are totally unflustered during the mock killing. We specialize in delicious red wines and offer tastings, glasses or bottles. The area is also located on Route 66, an ancient route that connected the east and west. However, some mining continued until 1944, when the last mines closed. The gunfighters' brief, improvised narratives are not sophisticated drama ("You slept with my daughter! Tyler & Kaitlyn Lowry 9/28/2019, Terry & Joni Jim & Eileen Millea 09/16/2021 How To Find Oatman AZ Gunfight Schedule. - See 649 traveler reviews, 1,141 candid photos, and great deals for Oatman, AZ, at Tripadvisor. Oatman, Arizona, bills itself as a throwback to the Old West, a "living ghost town." Results are instant and can confirm the information you are searching for. In the northwest corner of Arizona, discover a town full of rugged characterand burros. Other events occur during the year to entertain, and to thank our veterans for their service to the country. Charles & Eileen McDonald 5/17/2019 Theyre descendants of pack animals used by prospectors in the 1800s. More on Oatman here: http://www.desertusa.com/oatman/du_oa. Arizona Ghost Towns and Wild-West Day Trip from Las Vegas. How To Repairing Sanded Or Unsanded Grout For Porcelain Tile Roadside? newimage4 = new Image(); She repeated what I was told before about "enough money on the street" but there was a show at 1:30 so she thought there would be a show. Took the Route 66 trip and going to Oatman was a must. Save Cool Vacation Destinations! Richard & Nancy Tejchman 10/10/2017 The encircling crowd stands within 10 or 15 feet of the action, and these are real guns going off, albeit loaded with blanks. From its famous guests to its otherworldly inhabitants, the Durlin, today known as the Oatman Hotel, is a must-visit attraction in Oatman. Tom & Rita Settle 11/22/2014 Watch out for the narrow roads with no guard rails and little or no breakdown lanes. if (pos == MessageText.length) pos = 1 - DisplayLength; Richard & Teri Pounds 1/01/2011 There are plenty of burros waking around and maybe even a ghost or 2. Sam & Kathy Becher 3/09/2012 WILLIES They returned quite often to enjoy the peace and solitude they wanted until the unfortunate death of Lombard in a plane crash just 4 years later.The locals are very friendly and the Burros will accompany you into the shops. The town gained popularity during the gold rush. The decor is reminiscent of an old western saloon with lots of wild-west memorabilia. Their hairy descendants still live in the hills around Oatman, and come into town to beg for food whenever tourists arrive. It is narrow and winding in places and suitable for vehicles under 40 feet long. She currently blogs at Back Road Ramblers and Vermont Explored, where she shares travel tips, adventure destinations, and vacation ideas for the wanderer in everyone. Patrons have placed one-dollar bills on the saloon's walls and ceiling for decades, a tradition that continues today. Apple maps says it takes about 2.5 hours. Justin & Abigail Briggs 11/15/2013