Arizona’s state parks don’t receive quite as much fanfare as national parks—but that just means they’re fantastic destinations hiding in plain sight. Some showcase the striking natural beauty of Arizona, while others preserve history for future generations. The best part is that these parks are located all around the state, so there’s a good chance one is sitting in your backyard!

Arizona’s oldest state park is actually located in our most famous town from the Old West, Tombstone.
Enrique A Sanabria/Flickr
Walk a little ways from the popular Allen Street and you’ll encounter this historic Victorian building. The old Cochise County courthouse was built in 1882 and served as such until 1931 when Bisbee became the county seat.
Max Richard/Flickr
The state park preserves the courthouse and bits and pieces of the city’s history, particularly those related to its law and justice. Inside, you’ll find exhibits showing the courtroom as it probably would have looked in Wyatt Earp’s day...
Trevor Huxham/Flickr
...an office loaded with law books...
mlhradio/Flickr

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...and outside stand replica gallows.
Max Richard/Flickr
If you look close, you’ll find all kinds of wonderful little details around the courthouse, such as this intricate door handle with a beautiful patina.
Trevor Huxham/Flickr
In the exhibits, you’ll find some fascinating pieces of history! Artists drawings, seemingly ordinary paperwork, letters, licenses, photos and announcements.
Tombstone Courthouse State Historic Park/Facebook
One of our favorite examples: a card table with Tombstone residents’ game of choice, faro. This was a wildly popular card game in the West before poker began to take over in the early 20th-century.
Tombstone Courthouse State Historic Park/Facebook
If you’re planning a visit to Tombstone, you’ll definitely want to take a break from the busy Allen Street to see this wonderful example of history!
Jimmy Emerson, DVM/Flickr

The Tombstone Courthouse State Historic Park is located at 223 East Toughnut Street in Tombstone. You can find details about the park’s hours of operation, fees, and events by visiting the Arizona State Parks website.

If you want to visit another state park that’s a little more focused on nature than history, we bet you will love Red Rock State Park in Sedona! Read more in The One Spot In Arizona That’s Basically Heaven On Earth.

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