A Japanese Fan's Guide to Tombstone, Arizona
Howdy! Tombstone, Arizona is "The Town Too Tough to Die", home of the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral and a real, living Old West town. Here's what a Japanese western fan needs to know, from history to getting there!
๐ For the full local guide, see Visit Tombstone. ๐ต Hear the town's songs on the Tombstone jukebox!
๐ฐ๏ธ History basics
- 1877: prospector Ed Schieffelin finds silver and files a claim named Tombstone; he'd been told all he'd find was his tombstone.
- 1879: the town is founded and the silver boom begins.
- 1880: the Tombstone Epitaph newspaper is founded (still published).
- Oct 26, 1881: the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral. Virgil, Wyatt and Morgan Earp and Doc Holliday face the Clantons and McLaurys; about 30 shots in about 30 seconds, in a lot on Fremont Street a short way from the corral.
- Dec 1881: the Bird Cage Theatre opens.
- 1882: the courthouse (now a state historic park) is built.
- From 1886: the mines flood and the boom fades, but the town survives.
โญ Highlights
- O.K. Corral: gunfight reenactment, Historama and the Epitaph museum. Show times & tickets
- Allen Street: the car-free historic district of saloons and shops. Directory
- Boothill Graveyard: resting place of Billy Clanton and the McLaury brothers.
- Bird Cage Theatre and Tombstone Courthouse State Historic Park (an 1882 courthouse museum).
- Helldorado Days every October and more on the events page.
โ๏ธ Getting there from Japan
Fly into Phoenix (PHX) or Tucson (TUS) and drive (check airlines for current routes and connections).
| From | Distance | Drive |
|---|---|---|
| Tucson International Airport | about 75 mi | about 1 h 30 min |
| Tucson (city) | about 65 mi | about 1 h 15 min (I-10 to Benson, then Hwy 80 ~25 mi) |
| Phoenix Sky Harbor | about 180 mi | about 3 h |
Park free in the O.K. Corral lot on Fremont Street; Allen Street is closed to cars.
May change: checked 2026-10-24. Check the official source before you rely on it.
๐ต Hear Tombstone
Songs about the town's saloons and legends on the Tombstone jukebox, plus Tanuki Thunder's "Tombstone Arizona".