Ghost Towns: Vulture City, AZ
Vulture City, AZ Quick Facts
- Founded: 1863
- Abandoned: 1942
- Drive Time from Phoenix: 1 hour, 10 minutes
- Get Directions
- Related Website: https://vulturecityghosttown.com/
Why should I visit Vulture City, AZ?
Vulture City is the perfect place for those looking for a blast into the past of the Wild West. Visit restored buildingd and haunted houses and truly experience what life was like for settlers here in the 1800-1900's.
You can get a glimpse into history through architecture (renovations and resotorations on even more historic buildings are being completed as we speak) as well as insightful historical tours. It's a delightful day trip from Phoenix if you're willing to drive a little bit!
What is the history of Vulture City, AZ?
Vulture City was founded in 1863 after a prospector named Henry Wickenburg discovered a quartz deposit containing gold. The city was founded to support the Vulture Mine, Arizona's most succesful gold mine at the time.
The mine yielded 340,000 ounces of gold and 260,000 ounces of silver between 1863 and 1942, when it shut down due to World War II. After the mine closed, the town was eventually abandoned.
Before it was abandoned, it once boasted a population of over 5,000 people and had all the makings of a small WIld West town, from school and boarding houses to post offices, stores, and saloons. It's known for its violent history--one tree in town is named "The Hanging Tree", and it's said that 18 men met their fates here for crimes such as thieving and pillaging.
What is Vulture City, AZ like today?
Nowadays, Vulture City is a ghost town in the Sonoran Desert. You can visit restored remnants, haunted buildings, dissolved ruins, dark mine shafts, and blacksmithing services.
Learn all about paranormal activity at Vulture City, take an educational student tour, or watch an entertaining show from the Wickenburg Marshals when you visit this Arizona ghost town. Despite it being abandoned as a town, there are quite a lot of events that happen here in Vulture City that you won't want to miss when you're passing through!