The “living ghost town” of Oatman, Arizona
Arizona is known for beautiful nature: canyons, mountains and red sandstone. But, it’s little towns are a quite of an attraction as well. One of them is the town of Oatman. It’s history goes back to 19th century: times of the gold rush.
The town was named in honor of Olive Oatman: a girl from a pioneer family. When she was 14 years old her parents were killed and she was captured by Indians in 1851. Later, she was traded to Mohave tribe and had their traditional tattoo made on her chin. In about five years she was released and reunited with her brother.
In early 20th century, Oatman mines were the largest gold mines in west. At the peak of gold mining, more than three thousand people lived in the town. But, the mines began to empty, and so did the settlement. Today, there are just over a hundred residents in the town, but they are reviving it’s charm. They preserved an old saloon, a hotel and a souvenir shop. There is Clark Gable and Carole Lombard’s honeymoon suite in the hotel.
The town has plenty of restaurants and shops with Native American craft. Locals hold street performance and Old Western shootout, which is quite entertaining to watch.
What makes Oatman even more unique? Wild mules. They roam around the town and are quite tamed and not shy at all. Visitors may feed and pat them, if they wish.
Also, the town is part of an old Route 66, so it is worth stopping, while on a nostalgic journey.
UnusualPlaces Field Notes
- Location
- Oatman, Route 66, Mohave County, Arizona, USA
- Coordinates
- 35.0264, -114.3836
- Access
- Oatman is a public Route 66 town, and wild burros roam its main street. Keep to sidewalks, watch for animals crossing roads, and never stop in the roadway. Feeding advice conflicts: the Oatman Chamber says $1 hay cubes are sold under an arrangement with the BLM, while BLM general guidance says not to feed wild burros because food attracts them to roads and increases injury risk. Do not feed unless current onsite instructions from the responsible manager explicitly confirm it is allowed; never approach or touch the burros.
- Admission
- No general town-entry charge is listed for visiting the public Route 66 main street. Shops, food, museums, mine tours, and other separately operated experiences may charge their own fees; confirm directly with each business.
- Time needed
- No dependable town-only visit duration is published. Time depends on how long you spend on Main Street, in businesses or museums, and whether you wait for a gunfighter performance; the Chamber says performance times can change with weather, special events, and crowds.
- Best season
- No official best season is published. Check the local forecast and plan an outdoor walk around the day’s heat; the BLM warns wild burros can be hazardous and may be active near roads.
- Opening hours
- No town-wide visitor opening hours are published. The Oatman Chamber reports gunfighter performances at about noon and 2 p.m. on weekdays and roughly four performances beginning at noon on weekends. Times vary with weather, events, and crowd conditions; confirm with the Chamber before planning around a show.
- Location checked
- 2026-09-26
- Facts checked
- 2026-10-26
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