Dozen Distinctive Destinations
Prescott, AZ
Year Listed: 2006
Begun as a rustic and raucous mining camp on the Hassayampa River in 1863, Prescott, AZ, quickly gained prominence when it served twice as the capital of the Arizona Territory. To celebrate the town's growing stature, Prescott’s founders adorned their community with colorfully painted Victorian homes - "painted ladies" - and today, the town boasts more than 700 buildings listed in the National Register of Historic Places. For visitors and residents alike, the centerpiece of Prescott’s vibrant downtown is Courthouse Plaza, a green oasis surrounded by museums, art galleries, antique shops, boutiques, cozy restaurants, the 1905 Elks Opera House, and historic accommodations, including the 1927 Hassayampa Inn, a member of the National Trust’s Historic Hotels of America.
Downtown in Prescott, Arizona.
Credit: City of Prescott
The town, which made countless gold prospectors overnight millionaires, celebrates its frontier past in several nationally recognized museums including the Phippen, which features Western and Native American art and is named for the founding president of the Cowboys Artists of America. One of the best history museums in Arizona is Sharlot Hall Museum, built around the site of the first Territorial Governor’s Mansion and housing an extensive collection of artifacts from pioneer days. Opened in 1935, the Smoki Museum of American Indian Art and Culture is dedicated to the history of Native American peoples of the Southwestern United States, and features an impressive display of pottery, jewelry, hand-woven baskets and other artworks. Surrounded by the Bradshaw Mountains and one million acres of Ponderosa pines, Prescott is a dream come true for outdoor lovers. The area boasts more than 450 miles of hiking, biking and horseback riding trails, four lakes for fishing and boating, and the unique Granite Dells for rock climbing. For Wild West enthusiasts, Prescott’s annual July 4 rodeo, said to be the world’s oldest, has been a tradition since 1888.
