PHOENIX — On Saturday, October 11, 2025 from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m., Jerome State Historic Park will host a community event celebrating its 60th anniversary. The event will offer activities and exhibits that celebrate the history of the Douglas family and house, which has served as a state park since October 16, 1965. Thanks to a generous donation by Freeport McMoRan, this event will be free to all visitors.

Demonstrations at the anniversary event will include locomotive horns, engines, and a model railroad; historic mining equipment; and the gambling card game Faro, which was popular in Arizona’s territorial days.

Families can enjoy many activities at the park during the event, all included with paid park admission of $10 per person, $5 for children ages 7-13, and free for children ages 6 and under. Local artists will be showcased and live performances will include music, cowboy poetry, Roaring Twenties-style piano, and a cyclekarts show. Community partners will be present with educational displays. Event attendees can enter a raffle to win a pair of tickets to ride the Verde Canyon Railroad in Clarkdale, Arizona.

Before Jerome State Historic Park opened as Arizona's fifth state park, the Douglas Mansion was owned by Lewis Douglas and his brother, James Douglas. Their father, copper magnate James S. “Rawhide” Douglas, built the mansion in 1916 and occupied it during Jerome’s prosperous mining days.

“The town of Jerome captures the interest and imagination of more than 45,000 visitors from all over the world,” said Bob Broscheid, executive director of Arizona State Parks and Trails. “At our state park, we’re proud to preserve the storied history of this mining boomtown, the Douglas family legacy, and an industry that powered the territory’s economic development. We're thrilled to celebrate this milestone 60th anniversary with our community and invite everyone to join us for this momentous occasion.”

The Douglas home sits on the hill just above the United Daisy Extension (the Little Daisy Mine), which was purchased and developed by James S. Douglas in 1912 and operated until 1938. The museum it now houses features historical exhibits of photographs, artifacts, minerals, and a 3-D model of the town with its underground mines. The park offers a view of Jerome with its structures perched into the side of Mingus Mountain, and views to the north of the Verde Valley, Oak Creek and Sycamore canyons, and the San Francisco Peaks beyond.

Visitors can find directions, park hours, and additional information about the exhibits at Jerome State Historic Park at AZStateParks.com/Jerome.