Historic sites in the Verde Valley

Fort Verde State Historic Park sits at 125 East Hollamon Street in Camp Verde. Arizona State Parks runs it, and there is an entry fee. The park is open every day from 9 in the morning until 4:30 in the afternoon, with shorter hours on December 24, and closed on December 25. The site is wheelchair accessible. Each fall the park hosts Fort Verde Days, set for October 10 and 11, 2026. Old fort buildings and a museum tell the story of the place. The phone number is (928) 567-3275. Call to check hours before holidays, since they change.

Out on Perkinsville Road above Jerome, Arizona, this is an open air site of old mining buildings, vintage vehicles and a working sawmill, with gold panning for visitors. It opens Wednesday through Monday and is closed Tuesdays. From March through November the gates are open from 9 to 5, and from December through February from 10 to 5. Admission is $12 for ages 13 to 79, $7 for ages 6 to 12, and free for children 5 and under and for anyone 80 or older. Call (928) 634-0053 to check the hours before a long drive.

The park sits at 100 Douglas Road in Jerome, Arizona, on ground about 1501 meters above sea level. Its centerpiece is the Douglas Mansion, and the displays inside cover the mining that built the town. Doors are open every day from 9 in the morning until 4:30 in the afternoon. There is a fee to enter, so bring a way to pay. The building is wheelchair accessible. Arizona State Parks manages the site. Call (928) 634-5381 to ask about current fees, tours or a group visit before you drive up the hill, since times can change around holidays.

Montezuma Castle National Monument is at 2800 Montezuma Castle Road in Camp Verde, run by the National Park Service. It is open 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. every day, and closed on Thanksgiving Day, December 25 and New Year's Day. Entry is $10 per person aged 16 and over, and that ticket also covers Tuzigoot for 7 days. Montezuma Well keeps the same daily hours. Listed activities include guided and self-guided walking tours, museum exhibits, a bookstore, picnicking, birdwatching and a Junior Ranger program. Call (928) 567-3322 or write to moca_tuzi_info@nps.gov, and check nps.gov for directions before you set out.

Montezuma Well is a National Park Service site near Rimrock, run as a unit of Montezuma Castle National Monument. There is no entrance fee. Getting there is simple: leave I-17 at exit 293 and follow about 4 miles through McGuireville and Rimrock. The roads are paved the whole way, so a regular car is fine. For hours, ranger programs, road work, or closures, call (928) 567-3322 or check https://www.nps.gov/moca/planyourvisit/directions.htm before you drive out. Shade is limited and summer afternoons get hot, so bring water and a hat, and give yourself enough time to walk the short paths without rushing.

Palatki Heritage Site is managed by the USDA Forest Service, about 13 miles northwest of Sedona at the end of a dirt road. Read that last part before you set off, and check your vehicle and the weather. Hours change with the season: September to May it opens 9:30 AM to 3 PM daily, except Wednesday when it runs 9:30 to noon; June to August it opens Wednesday to Saturday, 8:30 AM to noon. A Red Rock Pass or an America the Beautiful pass is needed. The phone number is (928) 203-2900.

Tuzigoot National Monument sits at 25 Tuzigoot Rd in Clarkdale and is run by the National Park Service. It opens 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. every day and closes on Thanksgiving Day, December 25 and New Year's Day. Entry is $10 for one adult aged 16 and over, and the same ticket covers Montezuma Castle for 7 days. Listed activities are guided and self-guided walking tours, hiking, museum exhibits, a bookstore and park store, birdwatching and a Junior Ranger program. The phone number is (928) 634-5564 and the email is moca_tuzi_info@nps.gov. Check nps.gov for directions.