I already shared with you about our absolutely comfortable stay at the Hyatt Place in Mesa, AZ. and the fun we had cooling off at the Sunsplash Waterpark, but what was probably the highlight of our trip to Mesa was stepping into the Wild West on our visit to the Goldfield Ghost Town. There we took a ride on the old Goldfield Railroad, a mining tour and even had lunch in the old time saloon.

{What is Goldfield?}



Goldfield was a booming town back in the 1890's, even bigger than surrounding towns like Mesa. When the mines started drying up and flooded, the town died and was not brought to life again until 1910, when it came back to life periodically until 1926. Now, over 100 years later, this ghost town now allows visitors to step back into the past and experience life as it was in the wild west!

{What To Do?}

Goldfield Ghost Town is full of attractions for the whole family. The boys and I purchased a combo ticket that covered a ride on the railroad, a mining tour and a visit to the Mystery Shack. The tickets were $18 for adults and $11 for each child. The ride on the railroad is only a mile loop and lasts 20 minutes. The conductor was very knowledgeable, sharing information on the history of the town, the surrounding mines, as well as the local plant and animal life.



The mining tour had an amazing guide, who was not only knowledgeable about the mining process in the early 1900's, but was also hilarious. Right after our tour, we headed over the the Mystery Shack, where everything seems to defy gravity. It was a cool little sidebar activity, but was over pretty quick and I likely would have skipped this if it was not included in the combo ticket, although the boys loved it.




Up for some shopping? We picked up a few things in one of the gift shops, which promoted itself as having the best prices in Arizona. I don't know if that's true, but the prices were pretty good. There is also a bakery where you can pick up a quick snack, a bordello which promises to be family friendly although it was closed when we were there, and even gunfights on the weekends.


The museum is small, but for only a $1 donation, it tells a lot about the town, has cool displays and information on those who have gone searching for the Lost Dutchman's Mine. To end our day in Goldfield Ghost Town, we enjoyed lunch at the saloon. Rustic and delicious, it was a fun way to end our day in the Wild West.

If you are headed out to the Mesa, AZ. area, Goldfield is only a short drive away and worth a stop for just an hour or a whole day!