Prescott-
Everybody's Hometown

Mile-high Prescott, nestled in one of the nation's largest stand of ponderosa pines, awaits your discovery. Whether you're an outdoor adventurer, power shopper, history buff, art lover or golfer, the Prescott area has something for everyone. Here you can enjoy four museums, five lakes, six golf course, fabulous boutiques, galleries and bistros, and cover 450 miles of multi-use recreational trails that wind through groves of ponderosa pines and granite boulders.

The Granite Basin Recreational Area offers some of the most challenging rock climbing in the county. The scenic Granite Dells are a sight to behold with amazing granite rock formations clustered along highway 89.

Prescott began as a mining town with the discovery of gold.  By the early 1860's, the California gold rush had gone bust and rumors of a new bonanza sent hopeful miners and settlers racing to the Prescott area.   An Army Captain by the name of Joseph Walker had discovered the richest stream bed in Arizona -- Lynx Creek-- and Prescott was on the map. When Arizona became a territory in 1864, Prescott became the capital.

Prescott's rich past can be explored today along historic Whiskey Row, a bygone hangout for gamblers and saloon girls.  During the late 1870's, Wyatt and Virgil Earp and Doc Holliday were patrons of the Palace Bar (Arizona's oldest restaurant and saloon). Doc was said to have won $10,000 at poker there before joining the Earps in Tombstone. Virgil was Prescott's Town Constable and owned a sawmill at Thumb Butte.  On July 14,1900, a fire started in the Scopel Hotel and quickly engulfed Whiskey Row and the Palace.  Faithful patrons managed to save the Palace's 24-foot long mahogany bar. Once home to over 26 saloons, much of Whiskey Row has been transformed into a thriving shopping district.

Many of Prescott's old buildings have been preserved with great care. Beautifully restored Victorian homes with carefully manicured lawns line quiet, shaded streets, and are among the more  than 600 buildings on the National Historic Register.

For more information, visit the Prescott area web site at http://www.visit-prescott.com or call the Prescott Chamber of Commerce at 1-800-266-7534.