Castle Dome Mining Museum is a captivating glimpse of life in a circa 1878 mining ghost town. Renovated and re-created buildings bring the past to life in a southern Arizona mountain and desert landscape that is in itself timeless. If you love history, this is a must-see site near Yuma and Kofa National Wildife Refuge.
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Castle Dome Mining Museum
It’s hard to separate fact from fiction in the pseudo ghost town of Castle Dome – a blend of restored and re-created buildings portraying life in a circa 1878 mining town. That being said, there is something about the place that begs further investigation.
Facts about Castle Dome City
Castle Dome is the longest working mining district in Arizona. The first patented mine in the area opened in 1871 and continued operating until the 1970s. Silver, gold, lead, copper and zinc were mined from the mountains found within Kofa National Wildlife Refuge.
The population of Castle Dome City rose to around 3,000 in the early 20th century as folks moved into the area in search of the area’s high-grade silver galena ore. When the mines finally closed, people moved on. Left behind are the vestiges of several mines and associated buildings and mining paraphernalia. As a matter of fact, the town itself sits on three patented mines: the Floral Temple, Floral Temple extension and the Castle Dome.
Some of the buildings are in their original locations. Others were moved into Castle Dome City to save them from being razed when the wildlife refuge received “wilderness” status. Many of the artifacts that fill the buildings were gathered together from a variety of Kofa mine sites.
However, if you are expecting to see a complete ghost town, you might not find it here. The fact is that Castle Dome is more of a museum – a repository for all those bits and pieces of a bygone era. Still, the town and its dozens of buildings pull in history buffs from around the world.
Curators of Castle Dome’s Place in Arizona’s History
Mining around Castle Dome finished by 1979. Allen and Stephanie Armstrong bought the property around Castle Dome in 1993.
In the late 1990s, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife announced that they were going to remove all of the surface mining remains from the district. The Armstrong’s asked for permission to salvage what they could from the surrounding mines. They received permission and saved everything from buildings to tools to a pair of old Levi Strauss pants found in one of the abandoned mines.
After researching the history through old newspaper accounts and talking to past residents who lived and worked in the area, they opened Castle Dome Mining Museum to display their treasures.
The Armstrong’s followed in the footsteps of others interested in preserving this slice of history. Prior to the Castle Dome Mining Museum, Darrell and Billie Casey had a collection of Castle Dome artifacts at their place in the Danny Boy Mine. Most of these treasures now reside in the Quartzite Museum.
Max and Nancy Baltzer lived at the Nicholson Mine, next door to the Danny Boy. Their collection of artifacts – housed in a building at the Sonora Mine – became the Crystal Palace Museum. It is now long gone.
Treasures from a Mining Past
Many of the artifacts have been found in the Castle Dome mining district. Everything from ore cars and buckets, winches and a stamp mill were tools left behind. There are old powder boxes and carbide cans. The machine shop has an original lathe and shaver from 1905.
Carmelita’s Cantina has tables built by miners in the 1800s. Many of the old bottles behind the bar are from local brewers, Cooper and Hawkins. In the mercantile, food cans from the late 1800s stock the shelves.
There is a wealth of history to be found in almost every piece of glass and tin and wood and metal tucked in the ragtag collection of preserved buildings that make up the museum’s townsite. It’s a dusty collection of a time and place that lives on thanks to the Armstrong’s efforts.
Castle Dome Mining Museum drew me in and kept me captivated for hours – I hope it does the same for you.
When You Go
Don’t miss the ½-mile walk to the separate mining area and additional buildings. It will take 2-3 hours to visit the museum if reading all the interpretive signs and visiting every building. There are also tours of the site and the Hull Mine available – ask at the entrance desk if interested. More info is also available on the museum website.
To access the museum, turn off Highway 95 near mile marker 55 on the Castle Dome Road. The paved road travels through the U.S Proving Grounds for the first couple miles before turning to gravel. Stick to the main gravel road, saving the Castle Dome Kofa Bypass to the left and Big Eye Mine road to the right for future adventures. The main road continuing into the museum is bumpy but navigable by all types of vehicles.
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